Hiking the Great Northwest: Clackamas River Trail & Pup Creek Falls

The Clackamas River Trail has been on my hiking list for quite some time now, however I hadn't found anyone to go explore it with me! My stepdad, Butch, said he would go hiking with me and that he didn't think it would be too difficult for him. So we set out up the Clackamas River past Estacada. We got a late start so we ended up not hiking until about noon, when we planned to start a couple hours earlier. My handy dandy hiking book instructs hikers to start at the Fish Creek Trailhead. However, when we got there and were about to set out, another hiker came up to us and told us that the trail was closed off two miles in from this side. We drove to the other end of the hike, Indian Henry Trailhead, and began there.

It seems like you go forever to get to anything significant, but it is an incredibly beautiful hike the entire way! The hike runs parallel to the Clackamas river and reveals some stunning areas of creation. 3-4 Miles into the hike you will come to a great spot to overlook the river. This spot is called the Narrows, where the Clackamas passes through a spectacular gouge in ancient lava. About a mile to a mile and a half after the narrows, you will come to cross the pup creek on a series of stepping stones, go up a hill on the main trail and there will be another trail junction to your left. To get to Pup Creek Falls, take this trail! It seems like a normal trail at first, however it will prove to challenge you a bit! It's just .1-.2 miles in to get to Pup Creek Falls, but you must carefully climb over a fallen tree on the trail and rock climb down into the creek a bit. The obstacle course of a trail is totally worth the work once you see Pup Creek Falls! It was stunning.

From this point, we headed back toward Indian Henry Trailhead and the truck. Our energy was depleating and the hills of this trail started to get the best of us. All in all it was an incredible hike, more difficult than imagined but totally worth it!

Thanks to Papa Butch for being a good sport and going with me!