Читать книгу Afoot and Afield: Portland/Vancouver. A Comprehensive Hiking Guide онлайн

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The trail angles down from this pull-out and drops fairly steeply for 0.4 mile through relatively dense woods. When the reddish-orange clay becomes wet—a depressingly high percentage of the time in this rain forest—it is difficult for hikers to maintain their dignity on the slippery surface. After the steep section ends, the trail goes up and down (mostly down) beside small Low Divide Creek for another 1.3 miles to a signed junction. Either direction will take you back to Gales Creek Forest Camp; the most direct route is the one on the left. This trail soon crosses a wooden bridge over Low Divide Creek and then continues another 200 yards back to the day-use parking lot and your car.

Falls along Storey Burn Trail

TRIP 15 Central Gales Creek Trail

Distance 10.1 miles, Out-and-back Elevation Gain 1200 feet Hiking Time 4 to 6 hours Optional Map Tillamook State Forest Usually Open All year (except during and shortly after winter storms) Best Time April to June Trail Use Good for kids, dogs OK, backpacking option, horseback riding, fishing Agency Forest Grove District, Tillamook State Forest Difficulty Moderate Note Good in cloudy weather

HIGHLIGHTS This new trail is not yet known to most Portland area hikers, but it’s bound to draw more admirers as word spreads about this attractive and relatively easy creekside ramble through the second-growth forests of the Tillamook State Forest. Despite heavy rainfall, this is a good winter hike, because the tread drains well and remains in good shape with relatively few mud problems.