Forest Service Public Meeting Tonight On The Cape Horn Trail
The view from Cape Horn. Photo by Darwin Durek, Bonneville Power Administration.
Unless you’re an avid hiker, there’s a decent chance you’ve never heard of the Cape Horn Trail.
This may be one of the Gorge’s best kept secrets. Ryan Ojerio of the Washington Trails Association compares it to a great restaurant that only foodies know about. Those who frequent this trail rave about the stunning views of the gorge, the beautiful wildflowers and wildlife, and the rare opportunity to hike behind a waterfall.
Well… the secret is about to come out.
The U.S. Forest Service is thinking about adding the Cape Horn Trail to the official system of trails in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. At a public meeting tonight in Stevenson, Wash., it will present three options. Two of them mean large sections of the trail would be closed permanently. The other alternative keeps most of the trail as it is now, but closes part of it for six months every year.
Which presents a problem of sorts for the group, Friends Of The Columbia Gorge. Friends has been working for years to purchase some 1,000 acres of land around Cape Horn. That’s allowed them, and others, to lovingly create this eight mile loop that takes hikers from the crest of Cape Horn and down along the river’s edge.
The trailhead is only about a half hour drive from the Portland-Vancouver metro area, which makes it one of the few recreational spots in the Western end of the Gorge. But since it’s on the Washington side, it’s not well known as other trails.
Friends Executive Director Kevin Gorman seems pleased that the Forest Service is ready to take stewardship of the trail. But even the best of the Forest Service options means moving the trail away from many of the stunning viewpoints that make it so outstanding. Gorman calls it the “Wow factor”. “With some hard work they could preserve the wow factor,” says Gorman. “But the way it stands now they’ll lose it.”
To be fair, the Forest Service has other things to consider besides scenery. The current trail goes through habitat for protected species such as the Peregrine Falcon, the Larch Mountain Salamander and the Pika. The six month closure is meant to help keep people away during nesting season.
That’s a compromise Gorman is willing to accept. So while the group is tentatively supporting the “best” option. It still wants to see some changes made to keep the “Wow factor” on the Cape Horn Trail.
About Tonight’s Meeting
- What: Forest Service Public Meeting on the Cape Horn Trail Plan
- Where: Rock Creek Center, 710 SW Rock Creek Drive, Stevenson, Wash.
- When: 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Gorge Friends are supporting Alternative Two, but asking for modifications. For more information see their Shaping The Future Of The Cape Horn Trail webpage.
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