Driving East on I-84 just past Hood River, a very prominent basalt wall across the Columbia River rises above the Gorge.  That feature is called Coyote Wall and includes a phenomenal system of trails. Located just East of the Hood River-White Salmon bridge Coyote Wall features a trail system connecting the parking lot up the wall and over to the Catherine Creek trailhead.  The trails are runnable all year round and are a great way to experience the Gorge without having to worry about snow in the winter.  Late spring also offers wildflowers spread among the patches of oak trees.

Just down the road from the parking lot, the Little Moab trail is the entrance to a numerous set of trails.  Stay on Crybaby Trail that hugs the wall to get views of Mt. Hood and the vineyards over in Mosier.  Don’t go too far west as the trails lead to private property.

 

Climbing up the 300 ft. Coyote Wall

 

 

At the top is Atwood Rd.  Head right and the trails head over toward Catherine Creek.  Atwood Road connects to several unmarked trails that are fun to explore.  Eventually, Atwood Road connects with County Road Trail, which is a quick descent to test out the quads.  The trail ends up a Catherine Creek.  Cross the creek to check out the arch.

Head back up the hill the Ridge Trail to get back on Atwood Road.  Once at the top, head back down the Labyrinth Trail for a fun downhill trek.  This trail is banked for MTB, so it’s easy to glide among the grassy fields.  There is a technical rocky section near the bottom, just before the waterfall.

View from Atwood Road

Once at the bottom, add another climb with the Little Maui Trail and come back down the Little Moab Trail to finish up before the road run back to the car.

There are several trails that intertwine throughout Coyote Wall, so all distances and climbing are imaginable.  Here is the 16-mile route as explained in the write-up.

Descending the Labyrinth Trail