trail starts with a moderately steep climb of 0.1 mile in mixed coniferous and deciduous forest to a junction at a saddle. The path going straight is the Wilson River Trail (Trip 11). For Elk Mountain you turn right on a trail marked with a large blue dot painted on a tree. The path climbs steeply, sometimes through red-alder and Douglas-fir forests, but mostly up open, rocky areas on the spine of a narrow ridge. The views are frequent and superb, especially looking down the Wilson River Canyon and up to the ramparts of Elk Mountain. Flowers are numerous in May and June. Look for starflower, salal, paintbrush, lomatium, wild rose, thimbleberry, and a host of others.
At several points this ridgetop route loses elevation, but it is quickly regained. Steep climbs are the hike’s dominant feature. The terrain is very wild, although you never fully escape the sounds of well-traveled Highway 6, almost directly below.
View of Kings Mountain from north ridge of Elk Mountain
The route continues to resemble going the wrong way on a very steep downhill ski run, until the 2500-foot level. Here you level off a little, pass a small, waterless camp, and then traverse the west side of a rocky spine. Another series of steep uphills and open ridgetop viewpoints finally take you to a small open spot atop 2788-foot Elk Mountain. As expected, the views are terrific; look west to craggy Kings Mountain for the most photogenic. In early June wildflowers abound, including penstemon, lupine, arnica, beargrass, paintbrush, and Washington lily.
You can turn around here and return the way you came, but if you aren’t exhausted from the climb, there are two loop options you might consider. Both loops begin by dropping very steeply down a trail on the northwest side of Elk Mountain. This path, appropriately marked with signs stating CAUTION—STEEP AREAS, is narrow, challenging, and rugged. Subtlety was clearly not the goal of the trail builders, as they scornfully bypassed obvious opportunities for gentle sidehill traverses, opting instead for dangerous routes along the up-and-down, knife-edge ridge. Fortunately, these difficulties end within a mile, as you hit an old road that wanders pleasantly through shady forests. This overgrown road is also well-traveled by wildlife, as frequent elk droppings and piles of bear scat attest. You make several short and gentle uphill switchbacks and then follow a view-packed ridge crest to a saddle and an unmarked T-junction with another closed road.
For the recommended shorter loop, turn right at the saddle, and in 0.5 mile you reach a junction with the road leading back down to Elk Creek Campground. This old logging road often runs near Elk Creek, whose clear, cascading waters are a nice diversion from the otherwise rather monotonous red-alder forest. The total length of this shorter loop is about 8.5 miles.
More athletic hikers looking for a real challenge can turn left at the T-junction and head west to Kings Mountain. This longer loop initially follows a closed road, which soon turns to trail and gets fairly nasty. You must negotiate about 1 mile of very steep ups and downs as you skirt the north side of some sheer cliffs and rock pinnacles. Expect to use your hands and probably your backside from time to time, to safely negotiate this section. As compensation for your efforts, exceptional views to the north are frequent and flowers are abundant. In addition to the previously mentioned species, look for wallflower, phlox, larkspur, clover, stonecrop, bunchberry, and dandelion. Finally, the rough scramble eases off, as you enter the gorgeous open meadows atop Kings Mountain.
From here, the loop follows the trail down from Kings Mountain (Trip 10) and returns to Elk Creek Campground via the Wilson River Trail (Trip 11). The total length of this very difficult loop is 12.0 miles. Since there are no reasonable campsites along the way, the loop must be completed in one day.
TRIP 13 University Falls
| Distance | 5.0 miles, Out-and-back | |
| Elevation Gain | 400 feet | |
| Hiking Time | 3 hours | |
| Optional Map | Tillamook State Forest | |
| Usually Open | March to November | |
| Best Time | April to June | |
| Trail Use | Good for kids, dogs OK, mountain biking, horseback riding | |
| Agency | Forest Grove District, Tillamook State Forest | |
| Difficulty | Moderate | |
| Note | Good in cloudy weather |
HIGHLIGHTS In a part of the Tillamook State Forest that is generally overrun by all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), the newly rerouted Gravelle Brothers Trail provides a welcome respite from the machines. While it never completely escapes the motorcycles’ noise, this route is nonetheless a pleasant adventure on a nonmotorized trail with a destination that is a real eye-popper. University Falls is justifiably one of the most photographed spots in Tillamook State Forest, and when you catch sight of this 80-foot cascade you will no doubt want to take a few snapshots of your own.
DIRECTIONS Drive west from Portland on State Highway 6 toward Tillamook. On the west side of Rogers Pass, near milepost 33, turn left (south) on a gravel road signed Rogers Camp Trailhead. Go 0.1 mile to a junction, turn left, and proceed another 0.1 mile to the large trailhead parking lot.
Start by walking the road almost all the way back to Highway 6. Just 50 feet before the highway, turn left at a trail sign and follow the outside of a barrier that loops around a highway department gravel yard and storage building. At the west end of the facility, turn left on Gravelle Brothers Trail, which goes downhill following an abandoned jeep road. At 0.3 mile veer right onto a narrow foot trail and walk 120 yards to a possibly unsigned junction with the Storey Burn Trail. You go straight, still on the Gravelle Brothers Trail, and make a short switchbacking descent to a log bridge over clear-flowing Devils Lake Fork Wilson River. This is a lovely spot at any time of year but especially in mid-spring and late fall when the red alders that fill this area are either coming out in full greenery or putting on an impressive display of muted yellow.
The trail climbs slowly away from the river through a second-growth forest of Douglas firs and red alders. Although viewless, the scenery is very attractive especially around the several small intermittent creeks that cross your path. You may hear the occasional truck on increasingly distant Highway 6 or perhaps be disturbed by the noise of ATVs on a paralleling trail on your right, but the dominant sounds are the songs of winter wrens and kinglets in the forest. After a short up-and-down traverse, you curve to the south and follow a hillside well above often unseen Elliot Creek.
At 1.7 miles is a junction with a spur trail to the paralleling ATV trail. You go straight and then climb rather steeply over a small ridge, before dropping to a junction and horse-hitching area. Turn right on the hiker-only University Falls Trail,
