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St. Cloud Day Use Site Trail #4410
Washington
NOTE:
The following two books are highly recommended for anyone
interested in hiking in the Columbia River Gorge:
Hiking the Columbia River Gorge
and
100 Hikes in Northwest Oregon
I personally own both and consider
them indispensible for hiking the Columbia River Gorge.
Length: .5 miles
Trail Uses: Hiking, Wheelchair Accessible, Photography
Facilities available: Parking, Restrooms
Season of Use: Year Round
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: Negligible
Visitor Use: Medium
Northwest Forest Pass Required
Access: Highway 14 –
The entrance is south of the highway, 0.1 mile west of milepost
30 near the community of Skamania. The site lies inconspicuously
to the far side of the Burlington Northern Railroad tracks.
Description: Acquired by the USDA
Forest Service in 1990, the site of the old St. Cloud Ranch
homestead has been developed to provide public access to an
area of local importance. The area is possibly the largest
remaining natural wetland in the gorge, providing habitat
for an extensive variety of wildlife. The site is culturally
significant to American Indians. The nearby Watlala Tribe
utilized the many plant and animal resources on the St. Cloud
site. This open meadow offers views across the river to Multnomah
Falls, pedestrian river access, and several picnic spots.
Features: Look for abundant Himalayan
blackberries and an historical orchard on this wheelchair-accessible
site.
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