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Trail

Boulder Ridge Trail #783A

A steady 3.7-mile climb from Wildwood Recreation Site into the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness, with ridge-top views over the Salmon River Valley.

Representative photo, not this exact spot. Photo: Michael Li via Pexels · Pexels License

Boulder Ridge Trail #783A climbs from the BLM’s Wildwood Recreation Site, off US Highway 26 about 15 miles east of Sandy, into the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness on its west side. It’s a steady workout, with 2,600 feet of gain in 3.7 miles on a forested, north-facing slope, ending at Plaza Trail #783 on the ridge top.

Once you’re up on the ridge, you can look out over the Salmon River Valley and toward Mt. Hood. To find the start, take the Wetlands Boardwalk Trail from its shared trailhead across the Salmon River, and pick up Boulder Ridge Trail half a mile in. Wildwood’s shorter interpretive trails suit anyone in your group not up for the climb.

Trail map & elevation

Length3.7 mi one way
Climb2,860 ft up, 207 ft down
Elevation1,180 to 3,811 ft
DifficultyVery hard
1,1002,5003,9000 mi3.6 mi
Elevation (ft) along the trail
Download GPX Directions to the start

Connects to: Plaza Trail #783

More about the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness and its trails →

Line: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), because this trail is missing from the 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. Community-mapped lines can be off or incomplete; carry a real map and check the official page for closures.

Things to do

  • Outdoor Science and Learning
  • Interpretive sites

Getting there

From Portland, OR

  1. follow US Hwy 26 15.2 miles east of Sandy and turn right (south) at Wildwood Mainline Road.
  2. Follow Wildwood Mainline Road to the BLM’s Wildwood Recreation Site and follow the signs 0.8 miles to the Wetlands Boardwalk Trail.
  3. The trailhead is shared with Cascade Streamwatch Trail and Wetlands Boardwalk Trail.
  4. Take the Wetland Boardwalk Trail, cross the Salmon River and Boulder Ridge Trail starts ½ mile from the trailhead.

From the Forest Service

Rules and restrictions

Wilderness restrictions apply in Salmon Huckleberry Wilderness.

All fees

Bureau of Land Management $5 daily fee or interagency pass required at Wildwood Recreation area.

Details from the official Forest Service page, a public-domain U.S. government source.

Trails nearby

Plaza Trail #783 22.2 mi round trip 7,646 ft Very hard Bonanza Trail #786 9.4 mi round trip 3,662 ft Very hard McIntyre Ridge Trail #782 7 mi round trip 1,660 ft Hard Old Salmon River Trail #742A 3.8 mi round trip 280 ft Easy Hunchback Trail #793 18 mi round trip 7,653 ft Very hard Douglas Trail #781 14.2 mi round trip 3,659 ft Very hard Wildcat Mountain Trail #781F 0.2 mi round trip 97 ft Easy Zigzag Mountain Trail #775 24.4 mi round trip 8,421 ft Very hard

Last checked November 4, 2026