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Trail

Gorton Creek Trail #408

A long climb from Herman Creek in the Columbia Gorge to Rainy Wahtum Trail near Rainy Lake in the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness, with campsites and views.

Representative photo, not this exact spot. Photo: Nicole Seidl via Pexels ยท Pexels License

Gorton Creek Trail #408 makes a long climb from the Columbia Gorge into the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness, ending near Rainy Lake. It works as a full-day hike or an overnight trip, with campsites and good views along the way.

Reach it by hiking Herman Creek Trail #406 from the Herman Creek Trailhead off I-84 to just past Herman Camp. From there, at about 1,040 feet, the trail climbs 3.3 miles to Gray Creek, then steepens for 2.6 miles to the Nick Eaton Trail #447 junction. Another 1.7 miles, passing the Plateau Cutoff Trail #412 junction, brings you to Rainy Wahtum Trail #409 at 4,400 feet, where a left turn leads 1.2 miles to Rainy Lake.

Trail map & elevation

Length8.9 mi one way
Climb4,043 ft up, 606 ft down
Elevation954 to 4,735 ft
DifficultyVery hard
9002,8504,8000 mi8.8 mi
Elevation (ft) along the trail
Download GPX Directions to the start
Trail class
Class 2 of 5
Typical grade
TG05 - +12-20%
Surface
Native material
Tread width
18-24 inches
Ranger district
Hood River

Connects to: Plateau Cutoff Trail #412, Herman Cutoff Trail #410, Rainy Wahtum Trail #409, Herman Creek Trail #406, Green Point Ridge Trail #418, North Lake Trail #423

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

  1. Take I-84 to the Herman Creek Campground, where the Herman Creek Trailhead is located, or south from Hood River at Rainy Lake Campground and the trailhead.

From the Forest Service

Rules and restrictions

Wilderness restrictions apply.

Ranger office

Hood River Ranger District
Address: 6780 Highway 35 Parkdale, OR 97041
Phone: 541-352-6002
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed 12 to 1 for lunch. (Closed on federal holidays)

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

Trails nearby

Plateau Cutoff Trail #412 1 mi round trip 101 ft Easy Herman Cutoff Trail #410 4.4 mi round trip 1,523 ft Hard Rainy Wahtum Trail #409 10 mi round trip 1,442 ft Hard Herman Creek Trail #406 20.6 mi round trip 5,640 ft Very hard Green Point Ridge Trail #418 5 mi round trip 809 ft Moderate North Lake Trail #423 2.8 mi round trip 695 ft Moderate Nick Eaton Trail #447 8.2 mi round trip 3,675 ft Very hard Casey Creek Trail #476 3.6 mi round trip 2,428 ft Hard Rainy Lake Trail #423A 1.2 mi round trip 119 ft Easy Wyeth Trail #411 14.2 mi round trip 5,330 ft Very hard West Benson Way Trail 6.4 mi round trip 938 ft Hard Mitchell Point Trail #417 4 mi round trip 1,222 ft Moderate

Last checked November 4, 2026