Pets allowed
Not Allowed
Elevation Gain
1,200.00 ft (365.76 m)
Trail type
There-and-back
Distance
3.40 mi (5.47 km)
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

Eastern Oregon can provide some much appreciated relief from the overcast weather in the western half of the state, and the Tom McCall Preserve is a case in point.  Located just above Mayer State Park and between Hood River and The Dalles, the preserve's eastern climate is the perfect environment for spectacular wildflowers, groves of scrub oak, dull Oregon grape and Columbia desert parsley.  The Rowena Plateau is an excellent place for a short walk, but the real beauty of the preserve is the short and steep hike to Tom McCall Point.  On a clear day you'll have full views of Mount Hood and Mount Adams.  From this point the trail continues into a narrow strip of Forest Service land before public access eventually stops entirely.  Tom McCall Preserve is managed in part by The Nature Conservancy, so dogs, horses and camping are not allowed.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Spring
Fall

Congestion

Moderate

Parking Pass

Not Required

Pros

Open skies and panoramic vistas. Wildflowers.

Cons

No dogs allowed.

Trailhead Elevation

680.00 ft (207.26 m)

Features

Big vistas
Wildflowers

Location

Nearby Adventures

Nearby Lodging + Camping

Comments

05/12/2019
I much prefer the Rowena Plateau, especially at sunset. If you go all the way to the rocky outcropping above the hidden falls and sit yourself down, buzzards and ravens will come right up to you to say howdy.

Less people, less ticks, less poison oak than the point hike and--bonus!--lily pad ponds full of froggie symphonies.
03/11/2018
Beautiful and easily accessible hike! Views are fantastic and the nature surprisingly diverse over such a short distance.
Please note this trail is closed Oct-April, please see The Nature Conservancy's website for more info https://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/oregon/placesweprotect/tom-mccall-preserve-at-rowena.xml
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