Hiking Trail Improvements at Beacon Rock State Park

Beacon Rock State Park is a 5,100-acre year-round camping park located on the Washington State side of the Columbia River Gorge. The park is famous for the historical 848-foot rock, and boaters value the Columbia River moorage and boat ramp. It was near Beacon Rock that Lewis and Clark first measured tidal influences from the Pacific Ocean on the Columbia River.

The park's largely unappreciated value lies in thirteen miles of old fire roads and twelve miles of hiking trails. The State Department of Natural Resources logged the area in the early 1960s, leaving a network of old roads.

A connection between fire roads on the west and east sides evolved in the mid to late 1990s by adventurous hikers, and that informal path has just been improved. Working in partnership with the Washington Trails Association, Backcountry Horsemen of Washington and others, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission has created a 1.6-mile connecting route that offers hikers easy access to spectacular views from both the east and west sides of the rock.

Source article, containing more information
Hardy Ridge a hiker haven in the Gorge | The News Tribune - Northwest

More points of interest near Beacon Rock State Park

Mt. Hood National Forest
Gifford Pinchot National Forest
Ainsworth State Park
Hamilton Island Boat Ramp
Fort Cascades Historic Site
Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge

National Trails Day in the Bitterroot National Forest

In honor of National Trails Day, a group of about 25 volunteers will devote much of their weekend to improving the Rock Creek Trail in the Bitterroot National Forest. The BNF is a 1.6 million acre forest in southwest Montana and Idaho, located in the Bitterroot and the Sapphire mountains.

Source: National Trails Day Project on Bitterroot National Forest | 2009

Waubonsie State Park in Iowa

Waubonsie State Park is located in the Loess Hills, a landform found in only two places in the world: Along the Missouri River in Iowa and Missouri, and in Shaanxi, China. The Loess Hills are the product of sand, silt and clay sediments which were carried by winds and deposited when these winds encountered steep hill slopes. This type of soil is known colloquially as "sugar clay" because it can be extremely hard when dry, but loses all cohesion when wet. The depth of this drift layer is often greater than ninety feet.

Waubonsie State Park contains seven miles of foot trails and eight miles of equestrian trails winding along windswept ridges down into gorges and valleys. The Sunset Ridge Interpretive Trail provides the visitor with a chance to learn about the park's plants and trees, as well as enjoy some spectacular views. The park holds 40 campsites, 24 of which have electrical hookups. The equestrian campground contains 32 campsites.

IA DNR: State Parks,Waubonsie State Park
2585 Waubonsie Park Road
Hamburg, IA 51640
712-382-2786

On Google Maps
Waubonsie State Park

Featured Stop: Van Meter State Park

The Van Meter State Park features remnants of a Missouri Indian village. A hand-dug earthwork and a few burial mounds are found within park boundaries. The park’s cultural center interprets the region’s Native American history through exhibits and a large mural depicting day-to-day the life among the Missouri Indians.

Park attractions include hiking trails, an 18-acre fishing lake, a campground, a fresh-water marsh, fens and forests. Lofty trees provide shade for picnic sites and two picnic shelters.

Van Meter State Park
32146 N. Hwy. 122
Miami, MO 65344
660-886-7537

Saddle Mountain Hike

On May 30, 2009 at the Saddle Mountain State Natural Area, from 10AM through 2PM. The hike is sponsored by the Angora Club. This is a difficult five-mile round trip, on which you can marvel at the beauty of the mountain.