True to its name, the Anthill Trail #406B has ant mounds along the way. The ants abandon old hills and build new ones yearly, often right in the tread, and why they chose this spot is a puzzle. It starts at the Wahtum Lake Trailhead & Day Use and enters the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness.
The path rises east through heavy timber to a ridge, where a rocky outcrop makes a good picnic spot. Views reach Wahtum Lake, Chinidere Mountain, the upper Eagle Creek drainage and the lower Hood River Valley. At 1.5 miles it crosses Forest Road 670, the Old Mud Lake Guard Station site, then meets Herman Creek Trail #406 for a 4.6-mile loop.
Trail map & elevation
- Trail class
- Class 2 of 5
- Typical grade
- 12-20%
- Surface
- Native material
- Tread width
- 18-24 inches
- Ranger district
- Hood River
Connects to: Rainy Wahtum Trail #409, Herman Creek Trail #406
More about the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness and its trails →
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 Portland, OR
- Take I-84 to Hood River.
- Take Highway 281 to Lost Lake Road.
- Take Forest Road 13 at the junction of Lost Lake Road and transfer to the Forest Road 1310.
- The trailhead will be on your right within view of Wahtum Lake.
- Access via Wahtum Lake Trailhead.
From the Forest Service
Rules and restrictions
Wilderness restrictions apply within Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness.
All fees
$10 per vehicle per day.
Passes and permits
An Annual Northwest Forest Pass may be used as fee payment at Wahtum Lake Trailhead.
Trails nearby
Rainy Wahtum Trail #409
10 mi
1,442 ft
Hard
Herman Creek Trail #406
16 mi
4,520 ft
Very hard
Eagle Creek Trail #440 (Columbia River Gorge)
18 mi
5,148 ft
Very hard
Chinidere Cutoff Trail #406M
1.4 mi
575 ft
Easy
Chinidere Mountain Trail #445
0.6 mi
389 ft
Easy
Herman Cutoff Trail #410
4.4 mi
1,523 ft
Hard
Gorton Creek Trail #408
7.4 mi
1,454 ft
Hard
Eagle Benson Trail #434
5.4 mi
3,390 ft
Hard
North Lake Trail #423
2.8 mi
695 ft
Moderate
Green Point Ridge Trail #418
5 mi
809 ft
Moderate
