It was late winter when I first hiked the Hamilton Mountain trail—one of those special Pacific Northwest days when the seasonal drizzle breaks, and the gray sky is replaced with a shocking cerulean blue. It feels like the world is waking up from the winter stillness, and I’m filled with the insatiable need to be outside.
On this particular morning, I opened my eyes and squinted at the unexpected brightness streaming through the window blinds. Huh. Sunlight.
“Let’s do the Hamilton Mountain hike today,” I said to Bryan.
The Hamilton Mountain trail is one of the best hikes near Portland. It has stunning Columbia River Gorge views. It has stunning waterfalls. At about 6 ½ miles, it’s a good distance for a day hike. It’s less than an hour from Portland. It wasn’t burned in the Eagle Creek Fire.
In today’s post, I’ll share the highlights of the Hamilton Mountain trail and everything you need to know to hike the Hamilton Mountain trail yourself. Stay tuned for a video of the Hamilton Mountain trail highlights later in the post!
What’s Special about the Hamilton Mountain Trail?
Bryan often jokes that hikes with views and wildflowers tend to be windy, with sunburn potential and higher likelihood of things like poison oak and ticks. He prefers the hikes that take us to deep, mossy forests in cool canyons dripping with waterfalls.
The special part of the Hamilton Mountain trail is that it has both, and neither is secondary. It’s known as a spectacular view hike, but without the views it would be a spectacular waterfall hike in its own right.
The Waterfalls: Pool of the Winds, Rodney Falls, and Hardy Falls
The most intriguing waterfall on the Hamilton Mountain hike is the Pool of the Winds. The name itself sounds like something out of Lord of the Rings.
At the Pool of the Winds, the river plunges into a pool ringed in by cliffs. You can’t see most of what’s happening inside the pool, but a narrow chasm in the rocks reveals a slice of the waterfall. Waterfall mist blasts out of the chasm on the perpetual, self-generated winds that give the waterfall its name. If the lighting is right, rainbows form in the mist from the Pool of the Winds.
In addition to the Pool of the Winds, the Hamilton Mountain trail features two other waterfalls: Rodney Falls and Hardy Falls. All three waterfalls occur a little over a mile into the hike, when the trail is relatively flat and forested.
The main trail crosses right below Rodney Falls on a bridge, providing the sense that you’re in the middle of this beautifully cascading waterfall. Short side trails lead to the other two waterfalls, first Hardy Falls and then Pool of the Winds. I’d recommend taking both, but choose the Pool of the Winds if you’re short on time and can only visit one!
Hardy Falls is a large waterfall, but the angle and distance of the viewpoint to the waterfall make the view much less dramatic than the other two. That said, the side trail to Hardy Falls overlooks an idyllic creek with a series of beautiful low cascades tumbling over moss-covered rocks.
The Views from the Hamilton Mountain Hike
After passing the three waterfalls, the Hamilton Mountain trail careens upward in steep switchbacks, but the climb is totally worth it (as long as you don’t have a knee injury!). The trail soon opens onto incredible views over the Columbia River Gorge.
You’ll find yourself in high meadows with craggy rock formations and low-growing meadow grasses. That first week of March when we did the Hamilton Mountain hike for the first time, tiny yellow wildflowers were just beginning to open. As the spring progresses, more wildflowers fill in the meadows. For wildflower details, I’d recommend the online Northwest Wildflowers bloom map, which shows the expected bloom status for wildflowers in Washington and Oregon throughout the season.
These high meadows offer a birds-eye view of nearby Beacon Rock from above. We stopped in the meadows for snacks and water while taking in the epic view. To see the view and the waterfalls yourself before you do the hike, check out our video of the Hamilton Mountain hike highlights below!
Hamilton Mountain Trailhead and Parking
The Hamilton Mountain trailhead is on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge, a little less than an hour’s drive east of Portland and Vancouver.
It’s hard to park at the Hamilton Mountain trailhead on weekends. A little after 10:00 am on that first Saturday in March, all the parking spots were taken. A ranger directing traffic told us we’d have to turn back.
We noticed that some people were parking at nearby Beacon Rock and walking up the road to the Hamilton Mountain trailhead. This is an option. Just be careful walking on the road if you do this.
We decided to do the whole Beacon Rock hike first (it’s only a couple miles), and then we went back to Hamilton Mountain. There was now a spot in the overflow lot. Whew!
I’d recommend going on a weekday if possible, or going quite early if you go on a weekend.
In terms of parking fees, you’ll need a Discover Pass or pay a day-use fee for parking.
Hamilton Mountain Hike Route Options
There are a couple of ways to do the Hamilton Mountain hike. We did the out-and-back option, which is about 6.4 miles. Here is the trail entry on AllTrails for this route for full details.
There’s also an option to make a lollipop loop instead. The loop approach adds about a mile and a half, for a total of 8.1 miles.
Hamilton Mountain Trail Difficulty Level
The Hamilton Mountain trail is steep, so it’s a challenging hike that’ll likely be a workout for anyone. I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone with knee pain in light of the steep ascent and then the steep descent on the way back. However, the first part of the hike (to the waterfalls) is much more gradual and suitable for those looking for a milder hike.
Other Adventures in the Pacific Northwest
Thanks for joining us on the Hamilton Mountain hike! While it would be worth hiking this trail for the views, the waterfalls are equally stunning, making it a truly special Columbia River Gorge experience.
For more adventure ideas in the Pacific Northwest, check out our PNW Trip Planner. You can find adventures near you and filter by season and difficulty level. There are weird and wonderful things to explore any time of year. The trip planner links to blog posts to help you plan your next adventure.
Happy exploring!