Surveyors Ridge is popular with mountain bikers but it’s also a great trail for hikers. We started at the Shellrock Mountain trailhead and hiked to the Yellowjacket viewpoint as an out and back hike.

distance: 6.3 miles
elevation gain: 810 ft.
hike description: OregonHikers.org – Surveyors Ridge Rim Rock
drive time from Portland: 1 hour 30 minutes
parking pass: none

Trail Map

The Hike

On this short segment of the Surveyors Ridge trail, we were too late for spring wildflowers but the views of Mount Hood and the upper Hood River Valley make this hike worth doing. We only saw two groups of mountain bikers and as we stepped off trail to let them pass, their faces were full of smiles from the fun they were having on the ride.

A short side trail leads to a former lookout site.

About half of this trail is through forest, alternating between open sections and ridge sections.

Bright yellow-green lichens covered several trees next to the trail.

We stopped at Yellowjacket viewpoint for a long break before heading back.

The Rim Rock section with views to the east.

Heading back to the trailhead along the ridge with views of Shellrock Mountain.