Hood River Pipeline Trail

The Hood River Penstock Flume Pipeline Trail is one of the most unusual "hikes" I've ever done. I'm surprised it's not featured in more "Weird Portland" articles, but it is gaining popularity. I took advantage of the sunshine last weekend to hike it as part of a mini camping trip in the Gorge.

What on earth am I walking on, you might ask? Read on to find out...

Things to Know about the Hood River Pipeline

• 3-mile, out and back trail with almost no elevation changes

• The trail overlaps with active train tracks - do not wear headphones and be vigilant, and get off the tracks as soon as possible

• Dogs are allowed but the metal catwalk might be difficult for them to walk on

• No parking permit needed!

• Coordinates for parking lot: 45.70423188961142, -121.50504584997519 (Google maps should take you here, but just in case)

Powerdale Power Station

You've probably driven past this building several times without knowing what exists just beyond. The power station was built in 1923 and decommissioned in 2010. I found this undated photo from the Hood River History Museum showing what the area used to look like.

I couldn't find credits for this photo, or a date, but it's probably from the 1920s or 1930s. The power station building still stands, but the surge tower was removed by a helicopter after the 2006 flood.

In 2006, a flood destroyed the pipeline connecting the Powerdale dam to the power station, and in 2010, the dam was also decommissioned and removed. I couldn't figure out how soon after this was the trail constructed... but it's definitely less than 20 years old, which is young in trail years!

The power station is now technically closed off to trespassers, but clearly this is not enforced. There are no doors remaining to keep people out, and almost every surface has been painted with graffiti.

Here's what the building looks like today, right at the parking lot for the Pipeline trail

The building is huge and you can wander quite a bit. I explored inside the building for a few minutes, but found it pretty spooky. There's a lot of broken glass on the floor, so don't bring your dog or kids here. It would be the perfect drone flying location. Nothing nefarious was happening in broad daylight when I went, but I cannot stress enough to be careful with kids and pets here. Broken glass was everywhere, the floor is caving in, there's deep standing water, and it's overall very unsafe. If you're a consenting adult and proceed with caution, then it's worth peeking in for a few pictures.

The first "room" in the power station as you enter the main doorway.

I don't know enough about power stations to explain what this room was...

A catwalk about a giant pit full of water and garbage

A large room in the top floor of the station

The stairway that I very carefully climbed, against my better judgment

Another view of the pit - it had surprisingly deep water in it.

Follow the Railroad

There is an active railroad running parallel to the Pipeline trail, including a trestle (bridge) over the Hood River at the trailhead. Lots of people were fishing under the bridge when we arrived.

As tempting as it is, don't cross the trestle! This is an active railroad!

You'll start your hike following the railroad and the Hood River. Again, this is an active railroad, so please be alert (no headphones!!). If a train does pass by, you'll have room to wait it out. You'll pass by remnants of the pipeline and other equipment pieces - a clue for what's to come.

For some reason, walking by train tracks always makes me want to sing Boulevard of Broken Dreams... something about them feels so angsty and dramatic

About halfway through the trail, you'll cross the Hood River, but not by a normal footbridge!

The Penstock Flume Pipeline

You'll cross a service walkway on top of a 10-foot diameter decommissioned pipeline! A metal grate provides traction for hiking boots, but isn't very comfortable on dog paws. For this reason, I'd recommend leaving smaller dogs at home. Tall handrails and the steel grid make it easy to balance on the pipeline, but it's still a little creepy to cross the rapids from such a height.

The pipeline emerges from the earth like an Alaskan Bull Worm, and will be your road for the next 3/4 mile

At the end of the "bridge," there is an unlocked gate. We assumed this was the end of the fun pipeline portion, but we were wrong! You can take a rather scary ladder down to the beach after you cross the river, or keep going through the gate for more pipeline.

I got a little worried when I saw the closed gate at the end of the bridge. But it was unlocked!

The pipeline continues through the forest, along the Hood River. You'll be over a dozen feet above the ground, which gives a unique view of the mostly untouched forest understory. The pipeline is super narrow so it's a little awkward to pass other hikers. There is a break in the handrails to allow for access to the river. The ladder to climb down from the pipe is sketchy and you'll realize that the walkway is much higher up than it seems.

I didn't even notice the profanity on the pipe until I added the photo here... this was the only ladder to get down to the beach!

The pipeline abruptly ends where the 2006 flood destroyed it. I was hoping for a little beach or something at the turnaround point, but nope! The pipe just… stops.

The abrupt end of the pipeline. You can see the remaining structure that used to hold the pipe over the river, but the pipe was destroyed in 2006.

We turned around at this point (because there's no option to go forward unless you feel like swimming) and hiked back to the car. The overall hike was 3 miles round trip, and we didn't see or hear any trains. We only passed a few other hikers too, which was surprising for a sunny Saturday.

Post-Hike Fun

After our pipeline hike, my fiancé fished under the bridge for about an hour while I read a book on the beach. It is a popular fishing and whitewater kayaking spot, so we weren't alone, but it was very peaceful.

We decided to stay the night at a somewhat nearby campground. On our drive to the campsite, we stopped at Hood River Lavender Farms, but it really wasn't the right season and their ice cream stand was closed.

Next, we stopped at Marchesi Vineyards and Winery to end the evening. I don't know enough about wine to tell you anything more than it was very good! I loved the atmosphere they created with fire pits at every table.

An indoor/outdoor firepit to keep us warm as the sun sets.

Our Campsite

Unfortunately my favorite campsite in Hood River, Tucker Park, does not open to campers until May. We got a HipCamp site up in Skamania, Washington, about a 45-minute drive away from Hood River.

It was a site called Naked Falls, but don't worry - clothing is required here! Not that it mattered, as we had the entire 17-site campground to ourselves. Naked Falls is a waterfall on the Washougal River that is now privately owned, but open to campers and day users for a fee. There is no cell service, drinking water, or bathroom here. It's a popular swimming and cliff diving spot in the summertime.

The view of Naked Falls on the Washougal River from our campsite.

Here is the HipCamp link!

This will be a fantastic spot to come back to once the weather improves. There are so many swimming holes in the Washougal river. Dougan Falls is also nearby, and will be a great place to swim in the summer.

Dougan Falls, just a few minutes down the river from our campsite

Thanks for reading!

I hope you learned something new! I didn't know about the Hood River Pipeline hike until I was browsing other blogs for ideas. I also didn't know about Naked Falls in WA until we found the HipCamp listing! Despite living in the PNW for my entire life, I'm always astounded at how much more I have yet to discover.

More Information:

• Columbia Gorge News article about the Pipeline Trail - read more

• Historic photos of the Powerdale station - here

• Naked Falls day use info - (one of the best outdoor recreation websites I've seen)