Lower Loop Trail

The Lower Loop Trail is 3.5 miles long with an elevation gain of 640 feet.. It can accommodate hikers of all skill levels and is especially friendly to beginners. The trail includes a stream and is accessible throughout the year. It is frequently trafficked, especially by bikers. If you wish to take the water from the stream, ensure to bring a water filter with you. The Lower Loop Trail is also pet-friendly, but hikers who choose to bring a dog must keep it on a leash at all times. The trail offers a unique view of wildflowers and snow-capped mountains. Children of all ages can access the trail but as long as they are accompanied by a guardian for supervision. The trail is wheelchair accessible as well.

Beacon Rock State Park is not only a public recreation area but also a geologic preserve. The park is named after Beacon Rock, a basalt volcanic plug that is 848- foot high. The rock was previously named Beaten Rock by Lewis and Clark Expedition when they first arrived in the area in 1805. The rock was later purchased by Henry Biddle in 1915. He constructed the first trail to the rock within the next three years. The USACE once planned on destroying the rock and had dug caves on its southern side. The rock, however, remained preserved and Beacon Rock State Park was established in 1935.

The first inhabitants of Skamania County, where the Lower Loop Trail is located, were the Chilluckittequw. Fishing was not only their major economic activity but also the backbone of their economy as they would trade fish for other essentials from the tribes around them. The rivers located near Beacon Rock that drained into the Columbia were, therefore, suitable for their economic activities. They spoke a division of the Chinookan language that enabled them to communicate with other tribes that lived around the area. The population of the Chilluckittequw continued to drop significantly due to diseases as the years went by and many others intermarried with settlers and neighboring tribes.