TRAILHEAD NW Rocky Point Road, 1.5 miles off St. Helens Road
DISTANCE 3.4 miles round trip
DURATION One hour and thirty minutes
ELEVATION A total change of 425 feet, with a low point of 340 feet and a high point of 765 feet
CONDITIONS This loop follows logging roads that are mostly well maintained. A short portion consists of a path that winds through a thick stand of young conifers, emerging into a small clearing among older trees. The path is clearly visible as it winds through ferns and underbrush before it reaches a large, well-maintained logging road.
FROM DOWNTOWN This hike begins 18.5 miles from West Burnside and Interstate 405. Drive north on Highway 30 (also called St. Helens Road) past Linnton, Burlington, and the Cornelius Pass intersection. About 16 miles from downtown Portland, you will pass a truck weighing station on the right side of the highway. Immediately beyond it look for a sign indicating the junction with NW Rocky Point Road. Turn left and proceed up Rocky Point Road for 1.4 miles until you come to the first gate on the left.
This is a great introduction to the beautiful seclusion of the Crabapple Creek watershed. It traverses a long ridge (which I call Runaway Ridge in reference to my dog’s occasional independent streaks) that slopes down into the watershed and winds around the isolated forest lanes. Although it feels like the remotest corner of Oregon, it is a mere half hour from downtown.
From the gate, follow the logging road as it passes another set of gate posts and heads east (0.1 mile). A creek passes under the road in a culvert but is not really visible. The first spur off to the right is a cul-de-sac.
The power lines above you here will serve as a reference point along the entire route.
About half a mile into the hike the trail turns right, now heading south, and ascends to cross the ridge it has been traversing. At this point you will note another track heading off to the left. This is the track on which you will return at the end of the hike. For now, bypass it and cross over the ridge (762 feet elevation) to descend into the beautiful Crabapple Creek watershed on the main road.
The logging road is easy to follow as it descends into this remote watershed, eventually passing under the power lines encountered earlier in the hike. Stop here to enjoy a magnificent view of the Tualatin Mountains and the distant bridges of Portland.
At an altitude of about 650 feet, 1.1 miles into the hike, the road splits. Take the left-hand track as it continues to descend into the valley. The main track heads to the right and proceeds much deeper into this isolated area. (For more options in the Crabapple Creek watershed, see the Cable Trail to Rocky Point Road Hike, the Beaver Ponds Loop, and the Double Cross Loop.)
As the road heads back in an easterly direction, you will once again pass beneath the power lines. You are now 1.5 miles into the hike.
This secluded forest lane twists and turns along the gentle hillside. At an elevation of 370 feet, 1.7 miles into the hike, you will pass another side trail heading downhill on the right. This side trail dead-ends further down the slope without connecting to the golf course at the base of the slope or to any other trails. Continue along the main track, which drops to an elevation of 360 feet just beyond this intersection. Thereafter the track begins to climb as it mounts the ridgeline.
At 540 feet elevation, 2.1 miles into the hike, you will encounter the next trail leading off to the right. This trail heads down the ridgeline (as if it connects with the Wildwood Golf Course, whereas in reality it lands in a bramble patch lower down on the slope). Yet again, remain on the main track and stay left. Very shortly the trail will curve around and begin to head further up the ridgeline.
Just past this eastern extremity of the hike, at the lower end of the ridge, you will encounter another tempting side spur to the right. Stay left and continue to climb Runaway Ridge. The side trail is another of the many cul-de-sacs on the ridge; it leads partway down the easterly slope before terminating abruptly in a forest of thick, young conifers. This part of the watershed is heavily populated with wildlife, including deer, coyotes, and even occasionally cougars. Don’t worry, though: coyotes and cougars are unlikely to hurt you unless they are antagonized. If you see either of these animals, consider yourself lucky.
As you climb this lovely wooded ridge you will see at least two sizable anthills to the right of the track constructed by alpine ants (Formica neorufibarbis). These foragers are always active, running along the forest floor and all over neighboring plants and trees. Their ant piles can reach 4–5 feet tall. The anthills on Runaway Ridge were probably constructed around the time the area was originally logged, perhaps in the 1970s. This isn’t anything unusual, however: I’ve seen anthills in Europe known to be more than five hundred years old!
You may also notice some of the mushrooms that populate this misty ridge. I have spotted numerous blue-staining boletes (Gyroporus cyanescens) growing in the middle of the track.
The walk up the ridge is less than half a mile and ends in one of those typical logging road cul-de-sacs. Here, at 2.5 miles into the hike, the trail brings you to the end of the road, near the top of Runaway Ridge at an elevation of 760 feet. Don’t panic. Carefully examine the left-hand side of the clearing you’re in, and under the trees you’ll discover an older trail leading off to the left. Follow this trail into the woods, dodging the branches that reach across it. It will lead you 0.2 mile, generally uphill, to the crest of the ridge.
An anthill on Runaway Ridge
At this point the path winds through a young forest, past a small clearing, and into stands of taller trees. Follow the clearly visible trail through these clearings as you enter a more mature and open forest.
At 2.7 miles into the hike the path emerges onto a logging road (760 feet elevation), with the road running directly across the path just past the crest of the ridge. The undergrowth in this more mature portion of the forest has been cleared, so if you just keep moving uphill, you can’t miss the road just beyond the crest. Follow the logging road to the left.
A mere 100 yards onward this road intersects with the road used to enter the area. Turn right and follow the road back to the gate.