Alder Flat Trail #574
- Tina McLain
- May 12
- 3 min read
A hike through burnt forest to the Clackamas River near Ripplebrook in Mount Hood National Forest.
Trail Name: Alder Flats Trail #574
Access: Trail
Distance: 2.06 miles (round trip)
Elevation Range: 1278' to 1504'
Ascent/Descent: +174 ft/-182 ft
Trail Type: In and out
Outing Type: Day hike
Permits/Fees: None
Notes: The entire trail is within a burned area from the 2020 fires. Exercise extra caution and be aware of the additional hazards posed in burned areas.
Location: Near Ripplebrook in Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon, U.S.A.
Administration: Mount Hood National Forest
Ranger District: Clackamas River Ranger District
Date Accessed: January 26, 2025
Alder Flat is one of the few trails that has been reopened in the burned area from the 2020 fires along the Clackamas River. We've had some sunny and dry weather this January, so my mom and I decided to hike the trail on a less windy day. I was really curious to see what this swimming hole looked like since it was so popular pre-fire.
We got to the trailhead around 10 a.m. and were the only people there. The trailhead was easy to find. There were warning signs about hazards in burned areas and a black bear advisory posted. We saw no signs of bears on our hike.
We started our hike down the trail, which had a clear tread and was easy to follow (for us). The trail started out fairly flat and headed south towards Dry Creek, then turned at 0.25 miles, heading north and gradually descending downhill. The whole forest was burned, and the trees left standing were very tall. I definitely wouldn’t want to be out here during a windstorm.
There was some blowdown across the trail, but nothing too difficult to climb over. It looked like there had been some recent trail maintenance, as a lot of the blowdown at the start of the trail had been cut and cleared.
The trail passed by some frozen ponds below, and once we finished the downhill section, the trail flattened out a bit. It worked its way through a marshy area with four wooden walkways, one of which looked pretty new. The trail led us down to the river's edge. Right before reaching the river, there was a very small section of forest that wasn't burned, with some wide, flat spots on the ground that looked like they used to be used for camping. The trail shot us out along the river at 45.08458, -122.06121.
We ended up hiking upstream towards the west a little ways. It was so beautiful, especially around 45.08449, -122.06292. I can see how this was a popular swimming hole pre-fire. The water was moving pretty fast with some rapids upstream at this time of year. We explored the shore and climbed some mossy rock outcroppings that had frozen pools on each side. We then started our hike back.
The hike back was good; the uphill was gradual and at a nice incline for maintaining a steady pace. We saw a woodpecker on our way back, and as we neared the last quarter mile to the trailhead, we saw a large branch fall from a tree. We had the entire hike to ourselves; we didn’t come across any other humans or bears.
I feel I should note that I enjoy exploring burned areas that are open. I find beauty in them and am always curious to see if there's something new to discover that wasn’t visible pre-fire. Blowdowns are also something I expect on every outing. After reading some of the AllTrails trip reports for this hike, I feel I should mention this because they were common complaints for people who rated the hike poorly. So, if a burned forest and the occasional blowdown bother you, it would be best to choose a different hike.
Coordinates
How to get there (from Estacada, OR)
Map
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