Tamanawas Falls -Mt. Hood National Forest

Some serious slacking is attributed to myself over the last few months. I have not blogged about a hike since August! Although there was plenty of hiking between then and now, a few other events, mainly Mike & I's wedding and Adam & Elaine's wedding took precedence. But now I am finally free from the day-to-day planning activities that go along with a wedding and I am able to reflect on some incredible hikes we accomplished this summer.

I will start with Tamanawas Falls. This is a hike I have seen on Oregonlive over the years, but for whatever reason it slipped through the cracks. This is a 5.6 mile hike which is very family friendly and busy on summer weekends. If you want to avoid the crowds, try to hike this in the late fall during the week. It is roughly a 2 hour climb through the Mt. Hood National Forest off of Highway 35 on the east side of Mt. Hood. Mike and I loved this hike, it was a brutally hot summer this year and this hike abuts to Cold Spring Creek, providing much needed relief from the heat. The trail concludes at a 100 foot waterfall, one which you can hike up and sit behind. We skipped this portion due to the large crowds, but hopefully we will get back there in the fall.

Getting to Tamanawas Falls is easy. Take Highway 35 to milepost 72. The hike starts right off the freeway, you will see other cars and a port-o-potty at the trailhead. If you've got extra time in your day, definitely drive to Hood River and hit up Double Mountain Brewery. You can see how excited Mike was for his heirloom pizza. Cheers.

Tory