Herman Creek Trail - 22.2 Miles Round-Trip

The Herman Creek Trail runs 11.1 miles from Herman Creek Campground to the PCT in the Mark O Hatfield Wilderness. Herman Creek supports the highest concentration of old growth fir, cedar and hemlock in the Columbia River Gorge, though you'll have to travel 4+ miles to reach the heart of this impressive forest.

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Trail connections for Herman Bridge, Nick Eaton Ridge, Gorton Creek, Casey Creek, Mud Lake, Ant Hill, Wahtum Lake and Chinidere Mountain offer routes of varying length and difficulty through the gorge and Hatfield Wilderness.

Grades are generally moderate and steady, enabling day hikers and runners to reach deep into the valley.

Backpackers will find developed sites at Herman Camp, Casey Creek, Cedar Swamp, Seven-and-a-half-mile and Noble. Expect down trees along the way, though regular maintenance keeps impediments to a minimum.

This long trail doesn't touch the namesake creek until reaching Seven-and-a-half-mile Camp, but numerous creeks en route provide reliable water with a few notable falls.

Herman Creek's reputation for kinetic water features may be overstated, but it does deliver on old growth, and is one of the best gorge trails for running and solitude.

This description details travel to Cedar Swamp (7.1 miles), with additional information up to the PCT junction:

The Herman Creek Trail switchbacks to a powerline clearing (.2 miles); follow signs across up to the Herman Bridge Trail split (.58 miles : 565'). Keep straight on the duff-padded road-trail past splits for Herman Camp - Gorton Creek Trail 1.3 miles : 985') and Nick Eaton Way (1.4 miles : 1,005').

Here the trail narrows and gradually tilts down to Nick Eaton Falls (2.15 miles), a modest waterfall that slips down moss covered walls. It rises back with valley views from oak-lined cliffs to the Mark O Hatfield Wilderness Boundary (2.7 miles : 1,130').

It hops Camp Creek and steadies in a pleasant if non-descript forest to Casey Creek Camp and the Casey Creek Trail (4.0 miles : 1,502').

The campsite is set among large trees, and there's an unmarked trail that drops approximately 300' in .3 miles to the confluence of East Fork Herman Creek and Herman Creek on the north end of Woolly Horn Ridge.

This is a worthwhile side trip, and fine destination for day hikes (8.6 mile roundtrip, including the confluence spur). From this point on Herman Creek Trail follows the East Fork under Woolly Horn Ridge to its source at Mud Lake. You'll notice higher concentrations of large trees beyond Casey Creek.

The Herman Creek Trail continues over Slide Creek, which has a nice fan fall just steps upstream (5.0 miles : 1,865'). It crosses Mullinix Creek (5.3 miles : 2,005') then Whiskey Creek (5.75 miles : 2,145'), which can be wide and deep enough to get wet.

Grades steepen past Whiskey Creek among notably large trees to another stream cross (6.7 miles : 2,740') leading to Cedar Swamp Camp and the Herman Creek Cutoff-Gorton Creek Trail split (7.1 miles : 2,960'). This flat, boggy area supports large cedar trees, but is not necessarily the best place to camp and draw water. Information beyond this point is general, taken from the USFS and publicly available resources:

The Herman Creek Trail continues up to Seven-and-a-half-mile Camp and crosses the East Fork (7.7 miles) to Noble Camp. Travel steepens to connections for Mud Lake and Ant Hill before moderating through patchy meadows to the PCT (11.1 miles : 4,275').