Along Highway 224 east of Estacada, Alder Flat Trail #574 leads down to the Clackamas River. It leaves Alder Flat Trailhead at about 1,500 feet and loses roughly 200 feet through Douglas fir, cedar and hemlock, ending by the river’s wide floodplain and shore.
The path goes southwest for a quarter mile, then swings northwest toward the water. The 2020 Riverside Fire burned through here, though some patches of forest were spared and others are recovering. The trailhead is about 25 miles from Estacada, on your right a little before Ripplebrook Store.
Trail map & elevation
- Trail class
- Class 3 of 5
- Typical grade
- 12-20%
- Surface
- Native material
- Tread width
- 18-24 inches
- Ranger district
- Clackamas River
Line, length and trail class: U.S. Forest Service trail data. Elevation: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Difficulty is our estimate for hiking it out and back (once around for a loop), from distance and total climb. Lines can be off by a few hundred feet; carry a real map and check the official page for closures.
Getting there
From Estacada
- Follow Hwy 224 east ~25 miles.
- Alder Flat Trailhead is on the right, just before Ripplebrook Store.
