Oneonta Creek - Nesmith Point

WHERE:    From Portland take I 84 to the Bridal Veil exit.  Follow signs to Ainsworth scenic highway then head East.  The Horsetail Falls Trailhead is about 1 mile past Multnomah Falls.

THE TRAIL:   A loop that gives you a taste of everything in the gorge.  You will gain about 3900 feet in elevation in 8.5 miles.  This can be a loop by taking Horsetail falls trail up to the Oneonta Trail then follow to the junction with Horsetail Creek Trail for a total of three miles so far.  Follow Horsetail Creek Trail for 5.6 miles to Nesmith  Point Trail which you will find after following an old mountain road for about .2 miles north from the Horsetail Creek terminus.  Be sure to take a side trip another .2 miles up the old road to Nesmith Point (elevation 3,980).  The begining of Horsetail Creek Trail is the steepest section of this trail that you will encounter.  Continue following Nesmith Point Trail for a little over 4 miles than take the gorge trail back down to the highway at Dodson.  From here you can follow the road a little over a mile or walk down the road for a couple minutes and get back onto the Columbia River Gorge Trail (#400) so you can finish the hike in the woods.

This loop contains very smooth transitions in flora and geology.  You will see a very narrow gorge as well as many waterfalls in the first 3 miles also.  Mostly Douglas Firs at the lower elevations with some Western Hemlock and Red Cedar.  As you go up in elevation Hemlock start appearing more frequently and don't really stop.  Red Cedar appears along creek sides up to about 3200 feet.  There are some huge Cedars about halfway down Nesmith Point at a small unnamed creek crossing.  Pacific Silver Fir along with noble fir start appearing at about 2000 feet.  Both dominate to the highest elevations where some Mountain Hemlock take over the peak.  The lower elevations have some old growth especially after you cross the rocky Oneonta Creek for the second time.  There are also quite a few pockets that had been burned probably over one seventy years ago and are full of Hemlock.  There are a couple of nice gorge look outs on the way up but the best viewpoint is a few feet from the trail about 1/2 mile before Nesmith Point.  Once you get to the Bell Creek junction, about 2.3 miles into the Horsetail Creek leg, the climb slows a lot allowing for a more enjoyable walk down the tall gorge forests.