Vicinity Location: The trailhead is about 26 miles northeast of Portland, Oregon in the Yacolt Burn State Forest in Clark County.
Directions:
From Portland: The drive takes about 90 minutes from downtown Portland. Take I-205 North into Washington and drive about 4 miles and take Exit 30. The exit branches into 3 exits, take the middle exit, Exit 30B and merge onto SR-500 East. Stay in the right lane for about .3 mile. This is an exit lane and turns right onto NE 4th Plain Road.
Follow NE 4th Plain Road for 1.3 miles, getting into the left turn lane to make a left onto NE Ward Road. Follow NE Ward Road for 3.3 miles and it turns into NE 182nd Avenue. Continue north on NE 182nd Avenue for another mile and turn right onto NE 139th Street. Follow NE 139th Street up the hill for 2.3 miles and make a left to continue on NE Rawson Road. After about 5.6, Rawson Road turns into L-1400 Forest Road. Continue on this road for another 2.9 miles, for a total of 8.5 miles from NE 139TH Street.
Turn left at the sign for Larch Camp onto the L-1000 Road. The pavement ends in 1.8 miles. After driving 3.5 miles turn right into the parking lot for the Yacolt Burn Trailhead.
There are bathrooms at the parking lot.
A Washington Discover pass is needed to park.
Length and Elevation:
Elevation at the trailhead is 1,314 feet. Total trip is 6.6 miles. Total ascent is 1,197 feet and total descent is 1,197 feet. The highest point is at 2,553 feet and the lowest point is 1,240 feet.
Trails:
Sixth Sense Trail, Tarbell Trail, Cold Creek Trail with connections to multiple trails.
There are no geocaches along this trail.
Trail Maps:
Topo Map, Download Garmin .gpx file, Open Garmin .gpx file – future
Review: March 5, 2026
From the parking lot had south to the barbell trail. Walk gently uphill on the Tarbell Trail. In a couple of hundred feet you come to a trail junction on the Tarbell Trail where you turn left and continue uphill and cross a gravel access road.
Continue heading north for a couple of hundred feet and you will reach the junction of the Tarbell Trail and the Sixth Sense Trail where you head straight ahead gently uphill. The forest here is a young second growth forest and the trail is fairly well brushed out with the understory of Oregon grape, Salal, and bracken fern.
The trail climbs moderately and enters an older second growth forest. You can see that this trail is popular with mountain bikers because of all the banked corners, but it is well maintained.
In about 0.8 miles you hit a clear cut that has a recent clear cut.
After climbing about 1.7 miles you’ll reach the junction a one-way trail for the Vista Ridge Trail. The trail is fairly level in this area and goes into a young second growth forest. At about 1.8 miles you’ll cross a decommissioned gravel road and start climbing again through a young very young. Second growth for forest.
At about 2 1/2 miles, the trail comes out or levels out and comes to the edge of a clearing before gently descending for a bit through the forest. The undergrowth here is mainly all allow and sword firms with a few elderberries and vine maple mixed in. At about 2.7 miles you will cross a gravel access road and continue back into a very young. Second growth for forest.
At 3 miles the Trail crosses the L1075 Road and heads moderately steeply up the hill to join the Tarbell trail in about 0.1 mile. From here there are many loop options possible but for this review turn right and return down the Tarbell Trail. Continue fairly steeply downhill and at 3.4 miles you come out to a gravel road, which is a trail junction with the Tarbell Trail, and the Murphy’s grade Trail. Bear to the left and continue on the Tarbell Trail. Trail, itch Switchback down through a nice second growth forest and cross Cold Creek at just under 4 miles after the bridge keep to the main trail which is on the right and follows cold creek About 4 1/2 miles across a nice little creek on a stout bridge. From here in the trail goes up a bit before dropping down again.
At about 4.5 miles you may see a faint user trail after the left. This is just a shortcut back down to the main trail and is fairly steep and uneven. Skip this and continue down the main trail.
The trail descends down a few close together switchbacks and crosses Cold Creek again. At about 5 miles you come to a four-way junction with upper and lower Murphy’s Grade. Turn left here and continue on the Tarbell Trail towards the sounds of Cold Creek.
At about 5.25 miles the trail crosses the hillside with several nice little streams running down the hillside and through culverts underneath the trail. The older second growth forest here is a little more open than other parts of the trail.
After about 5.5 miles a trail really levels out and gently descends above Cold Creek. At about 6 miles you will pass an unsigned junction leading gently up to the right. This connects to the Lower Murphy’s grade trail. Continue down the Tarbell Trail through a forest of hemlocks and cedars and cross Cold Creek again on a rustic bridge. Drop to the main gravel road where are you turn right, cross the creek, and walk the gravel road back to the parking area.
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