Eagel Creek - Ruckle Creek Loop

Hike Name: Eagel Creek - Ruckle Creek Loop Location: north OR Length: 16.5 Submitted by: ananda vardhana Date Submitted: 0/0/00 Rating:	more Oregon trail reviews Oregon national parks Oregon state parks
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Description
Gayle Anthony Ordway's discription of the Eagle Creek Trail got me inspired. Please refer for his article on Eagle Creek in the Data base. Killer Trail for Iron legs! That’s what I would call this loop. We went 5 miles up the Eagle Creek, after the Wyeast Camp site made a left turn to enter Eagle Benson Trail. It is a steep 3 mile climb to the plateau. We started on the trail at 1:30PM It starts off with a narrow (12") open ledge like trail skirting a 2000 feet chasm and then enters the woods. If it is windy or wet it is dangerous to do this part. Afterwards the climb is not that bad. There is no water for almost 2 miles. The trail is hardly used and is not maintained. Infact they have put a board saying unmaintained trail. So you have to straddle lot of fallen trees on way and wade through armpit deep under bush. Shorts are not for this hike. After about 2 miles you get a panoramic view of the natures beauty. The plateau is very deceptive and never seems to be coming. At one point the trail trails down and you are at a trickling water point. This we have christened a "Point of Good Hope". Water tastes so nice up there especially after the grueling 5 hour climb. Yes it was 6:30 when we reached that place! Just .1 mile up from the point is a very nice, secluded camp site. Not much windy, full of shade, no insects, no bears, flat and cushoiny. I think that is the Hunters Camp. We rested our aching bodies for the night there. Theh main problem with this trail is, not a single signboard saying whether we are on right trail or not, with failing legs, increasing fatigue your morale is really low. Psychologically you are effected. I think one board in the middle would have boosted our morale high. Only at the camp site you will find plenty of boards declaring it as the Benson Plateau, part of the Pacific Crest Trail, starting of the Ruckle Creek Trail.

The next day we took the Ruckle Creek trail(Not the Ruckle ridge one). From there it is exactly 8.5 miles to the parking lot. On this trail atleast there are some boards and it appeared like a well traversed path. At one point about 2 miles on the trail there is a fork, take the Right fork. The left one also wanders around and then comes back to the trail. Carry plenty of water. Ruckle creek Trail is for people with Iron Legs. I have renamed it as: Killer trail. Again if you are coming up this trail, you will find water at very high altitudes only. Descnding with a heavey backpack shoudl be done with exterme caution. We left at 7:15Am and reached the bottom at 2:15! For 24 hours we did not see a single soul on the trail. Adding to our misery, the trail ends 1 miles away from the Eagle Creek park near abondoned bridge east of the Parking lot. So we hiked up 84 East.

Directions to Hike
From Portland go east on I-84 to exit 41 which is just on the East side of the tunnel by Bonneville Dam.

At parking pass is now required to park at the trail head.

Contact Information
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area 902 Wasco Ave Suite 200 Hood River, Or, 97031 (541)386-2333 or (503)666-0440 from Portland.

There is a trail Host Camping by the first parking lot most of the summer.

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