Salmon Butte Trailhead — Attraction in Sandy

My all time fav camping, or even day hiking, or quad riding area. I mean that in the truest sense since i have camped in this area for almost 30yrs, most of my life. As a teen we would camp for a week at a time, or every weekend in the summer! Ive had many a b-day party, my own and others, here and recommend to anyone who loves camping. The area has a crystal clear river that is easily accesible from all campsites and some are waterfront sites. All down in ravine type terrain keeping the area super cool in temp wit amazing trees that will stop a good mount of rainfall. There's trails for hiking and off roading. Fishing and swimming spots are abundant (not so great for floating/rafting due to rocks and frequent changes in water depth). Camp fires are allowed & all sites already have pits. The best spot on the right at the very end of salmon river rd. has a giant rock so big that several large trees have grown off of it. Their roots act as a ladder almost stair like and the top is a mini evergreen oasis. Perfect for a hamock or even one man tent! The back half of the rock hangs over the river, and its my favorite part of the whole area. Oh and did i mention its FREE to camp? I believe a pass maybe needed to park these days but i have never been asked to have one yet... Lastly the sites arent a hike to get to from the parking area, just fairly steep trails since all the spots are down towards the river from the road. Ill try to ppst pocs soon. Have fun! I know anyone who goes will & anyone...

2.5 hours up, 2 hours down.

Beware, the roadway in, has some decent sized potholes, with one that will swallow your car.

There are some really nice sections of trail here that have you feeling like the forest is breathing as the wind gently passes through the shady trees on the far side of the sun. There are also some sections that aren't maintained, having to push through plants and brush as you hike up. Some parts are particularly dry, bring plenty of water.

The view up top is nice, you can see all the major mountains...

Trail is in excellent condition very minimal branches/ down trees on the trail. Elevation gain is moderate it's never very "steep". If you're planning to summit the Butte then come prepared for current conditions. The last mile still has deep snow and spots that a fall or slide could create a serious situation. The view from the top was striking. I was not expecting to see so many mountains in clear view. I would definitely...