Excerpt
To go up Beacon Rock, start walking at a sign on the south side of Highway 14, and get ready to give thanks and admiration to a man named Henry J. Biddle. It was he who bought the rock (which is what¿s left of the inside of an ancient volcano) specifically to build the trail you¿re about to hike. That he did so is simply amazing; that he did it with the help of just one other person from October 1915 to April 1918 is almost beyond comprehension.//To get to the top, just keep it up and, if heights bother you, don¿t look down. It¿s virtually all rails and bridges and platforms until you¿re just below the summit, where you¿ll have a view east to Bonneville Dam, north to Hamilton Mountain, and straight down the other side to the boat docks of the state park. Keep an eye out for rock climbers coming up this side, as well, and don¿t throw anything off.//For a more challenging and more rewarding hike, drive (or walk, if the gate is closed) up the road across Highway 14 to the campground and the Hamilton Mountain trailhead. You¿ll climb gently through forest until you reach a bench to take a break, although the power lines you¿re under aren¿t all that scenic. At .5 mile, stay right at a trail junction, and .9 mile later you¿ll come to a sign saying Hamilton Mountain and pointing downhill.