Tom McCall Preserve

Why You Should Visit
Spectacular spring wildflower displays grace this magnificent plateau overlooking the Columbia River. The preserve is so diverse partly because it lies in the transition zone between the moist, heavily-forested west side of the Cascades and the drier bunch grass prairies of the east.

The geology of the plateau is also intriguing. Lava flows, catastrophic floods and volcanic ash deposits shaped a mound-and-swale topography that perplexes the experts. Earthquake sorting, freezing and thawing, erosion, soil accumulations by plants and wildlife burrowing activities have all been suggested as having caused the mounds.

Location
On the Old Columbia River Scenic Highway, 11 miles east of Hood River in northern Oregon

Size
271 acres

How to Prepare for Your Visit
At the top of the McCall Point trail, visitors are rewarded with expansive views of the Columbia Gorge and Cascade mountain peaks. The preserve is often windy, and visitors should beware of ticks, rattlesnakes and poison oak. Spring wildflowers are most abundant in April and May.

Please also note that no dogs or horses are allowed at Tom McCall Preserve. The preserve is home to ground-nesting birds and animals that are extremely sensitive to disturbance. (Dogs are allowed at several nearby locations, including the lower Mayer State Park at the I-84 Rowena Exit.)

For more information about how to prepare for your visit, please see our Preserve Visitation Guidelines.

Directions

From I-84 in the Columbia River Gorge, take either the Mosier exit (five miles east of Hood River) or the Rowena exit (eight miles west of The Dalles).
From Mosier, go east on the Old Scenic Highway (US 30). Beyond milepost 6, the preserve is on both sides of the highway.
Park at the Rowena Crest viewpoint or at the trailhead on Highway 30.

There are two trails on the preserve. The one-mile plateau trail begins at the interpretive sign at the entrance to the preserve. It crosses the plateau to cliff edges and encircles a permanent pond. The two-mile McCall Point trail, open May through October, begins from the south side of the turnaround and gains 1,000 feet in elevation.

What to See: Plants
From late February through June, one of Oregon's most impressive displays of spring wildflowers is found amidst the mounds, swales and vernal pools of this grassland preserve. More than 200 plant species, including grass widows, prairie stars, shooting stars, balsamroot, lupine and Indian paintbrush thrive here. The open grasslands are home to four plant species unique to the Columbia River Gorge: Thompson's broadleaf lupine, Columbia desert parsley, Thompson's waterleaf, and Hood River milkvetch.

What to See: Animals
The preserve hosts horned and meadow lark, canyon wren and red-winged blackbird in addition to the pacific chorus frog and mule deer.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
The preserve is named for Oregon's late governor, Thomas Lawson McCall, whose commitment to conservation in Oregon remains an inspiration. A patchwork of ownership includes the Conservancy, Mayer State Park and national forest lands. The preserve is managed in cooperation with these agencies.

The rare plant populations are monitored by ecologists, and in spring and summer, volunteer docents lead interpretive hikes on the preserve. Volunteer teams help control knapweed and tall oatgrass (invasive, non-native species that displace native plants). With assistance from the Portland Garden Club, Berry Botanic Garden, Native Plant Society of Oregon and others, the Conservancy also created a native plant garden in the turnaround at the viewpoint.