Lovely but windy day on trail. My app said gusts up to 35 mph I was definitely pushed around a little. I arrived about 11:30 to snag the last parking spot. Balsam Root is past prime but still lovely. Lupin and other blooms are out too as cheerful company. Note, I passed a rattlesnake on the access trail so keep an eye on pups and kiddos.

Bathroom clean and stocked. Finally make sure you look up from the parking lot to find the cute waterfall, I almost missed it.

Wonderful hike! This has been on my list to do at this time of year for a very long time. Late April seems to be the perfect time to see all the yellow balsam-root and purple lupine in glorious bloom! I hiked with one of my teens and my mom (who is in her 80’s and very healthy- she did great!) We had a long drive down and couldn’t leave our area until the afternoon, so we arrived at the trailhead at about 6:30pm. This likely worked in our favor, as there were plenty of open parking spots. The trailhead has an outhouse and a map of trails. All the trails were in good shape and well-marked from what we saw. We chose the “Vista Loop / Military Road” loop, which was around 4.5 miles round trip from the car (including the access road). There is one small creek to cross before entering the lovely hills. We had a wonderful time among the beautiful flowers and hills and the views of the Columbia River and Mt Hood! We were also happy to not get any ticks (used bug spray before starting the trail). Saw one snake cross the path, but it just moved along- not aggressive. Enjoyed the sunset on the trail and finished at dusk. Worth the drive! :)

Beautiful trail to visit in the Springtime! Eightmile Creek waterfall is close to the beginning of the entry road trailhead. There's one small stream crossing which is easy to keep your feet dry, especially with poles. Wildflowers: Arrowleaf balsamroot, lupine & phlox. No snakes on my hike and big views of Mount Hood & the Columbia River. Please leave no trace. Happy Trails!

Check out my video:  https://youtu.be/bvsNNjOvqMY?si=EMJMaJEsWT_dWvvP

There isn't much to add to all the recent reports except that today was a beautiful sunny day with almost no wind! There was a nice breeze to keep you cool on the uphill parts! There was a sign on the reader board near the outhouse TH parking area saying that cattle were grazing in the area to reduce wildfire fuels and that the un-official trail to the "rusty car" is closed to entry for habitat recovery. The outhouse was well stocked with paper and had sanitizer. 

I'm reviewing the hike description from the website as I write - and the route description in it doesn't sound like I was following the same approach trail at all!  I pulled off Hwy 14 to the well-labeled parking lot north of the highway, following the route from the trailhead up the access road along the west side of 8 Mile Creek for one mile (watch for poison oak under the oak trees). (Didn't see the waterfall or the apple tree mentioned in the hike description, but there was a lot of Amelanchier (aka serviceberry aka shadbush) in bloom.) There is a local-area map at the trailhead that was helpful to get oriented. The trail junctions are well-marked with trail names and arrows, making it easy to find and follow the Vista Loop trail, (which I did), or alternatively continue north to the Dalles Mnt Ranch Trailhead. 

The route I followed was essentially a lollipop loop - up and back on the access road, and after crossing Eight Mile Creek, I left the trees behind for expansive vistas of desert parsley, balsamroot, lupine, and bunch grass - with Mount Hood and the Columbia River providing a glorious background for the up-close wildflower display. The loop crosses under power transmission lines, but otherwise signs of civilizations are few and far between. I could tell from tracks left in what used to be muddy sections of the trail (dry and solid on the day I hiked the loop) that the route also gets used by horses and mountain bikes, but I encountered just a handful of other hikers.  It looks like state parks might have mowed a ~6 foot wide swath right along the trail, which would help keep any ticks - or dew - off a hiker's socks. Also, there are informative signs along the trail talking about events ranging from the ice age floods to the much-more-recent homesteading history of the area. 

Be prepared to deal with windy conditions! And listen/watch for the meadowlarks. 

Bonus stops: Other nearby units of Columbia Hills State Park include Horsethief Butte and Horsethief Lake. There's a short, ADA accessible trail at Horsethief Lake called the Temani Pesh-wa Petroglyph Trail.  It displays several petroglyphs that were removed from their original location where they were going to be inundated by the backwater of the John Day Dam. Interpretive signs explain history and why this display of petroglyphs was built.

The famous petroglyph She Who Watches is nearby, but access to it is behind a locked gate; appointments are available from State Parks on Fridays and Saturdays at 9:00 for ranger-led access to this important Tribal site.  (Tribal people can also arrange access at other times.)