Mazamas — For the Love of Mountains
Activity Notes
- Tom McCall Preserve
- Distance: 5.6 miles
- Elevation Gain: 1400 feet
- Hiking time: 4 hours plus breaks
- Pace: moderate
We will visit the beautiful Nature Conservancy Tom McCall preserve, located between the Dalles and Hood River on the historic scenic highway. This will be a fairly relaxed trip with plenty of time to see a variety of wildflowers and panoramic gorge views. Bring your cameras/phones. Weekdays are usually less crowed than weekends. Weather in this part of the gorge is often drier and warmer than Portland.
We will first follow a trail 2 miles and 1100 feet up to Tom McCall point (1722 feet) . This trail is a bit steep in places, so you might want trekking poles and good shoes. After a snack and water break on the summit, we will return to the trailhead, cross the road, and explore the lower preserve on the Rowena plateau along cliffs above the river (with possible vulture and eagle sightings) .
More details on the area here:
https://www.oregonhikers.org/field_guide/McCall_Point_Hike
https://www.oregonhikers.org/field_guide/Rowena_Plateau_Hike
