Mount Hood, Oregon
- Length: 41.5 miles
- Duration: 4 nights, 5 days
- Highlights: The Timberline Trail offers an ideal Oregon hiking experience, circling Mount Hood with stunning views and diverse landscapes. This 41.5-mile loop features over 10,000 feet of elevation gain, crossing wildflower meadows, glaciers, and streams, with views of iconic peaks like Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, and Mount Rainier. The trail is known for its abundant water sources and exciting stream crossings, making it both convenient and adventurous.
- What’s unique: It’s the perfect short adventure with big rewards, including meeting PCT thru-hikers and enjoying the famous Timberline Lodge breakfast buffet. The logistics of planning this hike are easier because it’s a loop that starts and ends at a hotel with ample parking- no need to arrange car shuttles.
- Difficulty: Hard, elevation gain and loss with significant unbridged water crossings.
- Season: Open May-October, typically snow free in July.
Pros and cons
- Pros:
- The trail is a loop, making the logistics planning easier (no figuring out shuttles for point to point).
- No quota system for permits, flexible camping options.
- Trail starts and ends at an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet.
- A 12-mile section overlaps with the Pacific Crest Trail.
- The Timberline Trail is available on FarOut for purchase.
- Cons:
- Water crossings can be difficult, often there are makeshift seasonal crossings assembled from logs to aid hikers.
- It’s a popular trail and sometimes it can be a little crowded at certain campsites.
Permits
- Self-issue a free permit at the trailhead, there is no quota system; just sign the permit at a kiosk located near the trail start and carry it with you while hiking on the trail.
- Group size is strictly limited to 12.
Logistics
- Start/End: The Timberline Lodge (Most people hike in a clockwise direction).
- Getting there: The closest airport is Portland, Oregon, a 1.5-hour drive.
- Parking: Available at the Timberline Lodge.
Maps and Other Resources:
- For helpful information on the trail conditions, visit Elevation Changes Cartographic.
- For a field map, complete with camping and water information, click here.
Campgrounds and Zones:
- Ramona Falls (10 miles): A popular spot to meet PCT hikers with an awesome view of the mountain up the Sandy River.
- Muddy Fork (13 miles): Significantly less busy than Ramona Falls with great designated campsites.
- Eden Park (19 miles + 1 mile off trail): A much quieter version of Elk Cove. It’s so beautiful and peaceful with a gentle creek running through and an incredible view of the mountain.
- Elk Cove (21 miles): A well-known, heavily trafficked spot (for good reason—it’s beautiful). We would need to get here early in the day to secure a camping spot.
- Cloud Cap Saddle (27 miles): Car-campers will be here, but there’s a water spigot, picnic tables, and tons of campsites. There is a fee to camp here.
- Newton Creek (33.5 miles): Great campsites after crossing Newton Creek. There are little streams that flow through the campground.
- Meadows (38 miles): Pass under the ski lifts and through incredible alpine meadows full of wildflowers. There are several trickling streams and a few good campsites in this area.
- *All miles are clockwise from the lodge.
Possible Itinerary:
4 nights and 5 days (Clockwise)
- Timberline Lodge to Ramona Falls, ~10 miles/1,000 feet elevation gain.
- Ramona Falls to Eden Park, ~10 miles (1 mile off trail)/3,900 feet elevation gain.
- Eden Park to Cloud Cap, ~8 miles (1 mile off trail)/1,950 feet elevation gain.
- Cloud Cap Saddle to Newton Creek, ~6 miles/1,500 feet elevation gain.
- Newton Creek to Timberline Lodge, ~7.5 miles/2,300 feet elevation gain.
Total elevation gains for the trip: 10,634 feet over 41.5 miles.
*The area of the map that shows massive wind damage now has a work-around detour and is passable.
Return to home click here.