Balfour-Klickitat Area & Trail (#4414)

This day use area offers an easy paved trail with Gorge views, wildflowers, and birdwatching opportunities just west of the Klickitat River's convergence with the Columbia River. Once a ranch, the site was acquired by the Forest Service in 1994 and has undergone efforts to restore native bunchgrasses and wildflowers. Astute naturalists will note native plants thriving in some areas while other plots are still actively being restored. A grove of non-native Osage Orange trees, planted as a windbreak in the late 1800s, have intentionally been left as a remant of the site's cultural heritage.

The trail's paved 0-15% gradient makes most of it ADA accessible, however, some people with disabilities may need assistance on steep or rugged sections, particularly during winter and spring months. Winter snow is not cleared, nor is the pavement salted - so check the Gorge weather and conditions before heading out.

Part of the Washington Audubon Great Birdwatching Trail, Balfour-Klickitat is a prime eagle watching spot around February and good for spotting songbirds and waterfowl year-round. To watch the spectacle of eagles congregating to feed on spring runs of salmon, head left from the trailhead towards Klickitat Cove, where Mill Creek flows into the Klickitat River from the west. Near the interpretive sign, veer left and uphill, following the signs marked “Wildlife Viewing Area.” A small platform provides a bird blind, allowing you to watch the eagles without disturbing them.