FOUR COUNTY POINT

Putting one’s hand in four counties at once is a necessity on the Four County Point Trail.

HIKE STATS:

Distance: 1.8 miles out and back

Elevation Gain: 200 feet

Trailhead Elevation: 935 feet

Trail High Point: 990 feet

Season: all year

Best: all year

Pass: None

GPS Track: September 2017

On the traditional lands of: the Nehalem and Clatskanie peoples

 

DIRECTIONS:

  • From Portland, drive west on US 26 to the 26/217 split in Beaverton. Reset your odometer here.

  • Drive west on US 26 for 33.8 miles to the signed trailhead on the right. The trailhead is exactly 3 miles beyond Timber Junction.

  • Trailhead: Four County Point Trailhead

Hike: The Four County Point Trail takes you to the only place in Oregon in which four counties meet. If you’re like me and love visiting places like this for the novelty, you will enjoy this hike. It isn’t the most interesting place, but there’s enough here to warrant a stop on the way to the Coast.

The trail follows Wolf Creek and US 26, and highway noise is prevalent throughout the hike. The forest is attractive and the clearcuts on the other side of Wolf Creek are mostly out of sight. You will reach Four County Point at 0.8 mile from the trailhead. Here, Clatsop, Tillamook, Columbia, and Washington Counties meet. There is a granite marker on the exact spot where the counties meet. Take the time to stand in all four counties, as is the tradition. From here, return the way you came.

Before you leave the area, make sure you hike the short loop down to Wolf Creek. While it is only 0.2 mile, the trails are pretty and visit the creek, which the Four County Point Trail avoids.  

The sign at the Four County Point Trailhead points the way.