Columbia Hills State Park - Crawford Oaks, Columbia Hills State Park - Crawford Ranch Trail — Tuesday, Apr. 23, 2024

We are camped at Maryhill SP and today we did a through hike starting at the Dalles Mountain Ranch TH and meandering to the Crawford Oaks TH. We parked our truck at the Crawford Oaks TH and our friends drove us to the Dalles Mountain Ranch TH so we could do a through hike. The balsamroot are past prime, but  still add color to the landscape. Lupine are fresh and their fragrance was very nice especially when there was a slight breeze which was much appreciated on this mostly windless but very warm day. Bare stem desert parsley, phlox, fiddleneck, brodiaea, and death camas were some of the other flowers seen. We saw a lady riding a horse, a few bikers and many other hikers. Meadowlarks were heard, but only one was seen. Many Lewis's woodpeckers were seen in an oak grove off trail just before crossing 8 mile Creek. A few poppies were seen near 8 Mile Falls as we neared the Crawford Oaks TH.