Table Rock – 07/04/2026

Since 2012 it has been a 4th of July tradition to take a hike in the morning. This year we chose to revisit the Table Rock Wilderness. We’d visited this wilderness three times before including our 4th of July hike in 2015 (post).

Our plan for this outing was an out-and-back visit to the summit of Table Rock starting from the Table Rock Trailhead. We set off shortly after 6:30am on the closed roadbed that leads to the old trailhead and the Table Rock Trail.

It’s 1.4-miles between the current and former trailheads with a short detour into the forest at the 0.4-mile mark to avoid a large slide that took out the roadbed.

Oregon sunshine and paintbrush

Monkeyflower

The top of several strawberries gave the impression that they were ripe, but the bottom halves were still white. I looked for a suggestion box so I could request someone rotate the berries occasionally to ensure they ripen evenly, however no such box existed.

The detour around the slide.

Prince’s pine

Wintergreen

Back on the roadbed.

Foam flower

Youth-on-age

Paintbrush

Twin flower

Table Rock from the roadbed.

Silverleaf phacelia, daisies, and penstemon

Yarrow

Self-heal

The old trailhead and the start of the Table Rock Trail.

We turned onto the trail and began the 2.4-mile climb to the summit of Table Rock.

Queen’s cup

Little prince’s pine

This downed tree required a steep detour around the root ball.

Rhododendron

Bunchberry

Wallflower

Beargrass

Table Rock through the trees.

Near the mile mark the trail begins a rocky traverse below the basalt cliffs of Table Rock.

Table Rock

Washington lily

Catchfly

Lupine

Paintbrush

Columbine

Bleeding heart

We took a break before crossing the rocks hoping to spot one of the pikas that were occasionally “meeping” around us. We heard several but saw none which seems to be how it goes for us at this location.

After failing to spot a pika we traversed below the columnar basalt of Table Rock where the trail was a little overgrown.

Beardtongue along the trail.

Carolina bugbane

Oregon sunshine

Penstemon along the trail.

Goatsbeard below Table Rock.

Heading back into the forest.

Rhododendron lining the trail.

The trail arrives at a junction in a saddle 1.9-miles from the roadbed.

From this junction we turned left and made the half mile climb to the summit of Table Rock gaining a little over 300′ of elevation.

Beargrass along the trail.

Wild rose

First view of Mt. Jefferson from a little below the summit.

Mt. Jefferson

We could also see several other Cascades including Mt. Washington and the Three Sisters.

Three Fingered Jack

Heading up to the summit along Table Rock’s plateau.

Sub-alpine mariposa lily

Checkerspot butterfly

There were a few clouds, but from the summit we could also see Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams in Washington to the left of Mt. Hood.

It was a little hard to pick out but we finally spotted the top of Mt. Rainier as well.

After a nice rest at the summit, we headed back down.

Bastard toadflax

Pussytoes

Lousewort

Rockfinn

Phlox

Sugar stick

Orange agoseris and paintbrush.

Larkspur

Western featherbells

Bluebells

Once again, several pikas were heard but none were seen.

I detoured on a spur trail up a rock outcrop on the way down and got a nice view of both Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Hood.

Mt. Hood

Mt. Hood

Mt. Jefferson

Table Rock from the top of the outcrop.

The route on the outcrop.

After checking out the view I returned to the trail and eventually caught back up with Heather.

Coralroot

Back on the old roadbed.

We were kept company by butterflies and birds on the hike back to the trailhead along the roadbed.

Chestnut backed chickadee

Back at the trailhead.

This hike was 7.7-miles (my detour added a tenth) with approximately 1580′ of elevation gain.

We had a good time on this hike. There were a lot of flowers and some nice views. What there wasn’t was a lot of people. We only saw six other hikers all day which provided some nice solitude. We headed home to await the arrival of my brother and his family who were arriving later in the afternoon from Missouri. Happy Trails!

Flickr: Table Rock