Pets allowed
Allowed
Elevation Gain
2,000.00 ft (609.60 m)
Trail type
There-and-back
Distance
10.20 mi (16.42 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.

The Clackamas River Trail can be done as a one-way hike with a shuttle, a very long there-and-back trip, or broken up into an upper and lower section. This hike describes a there-and-back along the upstream section leaving from Indian Henry Campground and hiking to Pup Creek Falls; the lower section leaves from Fish Creek.

The trail generally follows the south bank of the Clackamas River through dramatic old-growth forests, meadow crossings, and a great picnic/swimming spot at the river. A side-trail leads to a very worthwhile waterfall, giving this hike a good variety of attractions. The hike is a usually snow-free, and it is a good choice in the winter if the higher elevation Riverside Trail is not passable.

The trail is clearly marked and begins climbing into old-growth woods above the river and shortly drops into a meadow as it passes closer to the river.  Just after passing the first backcountry campsite, a short side trail leads to the Narrows, so named for the tight bottleneck through which the river flows.  This grassy clearing above the Clackamas River is a great place for a picnic and a swim, conditions permitting. It is also a good return point if a shorter hike is desired. From the Narrows, the trail rises up over a small ridge and proceeds to Pup Creek, where a downed-log a few hundred feet upstream provides the only safe crossing. After the crossing the trail climbs briefly; a side trail leaves from the left and follows Pup Creek for 0.3 miles up to a good view of Pup Creek Falls, a 237-foot, two-tiered waterfall.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Congestion

Moderate

Parking Pass

NW Forest Pass

Pros

Year-round hike. Great old-growth. Swimming hole. Waterfall.

Cons

Shaded.

Trailhead Elevation

1,250.00 ft (381.00 m)

Features

Backcountry camping
Waterfalls
Old-growth forest
Wildflowers

Location

Nearby Adventures

Nearby Lodging + Camping

Mt. Hood + Clackamas River Area, Oregon
Oregon, Mt. Hood + Clackamas River Area
Mt. Hood + Clackamas River Area, Oregon

Comments

12/12/2015
trail was closed just after mile 2. lots of downed trees!
01/10/2015
Just did a quick hike to the Narrows with our new puppy--it was a nice, quiet day with few people out in the afternoon. There's no snow right now, but the river is raging! The weeping walls were especially beautiful to see, too.
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