Aldrich Butte & Table Mountain
View from Aldrich Butte
Moderate (to Aldrich Butte)
3.6 miles round trip
1100 feet elevation gain
Open all year
Difficult (to Table Mountain)
8.6-mile loop
3380 feet elevation gain
Table Mountain launched a gigantic landslide 550 years ago that shoved the Columbia south, left a ragged cliff, and sparked the legend of a “Bridge of the Gods” that made it briefly possible to cross the Columbia River with dry feet. Today the Pacific Crest Trail crosses a steel Bridge of the Gods on its way to Table Mountain’s cataclysmic cliff.
As of 2017 the PCT is the only legal access to the area, so the hikes to Aldrich Butte and Table Mountain have become longer than ever. Closer alternatives are Gillette Lake, Greenleaf Overlook, and Greenleaf Falls.
From Vancouver, drive …
Start by walking uphill …
Other Options
If you don’t like rough trails …
This chapter taken from the book 100 Hikes/Travel Guide: Northwest Oregon & Southwest Washington.