Ramona Falls Trail

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Difficulty: Easy

Tier: 2

We did Ramona Falls on a dispersed-camping weekend by the Zig-Zag River. The hike itself was not challenging, but did require you to pay attention because of all the roots and rocks. The forest here is different. It’s quite beautiful, but it’s not the thick, green Oregon forest I’m used to. It was almost mystical. The trees were often light-colored with smaller trunks and light green moss hanging from the branches in little pockets. The way we took–going to the right first on the loop–stayed in this forest until we got deeper into the forest with bigger trees and suddenly the grand waterfall. Ramona Falls looked like it should have been in some hand-crafted Japanese Garden. There’s a nice area around the Falls too to sit down, appreciate the views, and have a snack. The way back was greener, with a creek along most of the path. You also get neat views of the rock wall on your right. Before the loop, you have to do a river crossing. There’s a lot of signs on the trail warning hikers on how to do this safely, especially when the water is high. When we went, we were able to walk across a fallen tree, using another fallen tree as support. It wasn’t difficult at all. But, I could see how it would be more treacherous in the rainier months. Another plus about this hike is the views you can get of Mount Hood on a clear day by driving slightly past the road to Ramona Falls. It’s only a few minute detour, but I’d highly recommend it!