Gnat Creek Trail Trail Stats Trail: Gnat Creek Trail Location: Clatsop State Forest Distance: 7.2 miles out and back / I did 3 Difficulty: Moderate (Length, some ups and downs for creeky knees) ADA Accessible: Absolutely not (roots, uneven terrain) Grade Padme’s Paws: 4 (out of 4) My rating: B+ (A to F) Summary Gnat Creek Trail offers a lush, peaceful hike filled with mossy forests, creekside paths, and just enough elevation changes to feel rewarding. Padme, my trail-loving companion, had a blast exploring the smells, water, and natural obstacles. I appreciated the quiet, the beauty, and the mental clarity the trail brought—despite a brief road crossing and a few signs of human carelessness. This hike reminded me how far I’ve come, both physically and mentally, especially in how I face challenges like challenging terrain. Why It’s Good for Padme Anywhere with smells and water is heaven for Padme. She really loves the freedom of our hikes—shoving her head into bushes, looking over outcroppings, and overseeing the goings-on of whatever her nose is telling her. On this trail, she had plenty of obstacles to climb over and duck under. She loves splashing around in the water and running ahead on the trail just to loop back and check that I’m still coming along at my slow human pace. There were a few spots with easy water access, where she and I stepped off the trail so she could frolic in the shallows. The current was strong in some places that day, but there were calm, shallow pools too. At one point, she tried to scramble down a short, steep slope and quickly realized it wasn’t as easy as it looked. She hesitated, then wiggled her way back up toward me—something I’ve never seen her do before. She eventually pivoted and leapt up the incline. As always, I was ready to help if she needed me. Trail Notes for Dog Owners Gnat Creek Trail is dog-friendly, with signs indicating that dogs should be on leash. I’ve written before about how I decide when to let Padme off leash—whether there are people around, how good her recall is in the moment, and the general environment. On this trail, I felt comfortable letting her off leash most of the time, except in the parking lot or when we passed another hiker (which only happened once). A few things to consider if you’re hiking with your dog: The trail has some ups and downs in elevation, including areas with steep drop-offs near the water. There are access points to the creek, but not all are easy to climb down or back up—watch your dog closely. Padme listens to “be careful,” which has kept us out of trouble so far, but I never take her responsiveness for granted. Bring water and waste bags—there are no facilities for either on the trail. https://hikingwpadme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_5687.mp4 Why It’s Good for Me Gnat Creek Trail is beautiful. Yes, lots of trails are beautiful, and maybe it doesn’t take much to impress me out in the woods—but I’m okay with that. The trailhead is well-marked and begins with an incline. Be not afraid, all ye who enter here—it levels off into what feels like the frolicking grounds of elven queens. The trail winds through trees in ways that feel magical—like walking into a cave or tunnel. For the first mile, you’re right beside Gnat Creek, with moss-covered trees, filtered sunlight, and a vibrant, quiet greenness that made me feel like I was in a storybook. Whoever cut this trail clearly understood how people want to feel while hiking: like they’re on an adventure… in the great American novel… or in Andor. I don’t hike just for the exercise (though I like that part). I hike for the quiet, for the sound of birds, the sight of prey trails, the rushing water. Being out here helps me stop thinking the way I usually do. It lets me be present. https://hikingwpadme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_5684.mp4 What to Know Before You Go At around 1.5 miles, the trail crosses a road—that’s where Padme and I turned around. The crossing is part of why this trail doesn’t get an “A” from me. The road isn’t inside a park, and it felt wide and a bit too busy for my comfort, especially with a dog. To be clear, I didn’t turn back because of the road. I turned back because I’ve been nursing an ankle, and the gentle elevation changes had started to aggravate it. On the day I picked this trail, I’d wanted a longer one—something over four miles. My longest hike so far is eight miles, and that had real elevation challenges. I’ve done plenty of six- and seven-mile hikes, but those have mostly been flat. And while flat can be fun, there’s something about the ups and downs—even minor ones—that make me feel stronger at the end. A Bit of Personal History I used to hate hills. I’d see one and just say no. Hills meant breathing hard, which meant feeling embarrassed. I thought I’d be the only one struggling, or that I wouldn’t be able to talk normally, which also felt shameful. I didn’t want people to see how unfit I felt, and that kept me from getting any fitter. I couldn’t imagine that others were breathing hard too. Even alone, I’d think those same thoughts. But then I started taking testosterone. I have no hard data to prove a connection, just what I experienced—but around the time I started that hormone, something shifted. Suddenly, I wasn’t hearing those same critical thoughts. Or I heard them but didn’t care as much. I remember thinking “fuck it” a few times and just charging up hills without overthinking. When I noticed that change, I felt liberated. I even wondered: Is this what guys feel like? Do they not frame physical effort as embarrassment? Do they just meet challenges and move through them? I know that can’t be true for every guy, but
You Old Goat (Marsh)!
Summary: Goat Marsh Trail in Gifford Pinchot National Forest is a scenic, easy hike with a mix of forest paths, golden marsh views, and a rewarding lakeside view of Mount St. Helens. The drive to the trailhead can be rough for low-clearance cars, so be prepared. Padme enjoyed exploring downed trees and open spaces, while I appreciated the magical landscape that felt like stepping into a storybook. Hikers should be mindful of some knee-challenging spots and stay alert, as I encountered an armed hiker on the trail, which was a surprising reminder of the need for caution. Grade: Trail Stats Parking – Confusing Parking at or near the trailhead for this hike was very easy for me. I let AllTrails.com give me directions, and it took me right there. It was extremely easy to find a place to pull off the small road. As far as I could tell, and according to the Washington Trails Association website, there is no cost to park. From where I live in Portland, AllTrails took me through a very scenic route that I really enjoyed, out through Battleground and Amboy, Saddle Dam Park, and Yale. It was an incredibly twisty and gorgeous drive. I’m not sure why it took me this way instead of up I-5 and east on 503, but I’ll take it for the scenery. I’d have never seen that area if I hadn’t. If you’re ever out that way, give it a drive! I’ve not written about this before, but I feel the need to now. I own a small car—a tiny car. I drive a lot for work and need the gas mileage advantages. With a small car comes very little ground clearance, however. This was not good for this drive. At some point on this drive, a sign on the forest road advised that the road was bad, and boy-howdy, they were not kidding. A couple of times, I wondered if I was having a stress dream. I’m not blaming anyone except myself here. I’m someone who has a lifted-truck delusion with a mini-car reality. Just be aware! Please, please, please: do as I say and not (unfortunately for me) as I do—print out the directions back before you leave for the trip. I usually remember how to get back to the main roads, but I took a wrong turn this time and ended up going further up the mountain on a very sketchy road Why It’s Good for Padme I like giving Padme new experiences. I’ve never done a hike that is associated with an actual “marsh” before and had assumed it was a muddy, gloopy mess. This was not that. I mean, it might have become that further out, but it looked like a golden wheat field, and from the places that Padme frolicked, it didn’t look that muddy or gloopy. Every hike is good for Padme—she gets to run, play, and frolic. There were lots of downed trees that were long enough for her to run the length of them here, which is fun for her. This trail even has a spot where the trail goes under a downed tree. It would be easy enough to go off trail and find a spot to go around or over it to get to the trail on the other side, but the actual trail requires a hiker to scurry under the tree. I ended up doing it a couple of times because Padme and I could do it together. I’m pretty sure she thought I was a little silly for doing it, but she’s usually down for me being silly with her. Why It’s Good for Me I have probably said this before, but I will probably always be tougher on a trail in regards to Padme than myself. I enjoy being outside, but I need things to be fun and stimulating for Padme. Ok, I might be a little bit neurotic about my baby, but I don’t care. I want her to be happy. But this place, this trail, just seemed magical from start to finish. I studied medieval literature in college, and everywhere I looked, I expected some sort of fairy king to appear to “invite” me into his realm. It was an easy hike overall, but there were two things that I feel the need to point out. According to the GPS, the trail went straight through this little weird ditch that wasn’t so easy on my knees and was confusing about whether or not I was actually on a trail. When I got to the other side, it was fine. The trail was right where it was supposed to be, but it was confusing. On the way back, I realized there was an addition to the path that was a little easier on my knees. It still went through a ditch, but it wasn’t as confusing. The second thing I want to mention is that very close to the end of the trail, as you skate along the edge of the lake, there’s a stretch of about 100 feet or so where the trail has some bumps of 1½–2½ feet to get down and up. If I were younger, I would have just taken the short jump down. But I’m older and my knees are crap, and even that short of a distance makes me think of braces and hospitals. Lol. Just be aware, creaky-knee brigade. The lake was beautiful. Several trees were down in the water on the edge closest to the trail. The reflections off the surface of the water were amazing. The trees on the slope on the other side. One of the best things about this hike was the views of Mt. Saint Helens. All around the marsh and lake, I saw some great views of the mountain, but the best view in my opinion was the view at the top of the lake. Warning: Discussion of Firearms I loved being
As I Went Down to the River to Play
Summary: Riverside Trail #723 offered Padme and me an unforgettable adventure through the stunning Clackamas Wilderness. With autumn colors, serene river views, and thrilling wildlife sightings—including an unexpected encounter with a bald eagle—this moderate hike pushed me physically and left me in awe. Navigating tricky parking, exploring switchbacks, and discovering secluded beaches made it an ideal hike for us both. Solo hiking as a trans-masc hiker in remote areas comes with its unique reflections and preparations, but Riverside Trail #723 felt both challenging and empowering. This may just be my new favorite trail. Grade: Padme’s Paws (Out of 4) My Grade (A to F) A+ Trail Stats Parking – Confusing Parking for this trail was a little confusing. AllTrails.com said that the campground close to the trail head wasn’t an inviting place for parking unless you were camping, but that if you drove a little further there were places to park. I was I drove through the campground wondering if a road went through and past, but I didn’t see that. I pulled back on the road and immediately saw a car parked on a pull-off. But there wasn’t very much space so I didn’t try to park in that same area. I looked at the map to see if I could find a place where the trail came anywhere close to the road. It did! I drove to the end of the hike, which was not the end of the trail, and then kept going until I could find a bit of a pull off. I ended up finding a place to park where the trail was right at the road, which was really lucky. It added about 3 miles to the overall hike, but it was gorgeous and so worth it. When I reached the camp that was the turn-around point, I realized that there was a parking area that could accommodate 3 or 4 cars situated right in front of the trail head and next to the bathrooms. I think that parking area might be for the hike, but I’m not sure. I had such a good time on the extra mileage that I’ll probably just keep parking up exactly where I did. Why It’s Good for Padme This hike was so beautiful, full of switchbacks, downed trees to climb and jump, rocks to scramble up and over. Padme chased birds and chipmunks and barked at something I couldn’t see that was down a cliff below us. She had a great time! Padme and I also got to play together on a little beach while she dashed in and out of the water. She’s always been a water dog, so whenever I can get her in some, I’m going to do it. If there was one negative of this hike, it would be that even though the trail is pretty close to the river quite often, there is really only a couple of places where it was easy to access the water. Throughout her hijinks throughout the hike, she exhausted herself so much that she was tired for a whole week. To me, that’s a great hike for her. Why It’s Good for Me This trail was so much fun for me. The evidence of the fire from a couple of years ago is everywhere, but it holds its own kind of beauty, especially in contrast to the colors of the leaves changing. I saw 4 different little brown salamanders crawling across the trail, and the hike challenged me physically in a way that I hadn’t been in a while. This was my longest hike at 8 miles. I stopped so many times to take a picture or to just be in awe of how beautiful it was that it took me 3 hours to get to the halfway point. One of the most amazing moments of this hike was being surprised by an adolescent bald eagle take flight from about 20 feet away from me and just kind of soar over the river. To be honest, another just-as-amazing event was spotting the first salamander that I saw. When I got my phone out to film the little guy, he immediately started to storm toward my shoe obviously to give me a good telling off! He was very cute. A great surprise were the 3 or 4 gorgeous rough-hewn log bridges that had been built on sight. The first one I saw was almost hidden by the gorgeous trees and bushes with red and yellow leaves. Who just stumbles upon a scene like that? I do! You will too if you do the hike. The bridges were just so surprising and delightful. Closer to the area that allowed Padme and I to play on the beach, the landscape of the hike changed drastically from trees to boulders on either side of the trail. It reminded me of an area in New Jersey that I visited once. I saw a downed tree and part of the trunk had stripped itself away. The texture of the tree looked like sable. I had never seen that before and, of course, was unable to capture it in a photo. So many things on this hike just felt magical. Something that I’ve been thinking about since the last review I wrote is how these hikes might feel as a queer person or as a solo female hiker. If you’ve read my “About Us” you know that I solo hike and that I am trans masc. I am AFAB so even though I can sometimes pass, I don’t always. Thinking about the logistics of being alone in the woods never leaves my mind. I have never been on a trail where I felt uncomfortable as a queer person. I have been on a trail where people perceiving me as a female made me nervous. So that will be a topic that I bring up on these reviews from now on. The hikes I generally go to are out in very rural areas,