A Forest Walk Up Hamilton Mountain - No Talk, No Music, Just Nature. - 4K Virtual Hike

A virtual forest walk / hike to the top of Hamilton Mountain, Washington with no talk, no music, just nature & relaxation. The full journey in real-time, 4K video.
When it comes to the Columbia River Gorge, Oregon & its world-famous waterfalls net the lion's share of visitors. But just a hop across the stateline on the Washington side of the gorge, the scenery is equally spectacular and one of the best ways to experience it is the trail climbing Hamilton Mountain.
Looming quietly across from eye-catching Beacon Rock (an 850ft / 259m high monolith that's both an iconic Gorge landmark & a fun hike on its own), Hamilton Mountain's flanks boast acres of pristine forest, impressive cliffs, and a creek that gives rise to three waterfalls: shy Hardy Falls (trees have mostly blocked the view from the trail unfortunately), multi-tiered Rodney Falls, and the one-of-a-kind, epically-named Pool of the Winds, where rushing water funnels into a secluded, rock-carved alcove.
This hike begins from the much more scenic and lesser-known (for mysterious reasons) Hadley Trailhead, which travels through a serene grove to a side-path with Little Beacon Rock. From there, the way winds through more forest before joining the main trail on the way to the waterfalls. The journey gets quieter as the trail climbs, winding up many switchbacks (& views!) up to the somewhat anti-climactic summit. But wait, there's more! From there we explore beyond, through encroaching brush and sun-dappled trees to a wind-blown saddle for some final far-off vistas. Enjoy!
Highlights:
00:00 - Intro
5:32 - Hadley Grove
8:00 - A Rocky Detour
12:25 - Little Beacon Rock
18:45 - The Windy Way Back
24:19 - Millipede & Old Trees
31:36 - Powerlines (but also views!)
35:00 - Climbing the Main Trail
44:35 - Side Creeks #1 & 2
48:40 - Side Creek #3
50:30 - Approaching Hardy Creek & The Falls
53:27 - The Pool of the Winds
58:26 - Down to Rodney Falls
1:00:05 - Rodney Falls
1:05:58 - Quiet Climb
1:08:16 - Balcony View
1:16:29 - The Long Climb Up
1:24:48 - Rugged Switchbacks, Big Rocks
1:32:10 - Breezy Hillside Vista
1:35:00 - The Ledges
1:42:11 - Wind-blown Flowers & Trees
1:48:06 - Western Valley Lookout
1:50:54 - The Rim
1:58:38 - The Upper Slopes & Flowers Galore
2:10:49 - Quiet Approach to the Top
2:27:38 - The Summit
2:34:19 - A Modest High Point & the Brushy Beyond
2:40:31 - Sun-Dappled Woods
2:49:25 - The Saddle
2:59:02 - Outro & Ratings
Trip Stats:
* Distance: 4.2 mi / 6.8 km one-way
* Elevation Gain: 2000 ft / 610 m
* Trailhead GPS: 45.6358, -122.0240
* Restrictions: WA Discover Pass required; bikes, stock, leashed dogs allowed
* Camping Available: Yes (but not on this trail), designated sites
Filmed May 2023. I'm still ironing out the camera setup, as well as the format/structure for future videos. Please feel free to comment on the good, the bad, or the ugly; this is an on-going learning experience. My hope is for each video to improve on the last.

[@lifeoftravel7008]

Wow

[@OrangSloth68]

I truly enjoy going along with you on your hikes. You take time at the key features to really share your experience with us, capturing beautiful scenes from various angles. Sometimes you stop to show us some wild flowers and sometimes I have to quick scan around to see what you’re sharing. On your Slovenia walk you even showed us how much care you were taking to move the brambles from your path. You must have good equipment too because there isn’t a lot of blurring and pixelation or light flares as the scenery goes by. Thank you. …and oooh the views!!!😊

[@ckzf1842]

Lovely , scenic walk, thanks for bringing us there ! ❤

[@Kimberley7]

Beautiful hike, thank you for taking us. 🙂

[@suecordell1996]

It was nice walking on my treadmill in the wet tropics of Australia to enjoy your hike. Thank you.

[@morris9973]

the no music part is really appreciated. well done.

[@naturewalks]

Wonderful walk in a beautiful place. Great job.

[@kjhiker49]

Lovely hike! I've done this several times over many years - last in May 2021 when the wildflowers were incredible. You are braver than I going out a bit to film beyond the "balcony". The trail journey is the highlight for sure. Absolutely love the Pool of the Winds and the views. You are right about the summit - but the saddle is cool - last year was the first time we went back that way. Very nice filming - amazing how smooth it is over the rough trail (could sure use some trail work on those switchbacks). Have you done Wahkeena Trail? Another of my favorites. I would love a few seconds longer on flowers when possible - or maybe just do a special one in the Spring and feature the flowers?

[@ExciteHike]

I love this trail too (that ledge on the Balcony is indeed scary!), and I bet those wildflowers were amazing. I don't think I've ever managed to hit this trail at their peak... there were some lovely patches, as glimpsed, but this was practically on the cusp of June. I love the idea of spotlighting the flowers more - I'll make sure to add that to my schedule this spring. And yes the Wahkeena Trail is probably my favorite gorge trail on the OR side; it is absolutely on my to-film list! Thank you so much for the comments!