TRAILHEAD NW Skyline Boulevard between Moreland Road and Johnson Road
DISTANCE 1 mile one way, 2 miles round trip
DURATION Thirty minutes
ELEVATION A total change of 170 feet, with a low point of 1180 feet and a high point of 1350 feet
CONDITIONS A well-maintained forest road gives way to a clearly marked footpath through the woods, which in turn connects to another maintained forest road.
FROM DOWNTOWN This hike begins 17.8 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 13.5 miles from downtown Portland, you will see a sign for Logie Trail on the left. Take this steep, winding road up the mountainside to reach NW Skyline Boulevard. Turn right on Skyline Boulevard and proceed north for 1.3 miles until you reach a sharp elbow curve to the left. On the right is a blue gate heading into a young conifer forest. Park near this gate.
This lovely, short hike along the top of the Tualatin Mountains offers stunning views of four major mountains lined up across the horizon—it doesn’t get any more Pacific Northwestish! It’s a great walk to introduce visitors to the rugged beauty of our forests and the volcanic grandeur of the Cascades. The trail runs through some young woods and emerges onto a promontory with a magnificent view of the Crabapple Creek basin, Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams, and Mount Hood.
Follow this broad woodland tract to the end. Once there you’ll spot the hidden trail on the right.
Beyond the gate, the trail splits. The right-hand trail dead-ends almost immediately, so follow the left-hand road. This track ascends gradually from 1200 feet elevation at the gate to 1300 feet about a quarter of a mile up the slope.
Near the top of the slope the road splits again. This time proceed straight ahead, ignoring the larger trail that branches off to the right. The right-hand option dead-ends further along, although along the way is the entrance to the semi-hidden side trail that leads into the Crabapple Creek basin (see the Cable Trail to Rocky Point Road Hike and the Double Cross Loop).
If you’re hiking this trail in late winter you might spot the mountain quail that frequent the area. In fact this is an inventory spot for local ornithologists.
The broad woodland track continues straight for another 0.1 mile and then appears to end abruptly. However, when you arrive at the cul-de-sac you’ll see that there is a small trail wending its way into the forest on the right. Follow this trail.
This bridle trail—which you’ll be able to identify as such by the hoof marks and by the branches that have been trimmed back to accommodate riders—winds through a short patch of young conifer forest for about a tenth of a mile.
You may notice that the trunks of some of the young trees here are bald in spots. This is where the deer rub their antlers. Antlers are made entirely of bone, unlike horns, which are composed of a bony core, a layer of skin, and a layer of keratin, the tough protein found in our own fingernails. Male deer, the only animals with antlers, shed these appendages in winter and regrow them in spring. The emerging antlers are covered with a thin layer of fuzzy skin that is said to itch, causing the deer to rub it off on any available rough surface. Hence the damage to the trees around this trail.
Mount St. Helens bathed in the last rays of a sunset
At the far end of this young conifer forest the trail emerges onto another logging road, this one extending along the ridgeline in a northeasterly direction. This road connects with Skyline Boulevard just a short distance west of where you will emerge from the young forest. Turn right on this road and follow it to its end. Take some time to enjoy the wonderful view.
In the foreground you will see the Crabapple Creek basin and the Cable Trail winding its way north toward Rocky Point Road. Beyond this is another ridge, which serves as an eagle nesting spot. To the left is a modern house that overlooks the entire valley. In the far distance, and most impressive of all, are the magnificent peaks of Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams, and Mount Hood. The view is particularly beautiful on a winter morning, when the sun struggles to appear through the mist rising from the forests below and these grand volcanic sentinels dominate the horizon under a leaden sky.
Whenever you finally pull yourself away, simply follow the same route back to the gate on Skyline Boulevard.
