Devil’s Rest Trail

It seems there is a lot of debate between the Angel’s Rest and Devil’s Rest trails. May I suggest you forgo choosing one or the other and hike them both in the same day?
You start at the Wahkeena Falls trailhead and head (pretty much) straight up the mountain, gaining 2600 feet in the first 4 miles or so. Head up to Devil’s rest first and then continue your loop on the Foxglove trail towards Angel’s Rest. All in, the loop is just shy of 11 miles and doable in about 4 – 5 hours.
At the start of the hike, I ran into a couple of other hikers and then had the entire trail to ourselves for miles of solitude in beautiful scenery with awe-​inspiring views. Devil’s Rest has a couple of mossy rocks and is a good place for a water break before moving on. There aren’t any views and sun is scarce.
I knew we were approaching Angel’s Rest by the noticeable increase in audible chatter. Let me be clear, I have seen less people in Costco on a Sunday afternoon than I saw in the general vicinity of Angel’s Rest. For me, that spoils a hike; I want nature not hordes of folks taking selfies.
Straying away from Angel’s Rest, birdsong returned and the quiet of the woods made for a great lunch spot with multiple spots where the view was amazing. You don’t hit folks again until you head back to the lot at the Wahkeena Falls trailhead (.5 miles or so).
The verdict? The loop is worth it if you’re up for a longer hike, especially if you are in and out of Angel’s Rest instead of making it your destination.

This hike was definitely not as stunning as angel’s rest, but it is definitely enjoyable if you are doing it purely just to be outdoors and get exercise. I went in the summer, and while I knew everyone and their mother was probably flocking to angel’s rest, I was enjoying a quiet, peaceful hike with my boyfriend. We didn’t encounter one person while we were hiking that trail, which was nice! Since there is less foot traffic on the trail (compared to more popular hiking spots), bushes and trees were growing into the path. At one point we were not even sure if we reached the summit yet. So what did we do? We kept hiking until we couldn’t hike no more! It was kind of disappointing not knowing exactly where the summit was. But hey, we probably reached it and every hike is a great accomplishment!

Perhaps the worst trail in the Columbia River Gorge, although Unilocal pal Andrew H. will disagree, insisting that Nesmith Point holds that honor (and actually for essentially the same reason).
To see if you might agree with me, ask yourself if you are a fan of the following kinds of experiences (and note that they all have a common theme):
1) You worked hard all day and then the boss decides not to pay you.
2) You licked the Tootsie Pop for an hour but there was no toosie roll in the center.
3) You spent a tidy sum wining and dining your date, and in the end he or she didn’t put out.
4) You starved yourself and did insane crunches for six months, but you never got those six-​pack abs.
5) You put a dollar in the vending machine and pressed the button, but nothing came out.
Climbing Devil’s Rest is a lot like the above experiences because it’s distinguishing feature – the thing that distinguishes it from its antipode, Angel’s Rest – is that there are ABSOLUTELY NO GOOD VIEWS FROM THE SUMMIT. You hiked all that way and there’s no payoff. You’re in thick trees. It ends with a wimper rather than a bang.
If you’re going for cardio, you can link up Angel’s Rest and Devil’s Rest if you like, although there are much better ways to get your exercise in the Gorge. You can also do Devil’s Rest as a side trip from the Multnomah Falls — Wakeena Falls loop trail. That said, I will confess that on rare occasions I actually do the hike – the latter Multnomah-​Wakeena thing – simply for training, and because it’s the closest hike with any elevation or distance from Portland. Some times a man needs some quick, down and dirty exercise.
There are so many superior hikes in the Columbia Gorge, and I implore you to hike them instead of this one. If you like to keep it flat, do the Eagle Creek Trail. If you like elevation and views, try Dog Mountain, Ruckle Ridge, Ruckle Creek, Hamilton Mountain, Mt. Defiance, or the extremely popular (and thus sometimes over populated) Angel’s Rest.

I love this trail. It’s around 3.0 miles roundtrip from the top of Angels Rest. The three times that I’ve done it I haven’t seen another person after Angels Rest. It’s nice to get away from the overcrowded Angels Rest Trail.

I just did this hike today. I’m visiting from Chicago and THIS is exactly what I came for! I started at Wakheena Falls and ended up at Multnomah falls. I’m on vacation, so I didn’t keep time, but I think this hike took me about 2.5−3 hours. You start out viewing the stunning Wakheena Falls and the mist feels great) and as you get deeper in and higher up, the crowds really thin out. The trail is narrow in the Wakheena Gorge, running alongside the rapids/​falls. The sound is amazing and serene.
It’s a workout– I’m an avid runner and in great shape, but my calves WILL feel this tomorrow. I would not bring kids, as it would be far too difficult for them and far too long without a potty (and it’s not easy to just squat off to the side– too steep to wander off the trail), but a lot of people had their dogs. Even little chihuahuas were making the trek! The dogs seemed to love it.
As you get up by Devil’s Rest, it’s very quiet and peaceful and you’re in the middle of a pine forest. On the way back down, you once again start seeing a string of stunning waterfalls until you end up at Multnomah Falls. When I got closer to Multnomah, it was like entering another world– I had been in my own, quiet, peaceful place for hours and it was jarring to get back into the touristy spot with so many kids and families everywhere.
This was a great escape. Bring water, bring a Clif bar, wear hiking boots, and go…

Top 5 reasons why doing Devil’s Rest trail is better than Angel’s Rest:
1. Fewer galumping hordes on the weekends & almost no entities during the week to interrupt your commune with nature… or the dark forces that be.
2. Sweeping views of Mt Adams (on a clear day) with inspiring glimpses of soaring eagles about 0.5 mile before you reach Devil’s Rest point which is darkly wooded… all the better for you to put your idle hands to work.
3. 2550 ft of elevation gain over 3.5 miles one way (if starting from the Wahkeena Falls trailhead) & 850 ft higher than Angel’s Rest cuz evil needs buff quads, killer glutes & kick ass cardio too
4. Peaceful quiet (unless your minions have asthma) all the better to take in all those sweet nothings from the little pointy eared guy on your shoulder as opposed to buffeting winds & the cacophony off I-​84 on the angelic side.
5. No monster gopher holes/​trail erosion tastefully hidden by overgrown grasses cuz the road to angels is paved with hardship & seriously, even Machiavelli didn’t feel like being bad when laid up with a swollen ankle.
In short, it’s good to be bad.
Details, details:
Going west from Portland on I-​84 take exit 28 (Bridal Falls exit) and continue east along the Historic Columbia River Hwy to the Wahkeena Falls trailhead parking lot ~2.5 miles. Do not pay parking or trail fees cuz you’re evil & this area does not require any forest passes. Get there before 11AM on the weekends if you want to park in the lot or come after 11AM & park along the road with the other sinners. Why only 4 stars? Did I not mention the evil?