In the Pacific Northwest, the first warm and sunny spring day is always an event. People come out of the woodwork and flock to parks and patios, anywhere you can feel the sun on your skin for the first time in seven months. We finally had a beautiful, warm day and decided we should take a quick hike in the Gorge to catch the sunset. Angel’s Rest is an excellent sunset spot as the view is almost directly west over the Columbia River. Just remember to bring headlamps or flashlights!
The sun was setting around 8:30 (yay, long summer days!), and we arrived at the trailhead at about 7PM. The trail starts climbing right away, but gradually. About a quarter mile in you pass a little offshoot for a view of a waterfall that you’ll later be walking over. We’ve done this hike when the waterfall was pretty much just a trickle of water, but with our crazy winter this last year, it was roaring down the river.
Crossing the river a little further up on a small bridge, you get to the edge of the extremely spaced out switchbacks. These start bringing you further east and the noise of the cars on the highway starts to fade away. At this point, the trail is mostly up until you reach the top, and you get glimpses of the river as you climb.
There are two small boulder fields (the trail disappears though these, but they’re so short, it’s easy to navigate), and then the trail turns west again and you’re almost to the top! There are lots of big boulders to climb onto to get a better view, but it’s pretty incredible from wherever you are up there. Make sure you walk all the way around to the opposite side – there’s a small trail that will take you there – for an unobstructed view all the way out toward Portland.
The last time we did this hike, we were greeted with 50 mile per hour winds at the top, and it was freezing and a little dangerous to go anywhere near the edge. This time, it was just a slight breeze (and so much warmer!). The sunset was spectacular.
As it officially set behind the west hills, we decided to head back down. The sky was neon as we climbed back down through the switchbacks, but it got dark real fast as soon as we re-entered the trees. We donned our headlamps and made it down with me only almost falling over once. There are a few rocky sections of trail that are a little tricky without any light, but as long as you’re paying attention it’s no problem! Definitely a safe one to do in the dark as long as you’re comfortable hiking by headlamp.
Trail Name: Angel’s Rest Trail
Distance: 5 Miles round trip
Difficulty: Dayhike – Moderate
Date & Duration: May 8th 2017, 2.5 hours round trip (with 30 min at top)
Elevation: 130ft at top
Gear: Keen hiking boots, Nalgene water bottle, Headlamps, Marmot jacket & vest
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