McCall Point

Distance: 3.6 miles

Elevation Gain: 1,000 feet.

McCall Point stands towering over the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge and kind of serves as a gateway into the Gorge itself. McCall Point was named for Oregon’s governor who served from 1967 to 1975 and famously told the national audience of a CBS evening news broadcast in 1971 while promoting tourism to “Come visit us again and again. This is a state of excitement. But, for heaven’s sake, don’t come here to live.”

The hike up to McCall Point begins at the Rowena Crest Viewpoint on the historic Highway 30. The road up to the viewpoint is a scenic adventure all in itself and once there, don’t forget to look over the edge of the shear faced plateau for some ahh inspiring views, right there at your car. This area is owned and managed by the Nature Conservancy as the Tom McCall Preserve and his open between March 1 and October 31. There are no dogs allowed though, so keep little Fido at home.

The trail heads out of the south end of the parking area and heads over a relatively flat area towards the eastern face of McCall Point. If you are here in April/May, the wildflowers will be absently spectacular. Yellow Balsamroot blooms everywhere, with lupine and paintbrush mixed in. There is also some interesting geology at work through here as well, as you may notice small, 50-foot-wide mounds jotting the landscape. They remained a mystery for decades, but recent consensus is that earthquakes have shaken the powdery soil together.

Soon, you will leave the open fields of flowers and enter a tunnel of oaks as you begin climbing up the ridgeline. Off to the east, you can see layer after layer of cliffs, marking areas where giant, ice-age floods came rushing down the gorge, 1,000 feet deep, and scouring the hillsides away. The trail will continue to climb steadily as you make your way towards McCall Point. It will alternate between the rocky and oaks filled ridge line (which can be a welcome escape from the wind) and the wide open and flower covered western slopes.

As you climb, watch for views of Mt Hood to the south and Mt Adams to the north, looming over the town of Lyle across the river. Once on the summit, stands of oak and brush kind of block your view to the south, so get them while you can. Also, once you reach the summit, if you just haven’t had enough, another trail continues north down a saddle and them climbs very steeply towards Seven Mile Hill. The trail is kind of in the trees and there aren’t many flowers, but there are peek-a-boo views if you just can’t get enough climbing. Also, this hike combines very nicely with the Rowena Plateau trail, located just across the highway from the parking area.

Directions

To reach the Rowena Crest Viewpoint and the McCall Point trailhead, if you are traveling from Hood River and the west, take I-84 east and exit at exit 69 towards US-30 in Mosier. Then just follow Highway 30 for 6.6 miles until you see the viewpoint. It will be on our left and have signs and stuff.

If you are heading from The Dalles and the east, again, hop onto i-84 but this time, head west. Take exit 76 towards Rowena and Mayer State Park. Then hop onto Highway 30 and continue west for 2.6 miles as you wind up the cliffs on your way to the viewpoint.

Things to Know

Passes: No passes are required.

Dogs: Not allowed.

Usage: Moderate - Heavy during the wildflower bloom.

Flowers: Flowers will typically start blooming sometime after Mid April and continue towards Mid-May.

Open Season: Open March 1 to October 31.

Hazards: There are areas along the trail, many in the oaks, where there is poison oak. Ticks are also very prominant in the spring.