(Most hike numbers have changed in the new 4th Edition. All of these updates are included in the 4th Edition.)

-- #2 Oak Island -- Permits are now $7 per day or $22 per year.

-- #6 Washington Park -- This area will now charge for parking, $6.40 in summer and $4 in the off-season.

-- #7 Aerial Tram -- The Portland Parks Dept. has signed the "4T Trail" using a slightly different route than is suggested in the book. As you approach Council Crest, the signs direct you to continue straight up the wide paved path to the summit, rather than taking the smaller Marquam Trail to the left. Beyond Council Crest, signs point you downhill 1.7 miles to Marquam Shelter. From there, go up a wide gravel trail to the right 200 feet and turn left on the smaller Connor Trail up to Gibbs Street near the hospital.

-- #10 Powell Butte -- Construction of the underground reservoir continues to cause periodic closures. The main access road at 162nd is gated closed through December 2012. See http://www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/article/404281 for details. 

-- #17 Silver Star Mountain -- For a slightly shorter, less rough driving route to the trailhead, drive just 2 miles on Sunset Falls Round, turn right on NE 312th/Dole Valley Road for 2.4 miles, and turn left on Road 1100 for 6.6 miles to a confusing 4-way junction. Here turn sharply to the right on Road 4109 for 2.5 rough miles to the trailhead.

-- #21 Mount Mitchell -- The access road was closed by a locked gate in June 2011, blocking all easy access to this hike! The private timber company that owns the trailhead complained of vandalism. In the April 2012 printing of this book, the Mt. Mitchell hike has been replaced with a hike to Moulton Falls and Bells Mountain.

-- #22 Sheep Canyon -- Expect the unexpected on this very beautiful hike. Because of a flood, the trail now extends almost 0.2 mile from the parking area before you reach the first trail junction. Then go left to the creek crossing. Beyond the bridge at Sheep Canyon the trail is poorly maintained and brushy.

-- #28 Windy Ridge -- Planning is in progress for a difficult new trail from Windy Pass up to the Sugarbowl, a knoll with a view into the crater of Mt. St. Helens. The new trail would not be designed as a climbing route to the summit. There is no clear timeline for completion, but environmental assessments are likely to take place in the summer or fall of 2012.

-- #29 Spirit Lake -- The Independence Pass Trail is closed from the Crater Viewpoint area to Norway Pass. Slides and washouts were found on this route in the fall of 2011, and although the Forest Service had not inspected the trail as of July, 2012, they have signed it as closed as a safety measure. Trail crews may reopen the route, but slides in this area will continue to make the trail treacherous for years. Hikers should focus instead on the Harmony Falls Trail, or take the trail from the Norway Pass Trailhead on Road 26 to Norway Pass.

-- #37 Cape Horn -- Reconstruction of this trail has brought changes. A new stone-walled circular viewpoint, honoring Nancy Russell, is at the summit of the cape, where a house has been demolished. Two pedestrian underpass tunnels are now open beneath Highway 14 -- one at the trailhead beside Salmon Falls Road, and one where the trail crosses Highway 14 above the falls on Cape Horn. The entire trail is clearer and better graded. Equestrian bypass routes are under construction for trail sections near cliffs.

-- #38 Beacon Rock-- Washington's budget woes have changed the $5 parking fee here to $10.

-- #42 Angels Rest -- Dogs are now allowed on this trail only if they are on a leash that is no longer than six feet. The sign for Foxglove Way now says "Devils Rest".

-- #51 Wahtum Lake -- The Mount Hood National Forest has turned over the trailhead and campground here to a private concessionaire, but they honor the usual Northwest Forest Pass for the parked cars of hikers and backpackers.

-- #53 Mitchell Point -- The Mitchell Point Trail is fine, but the Wygant Trail has been obliterated by blowdown, slides, and poison oak. All bridges are out. It is no longer feasible to hike even to the lowest viewpoint on Wygant Peak.

-- #57 Weldon Wagon Road -- local landowners have put up "private" signs alongside the  trail, near the top. Don't worry -- the trail is public, and the signs are referring to private property to the side. Incidentally, the Hood River bridge increased its toll to $1 in early 2012.

-- #58 Coyote Wall -- The longest loop option is now closed. When you walk 100 yards from the trailhead on an old road to the cattle chute you will find a sign on the trail that goes up the valley to the west of Coyote Wall's cliff: "Trail Closed To Protect Private Property." So simply continue on the old road and hike the trail atop Coyote Wall's cliff to the meadows. A proliferation of trails by mountain bikers in these meadows has made the route a little confusing in places. The Hood River bridge increased its toll to $1 in early 2012.

-- #59 Catherine Creek -- wood rail fences protect the top and bottom of the arch from people venturing too close. From the top of the arch, an easy cross-country route down to Highway 14 has become a good path, and this provides a nice return option to your car for a loop hike. The Hood River bridge increased its toll to $1 in early 2012.

-- #60 Klickitat Rail Trail -- The Hood River bridge increased its toll to $1 in early 2012.

-- #61 Wildcat Mountain -- The final 0.3 mile of the road to the quarry trailhead have been completely closed, replaced with a turnaround. There is currently no obvious trail access in this area, either marked or visible. If you intend to try to reach the trail anyway, watch your odometer as you drive! Most signs have been vandalized and the trailhead is littered with beer cans and bullet shells.

-- #66 Hunchback Mountain -- The sign for "Viewpoint Helispot 260" is missing, and the view there has been largely overgrown by trees.

-- #67 Devils Peak Lookout -- The Cool Creek Trailhead on Still Creek Road 12 is still open, but the access route has changed several times in recent years. The detour route via Road 20 (described in the 2011 printing of the book) is now closed due to an unsafe bridge. Fortunately, the landslide on the Still Creek Road has been repaired, so the easy, paved route to the trail is once again open. To find it, drive Highway 26 east of the Zigzag Ranger Station 1.3 miles. Between mileposts 43 and 44, turn right (south) on paved Still Creek Road. After 0.3 mile, where the road forks at a "No Outlet" sign, veer right to stay on one-lane Still Creek Road 12. After another 3 paved miles the road turns to gravel. Now continue slowly 0.4 mile, watching the odometer. Just beyond a parking pullout on the left, look sharp for a "Cool Creek Trailhead" sign in the woods to the right of the road (GPS location N 45 17.840' W 121 53.060').

-- #69 Ramona Falls -- A Northwest Forest Pass (or other recreation  pass) is required at this trailhead, but you can't pay for it there. If you need a pass, buy it at the Zigzag Ranger Station where you turn off Highway 26. Also, the seasonal bridge across the Sandy River has been set up half a mile farther downstream this year, and is 1 mile from the trailhead.

-- #71 Cairn Basin -- Vista Ridge was hit by the Dollar Lake fire in 2011, so there are patches of black snags along the ridge, but the trail is in good shape, views are better, and the area at timberline is unchanged. Also note that a previously abandoned 4-mile section of the Vista Ridge Trail from the trailhead north along the ridge (away from Mt. Hood!) to a viewpoint at Owl Point has been reopened by volunteers, and makes a nice hike with only 500 feet of elevation change.

-- #74 East Zigzag Mountain -- The access road to this trailhead is so rough that most drivers will not want to attempt it. Before the trailhead 1.2 miles the road climbs bedrock steps that only the toughest high-clearance vehicles can master, but there is ample parking at a large hairpin curve here, so you might park here and walk the final 1.2 miles to the trailhead.

-- #75 Laurel Hill -- When hiking the short switchbacking trail to the top of Laurel Hill's historic wagon chute, you'll notice a spur trail marked "Original Wagon Route". This path climbs 0.1 mile to an abandoned section of the paved 1925 Mt. Hood Highway. If you turn right on this old road you can follow it on a 0.4-mile loop back to the bottom of the wagon chute. Also, if you choose to cross Highway 26 for the hike to Little Zigzag Falls, use extreme caution and wait until no traffic is audible on this busy highway. The small wooden sign marking the trail that leads into the woods is broken, so it now reads, "Route of . . . Road" instead of "Route of the Barlow Road".

-- #81 Tamanawas Falls -- A Northwest Forest Pass or other recreation pass is required for your car at this popular trailhead, but you can't buy one here. Instead buy one at the Hood River or Zigzag ranger stations on your drive to the trailhead.

== #83 Elk Cove -- The washout on the Eliot Branch has closed the Timberline Trail northwest of Cloud Cap indefinitely. The alternate route to Elk Cove, the Elk Cove Trail from Road 2840, begins on a closed roadbed for 1.1 mile, and then enters a 2011 wildfire zone for the next 3 miles, so expect a lot of ash and snags. Elk Cove itself was largely untouched by the fire.

-- #84 Pinnacle Ridge -- The final 0.7 mile of the access road to the trailhead has been closed and decommissioned, so the trail is now 0.7 mile longer. The new trailhead is where the junction of Roads 2840 and 640 used to be. This is now the end of Road 2840, marked by large boulders. The first 3.5 mile of the trail traverses woods that were 95% burned by the 2011 Dollar Lake wildfire, so expect lots of ash until you reach the spring and bog (where the trail is briefly rough and mucky). Ironically, Dollar Lake itself was not hit by the fire, and most of the Timberline Trail  remains green.

-- #91 -- Clackamas River Trail. In the winter of 2014 this trail was closed about 1.8 miles from the western (Fish Creek) trailhead. It is expected to reopen by summer 2014.

-- #94 Bagby Hot Springs -- The concessionaire that now operates this area requires visitors over the age of 12 to buy a $5-per-person-per-day wristband at the trailhead to use the hot springs. There is no charge to park or to hike the trail. The campground beside the trailhead has been improved and now costs $16 per site.

-- #96 Dickey Creek -- The trail is now 0.6 mile longer, because the trailhead has been moved back to the last junction on Road 140. You now start out hiking on a decommissioned roadbed for the first 0.6 mile.

-- #192 Old Baldy and Squaw Mtn -- Squaw Mountain has been renamed Tumala Mountain, so the Squaw Mountain Road is now Tumala Mountain Road.

-- #203 Butte Creek Falls -- The Santiam State Forest has allowed logging in this area, and has gated closed the access road and trail at Butte Creek Falls until May 23, 2014. A county sheriff has been checking people here, so wait until the closure is lifted.

CAMPGROUNDS -- Most Forest Service campgrounds on the Mt. Hood National Forest are now operated by Northwest Land Management, a concessionaire that has raised campground fees about $5. Instead of paying your fee in an envelope near the campground entrance, you now pay when a uniformed employee visits your campsite to collect. Timothy Lake campgrounds, run by PGE, are not part of this program. Breitenbush Lake Campground, owned by the Warm Springs tribe, is free but does not allow alcohol, swimming, unleashed dogs, or firewood gathering.

CABINS -- The Peterson Prairie Guard Station, between the Indian Heaven Wilderness and Trout Lake, burned in September 2012 because of a chimney fire, so it is not available for rent.

(Next reprint with updates: February  2015)

Travel Guide section:
Hot Springs -- Terwilliger Hot Springs has raised its fee from $5 to $6.

-- #1 Ankeny Wildlife Refuge -- Jogging is now banned on the trails here because it disturbs the birds. The Salem chapter of the Audubon Society is planning to build a nature center and educational building on Ankeny Hill Road, a mile or so north of the refuge trailheads, perhaps in 2016.

-- #7 Dome Rock and Tumble Lake -- If you are driving to the upper trailhead on Road 2223, note that the trailhead sign is gone, and now the POST is gone as well, but if are watching, the trail itself is clear enough on the left.

-- #16 House Rock -- The washed-out bridge from House Rock Campground across the South Santiam River was finally replaced in June 2014, so if you like, you can now start your hike at the campground. From there, the loop to the falls and the House Rock cave is only 0.8 mile.

-- #17 (now #115) Rooster Rock -- Trees have grown up to block most views from the old lookout site, and no boards remain from the cabin itself.

-- #21 Jefferson Park -- Dogs are banned at Scout Lake, but not elsewhere in the area.

-- #24 Marion Lake -- The trail to Marion Lake is fine, but if you're going to Marion Mountain, expect some blowdown and missing signs. The signs at trail junctions are on trees that have fallen down, and a dozen or more blowdown trees have not yet been cleared on the route, as of July 2013. On the other hand, the Pine Lakes Trail  from Camp Pioneer to Marion Lake may have the richest huckleberry harvest anywhere in the Cascades.

-- #26 Three Fingered Jack -- The difficult 11.7-mile loop via Martin Lake has become much more difficult because of the B&B wildfire, and is no longer recommended for hikers. It is still feasible to bushwhack down from the PCT 0.4 mile to Martin Lake, but the "clear trail" at the far east end of the lake has not been maintained. Fallen burned logs make the 0.5-mile route from Martin Lake to the Booth Lake trail arduous and confusing -- suitable only for adventurers.

-- Patjens Lakes -- Nearly all of this trail was overswept by a 2011 wildfire, so it has been relegated to the "More Hikes" section at the back of the book until the woods look greener. The area around the lakes themselves was spared by the fire.

-- #30 Whychus Creek & Canyon -- The "Private" sign on Goodrich Road has been removed. This sign once incorrectly suggested that the public road access to the Deschutes Land Trust's Whychus Canyon Preserve was private. Be aware, however, that private land borders the road on either side, so use this road only to access the approved parking area. Additional trailhead access to the area is planned. 

-- #34 Smith Rock -- A new trail section now makes it easier to hike a grand 6.9-mile loop around the perimeter of the park, getting the area's best views along the way. From the trailhead, hike 0.4 mile down to the Crooked River, cross the bridge, and turn upstream to the right 1.1 mile up to the Canal. Turn left on the Burma Road 0.7 mile to a pass. Following a pointer for the Summit Trail, take a newly rebuilt path down the ridgecrest 2 miles to the Crooked River at the balancing rocks, and continue upriver 0.3 mile to the trail junction by a house-sized rock below Monkey Face. Then keep right along the river trail 2.1 miles back to the bridge.

-- #35 Shevlin Park -- The road to Fremont Meadow is gated closed from about August to March, so most of the year you will have to park at the park's entrance and hike the longer 4.7-mile loop.

-- #45 Obsidian Trail -- The trails along Glacier Creek at Sunshine meadow were closed in 2014, and new trails have been built avoiding the fragile meadow area. The route of the PCT in this area remains unchanged. If you are hiking the counterclockwise loop to Sunshine described in the book, follow the PCT north from Obsidian Falls 1.4 miles to Sunshine's meadow (where there now is no junction at all). Then turn around, backtrack 0.1 mile south on the PCT, and turn right on a new section of trail that leads down Glacier Creek's valley 0.7 mile to the White Branch meadow and the return route to your car. If you are climbing Middle Sister, do not bushwhack up Glacier Creek on the old, closed trail from Sunshine. Instead take the PCT south 0.4 mile to the top of the plateau, where an obvious climbers' trail heads east toward Middle Sister. 

-- #53 Park Meadow -- Near Park Meadow the trail traverses woods burned by a 2012 wildfire.

-- #67 Horsepasture Mountain -- This trailhead became more difficult to access in June 2013 when a landslide closed Road 1993 on a steep slope part of the way between Horse Creek Road 2638 and the trailhead. The Forest Service has signed an alternate route to the trailhead, but it's 11 miles longer, mostly on gravel. To find it from Highway 126 at McKenzie Bridge, follow Horse Creek Road 2638 for 8.6 miles (including 9 miles of gravel). At a pointer marked "Horse Pasture Trailhead 11", turn right on gravel Road 356 for 5.2 miles uphill to a T-shaped junction. Then turn right on Road 1993 for 7.6 mostly paved miles to the Horsepasture Trailhead on the left.

-- #82 -- Chuckle Springs -- The 2010 fire in this area has left some side trails so full of deadfall that they are unusable, although the main Middle Fork Trail is fine. After hiking 1.1 mile toward Chuckle Springs, turn left at a "Middle Fork Trail" sign and keep left for 0.3 mile to the springs. Return as you came, because the loop path is overgrown. If you try to add the optional 0.4-mile hike downstream along the Middle Fork Trail to Cliff Springs, be warned that the footbridge over Indigo Creek collapsed in 2014, and the crossing can be treacherous.

-- #96 Fawn Lake -- The trail to Pretty Lake is still a bit faint in places, but it has been maintained, and the junction with the Fawn Lake Trail is signed.

-- #105 French Creek Ridge -- This trail has become brushy and unmaintained, suitable only for adventurers.

-- #107 Gold Butte Lookout -- A small correction to the driving directions: "From Hwy 22 in Detroit, take Breitenbush Rd 46 for 4.4 mi, fork left on Rd 4696 for 0.7 mi, fork left again on Rd 4697 for 4.7 mi to a saddle, turn right on Rd 451 for 0.1 mi, and park at a junction."

-- #117 Falls Creek. When you turn off Highway 20 at milepost 46, the road you will be traveling is Road 2032, not 2031. Drive Road 2032 for 5 miles to reach the trailhead.

-- #131 Patjens Lakes -- The driving directions say to keep left when in doubt, but it's better to keep to the paved road until you find the trailhead sign.


-- #145 Chush Falls -- The new trailhead for this hike is one mile along Road 600, where boulders and logs have been placed to barricade the road. From there you hike 1.5 miles to the old trailhead, and continue on the old trail 1 mile to Chush Falls.

-- #171 Hardesty Mountain, upper trailhead -- A washout on Road 550 limits access to high-clearance vehicles. And note that the summit of this mountain is overgrown, so there are no views.

-- #172 Gold Point -- This delightful trail was maintained in December 2013. The hike is 0.3 mile longer than listed because the access road has been barricaded. To drive there from the Fall Creek Trailhead (Hike #74), drive 5.8 miles upriver, turn right on Rd 1825 for 2.7 miles, then fork left on Road 1835 for half a mile. Park and walk left past a barricade up (unmarked) Road 220 for 0.3 mile to the trail.

-- Introduction -- Finally, there is a hiking club for this corner of Oregon! Founded in 2013, the Friends of the Umpqua Hiking Club  (http://www.friendsoftheumpqua.org/club_info.htm) goes on a hike every other Saturday. Usually they meet at 8am at the Douglas County Courthouse parking lot behind the library in Roseburg's downtown. Dues are $5 a year. Every three months they hold a potluck to plan the coming quarter's hiking schedule. For information, contact the club president Rheo Wheeler at 541-677-0799.

-- #7 Boulder Creek -- The fish ladder construction project at the trailhead is finally completed (spring 2014), so you can once again drive to the Soda Springs Trailhead. Because the trailhead has been closed for 2 years, the trail may be a little overgrown, but not bad. The Perry Butte Trail off to the side of the main trail, however, has been abandoned for many years, and is all but unfindable.

-- #13 Lemolo Falls -- The trailhead for Warm Springs Falls is now well marked, and the viewpoint of the falls has a nice railed viewing platform.

-- #21-30 Crater Lake National Park -- The national park's entrance fee is likely to increase from $10 to $25 per car in 2015. The fee will still be valid for an entire week.

-- #22 Wizard Island -- The boat rides have increased sharply in price. Expect to pay $37 for adults and $25 for kids under 12 -- and expect an added $15 fee if you get off at Wizard Island. The only boat that stops at Wizard Island leaves at 9:30am. Hikers may return either at 2:30pm or 5pm. The boat tours run early July to mid-September.

-- #33 Lost Creek Lake -- In "Other Hiking Options" I say that the upper Rogue River Trail peters out 4.7 miles up from Lost Creek Lake. Actually, according to alert hiker Michelle Renfro, the trail now continues up the embankment towards Mill Creek Drive and comes out first on a Pacific Power access road that then leads to Mill Creek Drive. From there you walk past the Pacific Power compound and the trail reappears on the right/river side of the road. The trail then parallels the road until it starts downhill through a rocky area and ties into the Mill Creek Falls trail right at the stunning Barr Creek falls. This trail is heavily used and can be followed to a large paved trailhead. From the trailhead the trail continues to parallel Mill Creek Dr about a half a mile until you reach a bridge over the river. At this point you must cross the road where the trail takes off again along the river through an area logged about 10 years ago. Follow the trail to Hwy 62 at another bridge, at this point you cross the road and find a small parking area on the north side of the river. The trail continues from there up towards the north fork dam, which is at the end of the road referred to in the book as the gravel road beside a canal.

-- #41 Upper Rogue River -- The start of the hiking trail is confused by a much larger and more obvious trail for motorized vehicles. The hiking trail branches off to the right of the OHV route.

-- #42 Stuart Falls -- The trail to Red Blanket Falls from this trailhead is STILL closed by a landslide, after several years. Adventurous souls can cross the slide and hike the trail, but it is a little dangerous, and not recommended. The Forest Service is hoping to build a new trailhead to access Red Blanket Falls, in the Tom and Jerry area to the south, but it may be several years before this alternate route is ready.  

-- #60 Wagner Butte -- The trailhead sign is missing, so you now have to keep a sharp eye out for the trailhead post.

-- #72 Oregon Caves -- Congress added 4000 acres to the 488-acre national monument here in December 2014. The new administration plans to reopen the Cave Creek Campground and add new signage to the trails to Mt. Elijah and the Bigelow Lakes (Hike #159), although they have not received additional funding for improvements within the expanded boundaries. The new legislation also designated the caves' underground stream, the River Styx, as a Wild and Scenic River, and the Caves Chateau as one of the Historic Hotels of America.

-- #84 Taylor Creek -- The winter of 2013-14 destroyed four footbridges along this creek, fouling up the hike for those who are not prepared to scramble on broken bridges or get their feet wet. If you start at the Taylor Creek Trailhead (3.1 miles up Briggs Valley Road), the first missing bridge is at the half-mile mark. Likewise, bridges are missing across Taylor Creek from the old Tin Can Campground and the trailhead at an old gravel pit, near the start of the China Creek Trail. Who knows when these bridges will be replaced? 

-- #96 Caribou Lake -- A wildfire in 2014 affected this and several other trails in the Coffee Creek area of the Trinity Alps. The Forest Service plans to reopen the trails in 2015. And yes, the book's overview map of Northern California shows the locations of Hikes 95 and 96 as reversed.

-- #159 Mt. Elijah -- This area was added to the Oregon Caves National Monument in 2014, so there may be changes to the trailhead signage or parking fees.