Catherine Creek Trailhead - Lewis and Clark Trail Experience

Information

509.493.3630

Dogs on leash in Catherine Creek planning area year round. Dogs on leash in Coyote/Bourdian planning areas December 1st through June 30th. Horses may use Coyote/Bourdian planning areas May 1st through November 30th. Horse party size can't exceed 8 horses. Catherine Creek planning area closed to mountain bikes. Mountain bikes and horses must stay on designated trails.

lat: 45.7105172 long: -121.3620813

This is one of the premier areas for early spring wildflower viewing in the eastern Columbia River Gorge. There is a seasonal waterfall here as well. The trailhead and parking is located on the north side of the county road, leading to a multi-use biker/hiker/equestrian trail.

Visitors can carefully cross the county road to reach the south side Catherine Creek Trail #4400, an accessible one mile paved loop trail with incredible views of the Columbia River. Benches and interpretive signage are scattered along the path.

The site was once a ranch before being acquired by the Forest Service to protect native plants, the unique arch formation, and other sensitive resources after the creation of the National Scenic Area.

(Discover Pass is required for parking.)

Catherine Creek from viewpoint

Catherine Creek from viewpoint

Wildflowers and scenic drives

Wildflowers and scenic drives

Wildflowers at Catherine Creek

Wildflowers at Catherine Creek

Mt. Hood in Oregon over the river

Mt. Hood in Oregon over the river

Nearby Attractions

Distance Unit:

Syncline Winery

Syncline Winery

Syncline Winery, Balch Road, Lyle, WA, USA
Distance: 1.55 Away

Food and Drinks Wineries

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Analemma Wines

Analemma Wines

Analemma Wines, State Road, Mosier, OR, USA
Distance: 1.99 Away

Food and Drinks Wineries

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Root Orchards

Root Orchards

Root Orchards, Root Road, Mosier, OR, USA
Distance: 2.46 Away

Food and Drinks Farms

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Brenna’s Mosier Market

Brenna’s Mosier Market

Brenna's Mosier Market, 1st Avenue, Mosier, OR, USA
Distance: 2.56 Away

Food and Drinks Shopping

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COR Cellars

COR Cellars

Cor Cellars, Old Highway 8, Lyle, WA, USA
Distance: 2.92 Away

Food and Drinks Wineries

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Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail: Twin Tunnels

Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail: Twin Tunnels

Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail, Rock Creek Road, Mosier, OR, USA
Distance: 3.06 Away

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Runcible Cider

Runcible Cider

Runcible Cider, Quartz Drive, Mosier, OR, USA
Distance: 3.55 Away

Food and Drinks Breweries and Distilleries Farms

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Rowena Crest Viewpoint

Rowena Crest Viewpoint

Rowena Crest Viewpoint, Historic Columbia River Highway, Mosier, OR, USA
Distance: 3.59 Away

Outdoor Experiences Viewpoints

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Lopez Farm

Lopez Farm

1120 Gem Lane, Mosier, Oregon 97040, USA
Distance: 3.65 Away

Food and Drinks Farms

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Tribal Salmon – Lyle, WA

Tribal Salmon – Lyle, WA

Lyle, WA, USA
Distance: 3.80 Away

Food and Drinks Tribal Experiences

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The Lyle Hotel Restaurant & Bar

The Lyle Hotel Restaurant & Bar

The Lyle Hotel, Seventh Street, Lyle, WA, USA
Distance: 4.02 Away

Food and Drinks Bars Lodging

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The Society Hotel

The Society Hotel

The Society Hotel Hood River - Bingen, Cedar Street, Bingen, WA, USA
Distance: 4.81 Away

Food and Drinks Shopping Lodging

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Site of the Week: Locust Grove Locust Grove was e

Site of the Week: Locust Grove

Locust Grove was established in 1792 by William and Lucy Clark Croghan and has seen many famous people over the years. Among them are Presidents James Monroe and Andrew Jackson and the famous naturalist John James Audubon. Lewis and Clark also visited the house and regaled them with stories of the west over dinner.

Locust Grove is situated in Louisville, Kentucky, about 4,000 feet south of the Ohio River. Surrounding the house is a well-maintained grass lawn with a parking lot for visitors. Besides the house itself, there is a visitor’s center with a gift shop. Guides offer highly informative tours of the house, giving visitors a view into what life was like for these members of the Clark family. Besides being a significant site for Lewis and Clark historians, one room on the first floor of Locust Hill also housed former American Revolution General George Rogers Clark (brother to both Lucy Croghan and William Clark) during the final years of his life.

Photos of Locust Grove Courtesy of Cait Clark.

#lewisandclark #history #adventure #travel #locustgrove #louisvillekentucky #Kentucky

Check out our YouTube Channel! We have some great

Check out our YouTube Channel!

We have some great content being posted there every Saturday - you’ll see videos related to personal stories and adventures on the trail, special reports on various trail locations, and much more!

Be sure to subscribe and share with friends as well!

https://www.youtube.com/@lewisandclarktrailalliance

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Here’s a summary of another video you can find there, ‘ Where Louisville Begins - Visit Historic Locust Grove’:

“This c.1792 Georgian mansion tells the story of its owners, William and Lucy Clark Croghan, and the story of American beginnings. William and Lucy Clark Croghan and Lucy’s brother, General George Rogers Clark, welcomed a generation of American luminaries to their home to rest, dialogue, campaign, and duel. Presidents James Monroe and Andrew Jackson, John James Audubon, Cassius Marcellus C, and Lewis and Clark—among others—all passed through Locust Grove. Now a National Historic Landmark, Locust Grove is a unique example of early Kentucky architecture, craftsmanship, and history.

Director of Interpretation Kaitlyn Tisdale takes us on a virtual tour of this historic location.

Learn more about Louisville history at https://lewis-clark.org/?s=locust+grove”

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1kfBtR17m8)

Park of the Week: Harpers Ferry National Historica

Park of the Week: Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

Positioned at the meeting place of three states (Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland) and the confluence of two major rivers (the Potomac and the Shenandiah), it is not surprising that Harpers Ferry National Historical Park has seen quite a bit of history. The town was the site of John Brown’s Raid and changed hands between the North and the South eight times throughout the course of the Civil War. It was also visited by George Washington in 1785 as he gauged the need for canals and sluices on the Potomac River.

Many visitors are shocked to find that Harpers Ferry also claims a major role in the success of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. In 1803, Meriwether Lewis stopped at Harpers Ferry as he prepared for his famous journey to the Pacific Ocean. At the time of his visit, Harpers Ferry was the home of the United States Armory and Arsenal. Resultantly, Lewis ordered the production of 15 powder horns, 30 bullet molds, 30 ball screws, extra rifle and musket locks, gunsmith's repair tools, several dozen tomahawks, 24 large knives, and a collapsible iron boat frame. These weapons and tools were used by the members of the expedition as they braved the great wilderness of western North America.

Today, the buildings of Harpers Ferry Historical Park are home to a series of small museums, artisan boutiques, and restaurants. Though the United States Armory and Arsenal itself was burnt down during the Civil War, visitors can still read about Meriwether Lewis’s time in Harpers Ferry on informational signs and inside one of the small onsite museums dedicated to the armaments of the expedition. Tours dedicated to the history of Harpers Ferry also detail Lewis’s time and lodgings as he stayed in town.

Photos credited to Mitchell Pence and Cait Clark, 2024

#lewisandclark #history #adventure #travel #westvirginia #maryland #virginia #potomacriver #harpersferry #shenandiahriver

Our new APP is now available! Check it out if you

Our new APP is now available! Check it out if you haven’t yet to bring the adventure and magic of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail on your mobile device. Scan the QR code here or find it on your app store.

Check out our YouTube Channel! We have some great

Check out our YouTube Channel!

We have some great content being posted there every Saturday - you’ll see videos related to personal stories and adventures on the trail, special reports on various trail locations, and much more!

Be sure to subscribe and share with friends as well!

https://www.youtube.com/@lewisandclarktrailalliance

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Here’s a summary of the latest video you can find there, ‘The Legend of Big Bone Lick’:

“What’s a lick, and what do big bones have to do with it? A “lick” is a term for a natural occurrence of salt. They usually appear around sulfur springs, which are places where water and minerals bubble out of the ground. It often smells like rotten eggs.

People call these places “licks” because animals like to lick the salty deposits. The “big bone” part of its name came from huge bones in this bog. Indigenous oral tradition states that the bones were from the white buffalo, who died when they drank the salty water. Western scientists theorized that animals—including mammoths and mastodons—who came for a salty treat got trapped in the marshy areas around the springs.

This site was influential in the American development of paleontology and theories of animal extinction. Thomas Jefferson knew about this place and asked Meriwether Lewis to stop and collect some fossils and send them back.”

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLevOwbBZzs)

https://lewis-clark.org/the-trail/down-the-ohio/big-bone-lick/