Hiking at Mount Hood: A Complete Guide for First Timers

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However, this hike is hard AF. When we did it, we were living in our van (Homer the Honda Odyssey) on our months-long Oregon road trip, hiking 8-10 miles most days. This hike still kicked our butts.

When asked if she would do it again in the next five years, Alysha gave a firm “nah.” Though, with a few years in the rearview, she is starting to think about another visit.

It’s definitely worth doing once. Be prepared with plenty of water, food, and sun protection. In the early summer, the top of this trail might still be covered in snow, so make sure you read recent trail reports and are prepared with microspikes. 

The hike leaves from the Top Spur Trailhead, which is a tiny parking lot with spots available along the forest road that leads to it. The road, at least when we did it, was totally passable in a passenger vehicle (read: a heavy minivan). 

It’s a lollipop trail, and you should do the lollipop portion counter clockwise. The right side of the loop is an all-out scramble, and while it cuts off a nice chunk of mileage if you go up that way, we wouldn’t go down that way.

In fact, we opted to hike back around the loop, adding a mile or a mile and a half, rather than trying to go down that way when we found ourselves at the top of that section looking down. 

If you’re anxious about a scramble, you can totally do this hike as an out-and-back, but it’s slightly longer (add 1.5 miles or so). 

The first mile or so of the trail climbs to meet the trail out to Bald Mountain from Lolo Pass (more on that in a second), and the unobstructed view of Mount Hood from Bald Mountain is one of our favorite views in Oregon.

It’s plastered all over this website (you can see it as the main photo for the next hike in this list).

If you thought that was as good as it gets, you’re in for a real treat. The views only get better and more panoramic as you climb.

Once you’re up on the loop part of the trail, you’ll also have a great view to the north, which includes Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams, and, if you’re lucky, Mount Rainier on a clear day. 

Near the top of the trail, there’s a cool little stone shelter that hikers have been using for decades.

Mainly as a shelter from the wind, based on our experience. It’s windy up there!

For far more detail than we’ve put into this mini summary, head over and read our guide to hiking the McNeil Point Trail, where we’ve covered everything you need to get out and hit the trail!

The hike itself is beautiful, and when we were there in mid-July it was absolutely covered in blooming rhododendrons.The forest was basically half trees, half pink blooms. It was pretty crazy, and it was something that we’d never really seen before (welcome to Oregon!). 

From the trailhead, you start out on a section of the Pacific Crest Trail. Along this stretch, we met a thru-hiker with her dog who had lost her GPS, and we texted her mom that she was okay (and not floating down a river with her GPS) when we got back into town. 

Follow the Pacific Crest Trail, which climbs steadily for just about three miles, out to one of our favorite lookouts in Oregon. 

Remember how I said that this hike was a little bit of a letdown? We got to this viewpoint on our first hike and it was completely socked in.

You could not see Mount Hood. Not even a little bit. We were looking directly out from the viewpoint, and all you could see was fog. It was so thick that you could barely see your hiking companion a few yards in front of you. 

We learned on our second hike here that we were definitely looking in the completely wrong direction. But the view on that second hike more than made up for the effort we put into the first hike without a payoff. 

It shares a trailhead (and a trail) with the short and sweet Mirror Lake trail, which only adds to the crowds. 

If you’re looking for solitude, this probably isn’t the right hike for you. If you’re willing to brave the crowds and families to get to some of the best views of Hood around, we think it’s worth it. 

The trail starts from the Mirror Lake Trailhead right off of Highway 26. There are parking spots for about 30-40 cars, plus a bunch of extra spots in the parking lot to the east (though you should know that you cannot park in the Mt. Hood Skibowl parking lot). There are bathrooms at the trailhead. 

This lot fills up early on weekends in the peak summer months (July and August), so you’ll want to get an early start if you want to snag a spot and have the trail somewhat to yourself. 

You’ll start on a paved trail, then begin a gradual climb up to Mirror Lake with a series of wooden bridges and switchbacks.

Every time we’ve done this hike, we’ve gotten stuck behind a slow-moving family with beach chairs and kids in tow – don’t be afraid to speak up and ask to pass (and if you’re the family, remember to keep an eye out behind you to let faster hikers pass you). 

It’s worth doing the loop around Mirror Lake, which adds a half mile or so to the distance. The best view of Mount Hood is from here, but it’s worth exploring the south shore of the lake to see if you can find one that you like better.

From the lake, the real fun begins. It’s a tough climb.

You’ll start with a gradual climb up the northern side of Tom, Dick, and Harry, before making a sharp turn and heading east, which turns into a steep, rocky climb until you reach the first viewpoint, which is a rocky outcropping where most people stop.

To get here and back, it’s somewhere between 7.5 and 8 miles. 

On a clear day, you’ll have views of Hood, Adams, St. Helens, Rainier, and Mount Jefferson. We were lucky enough to see all five on our last hike up here. The amount of natural beauty in Oregon and Washington is truly stunning. 

If you want to escape the crowds and go further, the trail continues along the ridge for another half mile.

We’ve gone another quarter mile or so to leave the crowds behind and enjoy the view by ourselves. The trail definitely gets harder to follow, and becomes a scramble at points. 

You can continue along the ridge to the peak at 5,000 feet, but you’ll want to make sure you have a map (we use the AllTrails maps) to find your way.

The trail up to the lake starts with a paved section that descends from the parking lot before leveling out and climbing gradually through the forest, crossing several bridges along the way.

Right before you get to the lake, you’ll start up some switchbacks. We saw many families struggling here – it’s definitely the hardest part of this hike. Luckily it’s shaded. 

The loop around Mirror Lake is nice, and has some good opportunities for a reflection of Mount Hood in the lake from the south side of the lake.

One thing to know – during the early summer (June and early July), the loop trail that goes around the lake can be washed out, which means you’ll have to do the “loop” as an out and back. 

The first time we did it in late July, it was fine. The second time we did it around the 4th of July, it was flooded. No big deal, but something to be aware of. 

There are some campsites around the lake if you’re looking for an easy overnight trip. The bugs, though, are ridiculous in June and July, which might mean that this is a better late season destination. 

Of the three hikes we did that weekend, this was the clear favorite for both of our hiking companions. The other two trails we did were Tamanawas Falls and Tom, Dick, and Harry, so it’s not like the competition was lacking. 

The first thing we want to make super duper clear here is that you actually can’t get a good view of Sahale Falls from this trail. And it’s a little bit of a scramble to get down to the viewpoint that is reachable. 

We’d completely skip the offshoot that leads to Sahale Falls and, instead, drive to this bridge on the forest road after your hike, which has an excellent view of the falls. 

The second thing we’d say is that you should absolutely do this hike as a loop (really, a lollipop) because the best part of this hike is the northern end of the loop, which you’d completely skip if you did it as an out-and-back. 

The reason this hike was so popular with our little band of hikers is the varied terrain you’ll cover.

The hike starts from the Mount Hood Meadows parking area (you can also do it from the Elk Meadows Trailhead, which you’ll pass as you hike the loop), and immediately descends to the base of Umbrella Falls, which is an impressive waterfall. 

From there, you’ll head out into the forest. We liked doing the lollipop portion of this hike counter clockwise for the gradual descent and steeper ascent, which is better for our creaky knees, which seem to be getting more and more creaky by the minute. 

If you head counter clockwise, the trail meanders slightly downhill, and then turns left (north) and hits the Elk Meadows parking area. There’s a pit toilet here if you need it. 

Then, you’ll follow the Elk Meadows trail for a second before turning left onto Umbrella Falls Trail 667, which is the best part of the hike.

It’s steep at points, but you’ll ascend through the ski resort, which is full of wildflowers and gorgeous views out to the south and east. Like I said, this was our favorite part of the hike. 

In terms of wildflowers, target mid to late July and beyond for the best showing. We were a few weeks early, though things were just starting to pop. 

This hike is at a higher elevation than some of the other hikes on this list, so snow might linger a little later than the trails at lower elevation. By July 4th, there was still some snow on the trail when we did it, but it was totally doable in trail runners / hiking boots. 

This is a lollipop hike, and the first section of the hike is a slight uphill grade along the Sandy River Trail that takes you out to – you guessed it – the Sandy River. 

This is the tricky part of the hike. Through 2021, the Forest Service installed a seasonal bridge across the river. They no longer install that bridge, partially because it gets washed out too often. When we did it in 2020, there was no bridge, and the crossing was a little bit treacherous. 

Our best advice for crossing is to read recent trail reports on AllTrails, which usually have some comments about the water levels and best routes for crossing.

If the water is too high and you don’t feel comfortable, we wouldn’t risk it. It can be dangerous when the water levels are high, which is usually in spring and early summer. 

If you do manage to cross the river, follow the Pacific Crest Trail to the right and tackle the trail counterclockwise. Follow that until you hit another fork, where you’ll hop on the Timberline Trail for a hot second before you reach the base of Ramona Falls, which is lovely. 

It’s 120 feet tall, but rather than being a huge flow of water, it’s broken up into hundreds of tiny tendrils snaking their way into the creek below. 

Follow the Ramona Falls Trail through a dense forest with some cool rock formations back to the river, cross back to the other side, and head back to the parking lot. 

The road to this trailhead closes seasonally (usually December 1st through April 1st), and you can check the status here.

Look for road 1825 (or just use ctrl+F to search for “Ramona”). It’s a little bumpy in places, but we’ve done it in our minivan, Homer the Honda Odyssey, and he lived to tell the tale. 

There are bathrooms at the trailhead, and lots of places for dispersed camping along the road to get there. 

First, you’ll spend the first section of the trail hiking under the ski lifts of Timberline Ski Area, which is cool. 

Second, because you’ll be following a section of the PCT, and you’re likely to encounter a few thru-hikers who are always fun to chat with and ask about their journey. 

Third, because the view of Zigzag Canyon and Mount Hood at the end is nothing short of incredible. You’ll be looking directly up the craggy canyon towards Mount Hood, with blooming wildflowers in the foreground (if you’re lucky in July). 

It’s a fairly straightforward journey, though the network of trails at the beginning near the lodge need a serious signage update.

The parking lot at Timberline Lodge is big, the trail is well-marked after the first quarter mile or so, and it’s a moderate grade without any sections that jump out to us as particularly difficult. 

If you’re up for a bigger hike, you can continue past Zigzag Canyon up into Paradise Park (via the Paradise Park trail), which will give you magnificent views of Hood (and wildflowers in the early summer). Here’s the trail guide for that more strenuous hike.

It’s on the eastern side of Mount Hood, which means it’s a little far to do as part of a day trip from Portland (you’re looking at around 90 minutes driving to get to the trailhead).

But if you find yourself in either Hood River or Government Camp and are looking for a relatively easy hike, this is the one!

It leaves from the Tamanawas Falls Trailhead, which is right along Highway 30 roughly 30 minutes from both Hood River and Government Camp. It’s a fairly small parking lot, but the turnover is pretty quick since it’s a short hike.

Do not park outside of the parking lot on the side of the road – there are no parking signs up and down the road, and we saw a USFS ranger handing out tickets left and right. 

Turns out “they can’t give us all tickets, right” – which is what we were saying to each other before deciding to wait five minutes for a parking spot in the lot – isn’t strictly true. They can, and they might. 

The hike itself starts by crossing over the river and winding through the forest. You’ll reach a fork in the trail – veer left (heading right is the route to make this trail a loop) and continue down a hill to creek level, where you’ll cross another log bridge and start climbing.

This middle section of the hike is along the river, and the sound of rushing water will accompany you all the way to the falls. 

The hardest part of the hike comes just before reaching the falls, where you’ll do a short but steep climb through a boulder field. This area is full of slick rocks, so watch your footing.

Alysha, who is a very experienced hiker, actually slipped here on the way down and ended up with a big bruise. 

The falls itself is majestic. Tumbling off a rock ledge 110 feet into the creek below, it’s one of the best waterfalls in Oregon, especially when you consider the relatively easy journey to get there.

There are nice views of the falls from the viewpoint where the trail dumps you out, but the best views are up the rocky hill to the right.

With the exception of the short boulder field section, this is one of the best easy hikes near Mt. Hood, and it should be at the top of your list if you’re looking for something that’s accessible for the whole family. 

We have an entire guide dedicated to giving you all the information you need to hike the Tamanawas Falls trail, which you should read for far more information than we’ve fit into this summary.

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