Hiking: Mosier Twin Tunnels
Post by Olivia Martino Blodgett, Personal Trainer and Owner
My husband and I noticed that we had a warm sunny day coming up in the weekend forecast and decided that we needed to go camping. I gathered all our supplies, picked Matt up right as he was getting out of work at 5 pm on a Friday and we headed straight for the gorge. We had about 24 hours until I needed to return Matt right back to work.
Hike: Mosier Twin Tunnels
Date: April 23rd, 2018
Hiking Buddy: Matt
Total distaonce: 8.5 miles (out and back but we probably did about 4)
Total elevation gain: 1000 feet
Permit required: Oregon State Parks Pass ($5 day fee)
Beer pairing: Pfriem-Kettled Sour Passionfruit Pale
We wanted to head out to the gorge because we had been missing it. We used to hike out there frequently until the Eagle Creek Fire Last summer caused most of the trails to be closed. We headed east past Hood River and landed at Memaloose State Park, where we pitched our tent, explored around a little before the sun went down, made some dinner, played cribbage and went to sleep. The campground was right in between I84 and the railroad, so it wasn’t the quietest night of sleep but it felt great to get outside.
In the morning, the sun was out early and the scenery was beautiful. We headed into the small town of Mosier for homemade biscuits jam and house roasted coffee at the Mosier Company and then parked our car near the trailhead for the Mosier Tunnels. We found a spot on the road but the main parking is just past the trailhead at Mark Hattfield East Park, where a permit is required. From the parking lot, you walk down a main road a few hundred feet and you will see a handicapped parking lot right near the entrance to the trail. You can also start this trail from the other end, at the Mark Hattfield West Park.
We started up a nicely paved road that was the original Columbia River Highway. We were joined by many cyclists and people out for casual walks with their dogs. After ascending for only a short time, we entered the tunnels, which were very windy. The fields around the tunnels were already covered in Balsam Root. We had open views of the river and could see Eighteen Mile Island, as well as Coyote Wall. After walking for about an hour we decided to turn around and head into Hood River to finish off our short but wonderful trip with a beer at Pfriem. This was a perfect hike for a mellow morning and would be appropriate for all levels.
