Getting There

Just after Doetsch Ranch you'll see the Ranger Station on the north side of the road just before the Beacon Rock parking lot, then another road across from the bathrooms.

Park in front of the bathrooms on Hwy 14. Use a Discover Pass or buy a day ticket.

The trailhead is just 100 ft from the end of the parking, past the rock climbing trail.

For a change, I wasn't there to hike Hamilton or Hardy Ridge + Phlox Point.

The Hike

Distance: 1.61 miles
Elevation Gain: 598 ft
Highest Elevation: 830 ft

Even though I've frequented Beacon Rock State Park a lot in the last few years, I haven't been up Beacon Rock itself in a long, long time. Paul and I stopped here maybe 5-6 years ago but the trail was closed for repairs. Before that, I can only recall hiking with Jarke and Andy and Miles the black lab in maybe 2003? I might have done the hike more recently but I cannot recall.

I'm still nursing a sore foot, metatarsalgia. It sucks. I've mostly been sidelined since Tumalo Mountain in the Deschutes Nat'l Forest. I've hiked a few more times since then but no without penalty, exacerbating the injury.

I had no idea if my car was going to be in the shop all day or not so I didn't really plan a hike. I was just in the city shoes and I didn't want to get them dirty. Fortunately, most of the trail is gravel, asphalt, or wood. I figured BC would be a good, easy hike to test my foot. A better test will be in my usual hiking boots (or new ones) on a trail of some substance (mileage and elevation gain).

This trail is a testament to the grit and determination of one man, Henry J. Biddle and assistance Chas. Johnson. "Beacon Rock is the core of a huge, ancient cinder cone volcano that erupted about 57,000 years ago and is now extinct. Its exterior was washed away by the ice age floods that ripped through the area about 15,000 years ago."¹

The placard says it took two and half years to complete the original trail. It's definitely not a trail for anyone with acrophobia. The network of switchbacks, catwalks, chiseled rock is amazing.

The best views are on the trail going up. The view from the top are limited by the trees.

Not a challenging hike but still fun to get out. The foot isn't complaining too much but I was pretty cautious and tried not to aggravate it.

Enjoy the views!