The Indian Creek Trail is an urban greenway in Hood River managed by Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District. Two segments of this trail are on land conserved by Columbia Land Trust.
Recreational Activities: Hiking, birdwatching
Access: Open to walk-in access, day use only
Dogs: Allowed
Amenities: Maintained trail with several access points
Trails: The Indian Creek Trail system is about 4.5 miles long in total. It was developed in segments over 25 years and spans many different ownerships. See the Hood River Valley Parks and Rec website for trail map and information. One of the oldest trail segments passes through the northwest edge of the Powerdale Natural Area, high on the canyon slope above the Hood River and Indian Creek. The newest segment of the trail is located on land acquired by Columbia Land Trust in 2019, also on the western edge of the Powerdale Natural Area.
Acreage: The Indian Creek Trail crosses through the 440-acre Powerdale Natural Area conserved by Columbia Land Trust.
County: Hood River County
Nearest Town: Hood River, OR
Directions: The multiple trailheads that provide access to the Indian Creek Trail can be found on this map. The Betty Lou Avenue, East Pacific Avenue, and Sieverkropp Drive trailheads are the entry points to the newest trail segment on Land Trust property. Note that there are no parking lots, only street parking in residential neighborhoods, so please be respectful.
Tips for Visiting: Please note that the Indian Creek Trail is located on a hillside above the Hood River and does not offer river access. The Indian Creek Trail is managed by the Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District and you can find a full Indian Creek Trail map and information about other access points on their website linked above.
Year Conserved: 2013, 2019
About: In 2013, Columbia Land Trust and Hood River County conserved 400 acres at the north end of the Hood River, near the confluence with the Columbia River. This site, called the Powerdale Natural Area, is named after the former Powerdale Hydroelectric Project, which was decommissioned in 2010, including dam removal. This allowed the glacial fed waters of the Hood River to run freely and Pacific lamprey to return to the upper reaches of the river. The four-mile corridor hosts salmon and steelhead in the river plus diverse wildlife on land.
In 2019, as a large new housing development was under construction on the bluffs above the river’s west bank, Columbia Land Trust acquired 40 additional acres of land, thanks to a donation from Sieverkropp Development. This site we call Hood River Bluffs adjoins the original Powerdale Natural Area and functions as an important natural buffer between the new homes and the riparian zone, protecting wildlife habitat and water quality. By bringing Hood River Bluffs into our conserved Natural Area, we also made it possible to collaborate with the Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District to construct a new 0.56-mile trail segment that extended the existing Indian Creek Trail network.
Learn more about the importance of oak habitats and how you can help care for them with East Cascades Oak Partnership (ECOP), an oak conservation collaborative stewarded by Columbia Land Trust.
Partners: Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District, Hood River County