GNAT CREEK
Gnat Creek Stats and Directions:
Gnat Creek from Fish Hatchery / Gnat Creek (from lower TH)
Distance: 5 miles out and back / 7.6 miles out and back
Elevation Gain: 700 feet / 900 feet
Trailhead Elevation: 283 feet / 121 feet
Trail High Point: 797 feet 797 feet
Other Seasons: all year
Pass: None needed
On the traditional lands of: the Kathlamet and Chinook peoples
Directions:
From the St. Johns Bridge at the north end of Portland, drive US 30 north and west approximately 68.4 miles to a turnoff for Gnat Creek Fish Hatchery on your left. The fish hatchery is approximately 20 miles east of Astoria.
Turn into the parking lot and park in the small lot near an information kiosk and trailhead.
If you are opting for the longer hike, continue 1 mile west from the fish hatchery on US 30 to a turnoff signed for Gnat Creek Campground. Turn right and drive 0.1 mile downhill to the trailhead on your right.
Hike: While this lovely hike along Gnat Creek east of Astoria cannot compare to Salmon River, Silver Falls and other winter classics, it can hold its own in the scenery department and offers a considerable degree of solitude – something you will appreciate a great deal.
Starting at the fish hatchery parking lot, you will see a trail sign with a gate marking the start of the Upper Gnat Creek Trailhead. This is the official trailhead, but it takes you into a labyrinth of interpretive trails that can be confusing – it is best to save this for the end of your hike. Instead walk along the fish hatchery road about 200 yards until you reach Barrier Falls, a 5-foot drop on Gnat Creek that is highly scenic. Take a moment to check out the falls. You will notice a trail below you, next to the falls; this is part of the interpretive trail that you should save until the end of your hike. For now, walk up the road a little more until you reach the Upper Gnat Creek Trail on your right. Turn right here and quickly reach an unmarked trail junction near a large metal sculpture of Sasquatch – this should be enough of a reason to do this hike! Fork to the left here to continue your hike.
The trail parallels Gnat Creek from a wide bench well above creek level for the first 1.6 miles of the hike. At first you will pass through some old clearcuts, and most of the time you will be far enough away from the creek to question why I would consider putting this hike into this book. But soon you will enter some lovely forest, and the trail drops down to creek level and all is forgiven. The last half-mile of this trail is a delight, as you follow Gnat Creek through a lovely and remote forest. Reach a fork in the trail, at which you keep right; this is a short loop at trail’s end. Pass by Bigfoot Creek, and soon reach a picnic site at a wooden bench just above Gnat Creek. Just down from here is another wooden bench – both make for great lunch destinations. Plans call for an extension of the trail another 2 miles upstream to 100-foot Gnat Creek Falls, but as of this writing the falls is located on private property and visiting is highly discouraged.
Return the way you came to Barrier Falls. If you’ve got some extra time, take a few minutes to hike the interpretive trails around Barrier Falls – they are confusing and require more time than you might expect. It is for this reason that I recommend checking them out after your main hike is finished.
Hikers desiring a longer hike can start at a trailhead near Gnat Creek Campground, a mile downstream from the fish hatchery. From the trailhead described in the directions above, hike along rushing Gnat Creek 1.1 miles, passing through verdant forest until you reach a crossing of US 30. Carefully make your way across the highway and continue 0.2 mile to the fish hatchery, where you will locate the trail described above.