This hike in the Table Rock Wilderness features rhododendron-lined forests, rocky cliffs, and sweeping vistas from an open high ridge trail.

distance: 7.7 miles (out & back)
elevation gain: 1,600 ft.
high point: 4,881 ft.
difficulty: moderate
drive time from Portland: 1 hour 20 minutes
parking pass: none needed

There are two Table Rock hikes in Oregon – this one is located in the Table Rock Wilderness just south of Molalla in part of the Old Cascades. A vault toilet is available at the trailhead, and no parking pass is required since this land is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

In 1996, a landslide wiped out part of the access road, moving the trailhead back by approximately 1.3 miles. The first stretch was a gentle walk along the former road until we reached the spot where the landslide had come through. From there, the trail climbs up through a forest detour before dropping back down to meet the old road again.

Eventually, the road ends at what used to be the original trailhead, and from there the trail heads back into the woods.

The forest is filled with rhododendrons, which were in bloom on this hike. Occasional glimpses of the surrounding foothills appear along the way, although there are also a lot of visible clearcuts from logging. The trail follows the side of a ridge and passes a rock pinnacle, where a faint side trail offers a scramble to the top, but we decided to keep going.

Eventually, we reached a boulder field in a large bowl below the cliffs of Table Rock. There’s a path winding through the boulders, and picking our way across was slow but not difficult.

After the boulder field, the trail drops steeply downhill on a rocky stretch hedged in by thorny thimbleberries. It was tricky to find good footing on the loose scree, so I took my time. This was my least favorite part of the hike.

This section of trail is closer to the cliffs of Table Rock, with vertical lines of columnar basalt.

Once past the thickets, the trail climbed back into the forest and gradually started to open up with better views.

At a sharp left turn, we found ourselves walking along an open high ridge leading toward the summit of Table Rock — definitely my favorite section of this hike since I love ridge trails with views.

Even though it was cloudy all day, we could spot the base of Mount Hood and Mount Jefferson, but the peaks stayed mostly hidden. On a clear day, the views extend from Mount Rainier all the way to the Three Sisters. I’ll have to come back another time for that!

At the top, we passed a couple of campsites, then made our way out to a rocky prominence to have lunch and enjoy what views we could before turning around and heading back down.

Despite the clouds, it was a great day out exploring this rugged corner of the Old Cascades.