Hike beside the Salmon River through a mossy forest with old-growth cedar and fir, primitive campsites, and spring wildflowers to a canyon viewpoint above the river.

distance: 7.8 miles
elevation gain: 950 ft.
difficulty: moderate
best season: April – June for wildflowers
drive time from Portland: 1 hour 15 minutes
parking pass: NW Forest Pass
hike description: OregonHikers.org – Salmon River Canyon

The Hike

Wildflowers typically bloom here in late April and early May. Varieties that are commonly seen here include fairyslipper orchids, avalanche lilies, checkered lilies, paintbrush, and larkspur (among many others). Spring is also when the mosses and ferns fill the forest with many shades of green.

Fairyslipper orchids

Avalanche lilies

Checkered lilies

The Salmon River is a designated Wild and Scenic River, all the way from its beginnings at the Palmer snowfield on Mount Hood to 33 miles later, where it joins the Sandy River near Brightwood.

Begin this hike at the trailhead located right before a bridge going over the Salmon River. The first two miles of the hike have a relatively flat grade, skirting above the river bank several times, meandering through of an old-growth forest of Douglas fir, western red cedar, and western hemlock.

Fallen trees become “nurse” logs, giving life to the young trees growing from them. Moss and lichens hang from the trees and cover interesting rocky structures. In late April and early May, spring wildflowers are abundant, including fawn lilies, oxalis, chocolate lilies, yellow violets and fairy slippers. The forest floor is covered with oxalis, changing to Oregon grape and salal as you climb up before reaching a rocky meadow section.

Fairyslipper orchids

Along the way, you’ll cross two sturdy footbridges made of stripped logs, the second crossing a picturesque creek that cascades over mossy rocks before meeting the Salmon River.

Paintbrush

About 1-1/2 miles in is Rolling Riffle Camp, a small area of rustic camping spots between the trail and the river. A checkpoint for the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness is about 2 miles in. Shortly after, the trail begins to climb, sometimes steeply, and swings in away from the river several times to cross several small drainage areas.

Larkspur

Once you climb out of the forested section, bear to the right and stay on the narrow, rocky trail to a spectacular canyon overlook. The river is about 600 feet below, and you can hear the roar of several unseen waterfalls. There are steep scramble paths below, but the rocky slopes are very slippery, and people have fallen off and died while attempting this, so stay on the main trail. Look for wildflowers in this exposed rocky area, including Indian paintbrush. After the canyon overlook, the trail is much steeper, so this is a good place to turn around and head back the same way you came.