Best Hikes on Mount Hood

The hikes at a glance

Distances and gains below come from the USFS unless another source is named. Hiking-club figures are marked, and where two sources disagree both are given. "Recreation Pass" means a day-use fee, a Northwest Forest Pass or an Interagency pass, as the USFS uses the term.

Lakes: Mirror, Trillium and Lost Lake

Mirror Lake is the short climb near Government Camp. The USFS gives 1.9 miles from the trailhead to the lake with 460 ft of gain, plus a lakeside loop, and 3.8 miles to the ridge of Tom Dick & Harry Mountain. The trailhead sits 0.4 miles west of Government Camp on US-26, where a new parking lot opened in the fall of 2018. The Mirror Lake page has more.

Trillium Lake is the gentlest of the group: a 2-mile loop "built to be barrier free", with boardwalk and compacted rock, around a 63-acre lake with the south face of Hood above it. Its pass rule is unusual: the USFS accepts only the annual Northwest Forest Pass in place of the day-use fee, not the Interagency pass. See the Trillium Lake page.

Lost Lake, on the north side, has a 3.1-mile Lakeshore Trail, of which 1.2 miles are barrier free. It is run by Lost Lake Resort under a USFS permit, and the resort’s own day-use fee applies: the USFS states that "The Northwest Forest Pass and Interagency Pass are not accepted." Its 2026 season ran from May 1 to October 10.

Waterfalls: Ramona and Tamanawas

Ramona Falls is a 7-mile round trip gaining about 1,000 ft over the 3.5 miles to the falls. The seasonal footbridge over the Sandy River is gone. The USFS is direct about it: "There is no bridge, nor will one be installed." Hikers ford the river. The USFS also strongly recommends high-clearance vehicles for the road to the trailhead. The Ramona Falls page covers the crossing.

Tamanawas Falls, off Highway 35 on the east side, drops about 100 ft and is about 40 ft wide, per the USFS. The Washington Trails Association gives the hike as 3.6 miles round trip with 650 ft of gain. A Recreation Pass is required at the trailhead year-round, and the USFS notes the trail was damaged in a December 2025 storm.

Meadows and ridges: Paradise Park, Cooper Spur, McNeil Point

Paradise Park is a long climb through forest to open meadows. The USFS gives the trail as about 5.9 miles, rising from 2,800 ft to 6,240 ft, with Mount Hood Wilderness rules in force. Hiking guides place its wildflowers in August, and one hiking guide gives a 12.2-mile loop to the meadows from Timberline Lodge.

Cooper Spur climbs the north-east side from Cloud Cap. The USFS describes the lower section as "only a 3 mile loop, and moderately strenuous", with views of Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams and Mount Rainier. Continuing up the spur to about 8,510 ft makes it the highest trail on the mountain, according to hiking clubs. The Cooper Spur page covers both versions.

McNeil Point is described by the USFS as "a short hike from the Timberline Trail up to the McNeil Point Shelter". The USFS publishes no distance or gain for it, and warns that it is a high-elevation trail that "can take a long time to melt out ... often through June".

From Timberline Lodge: Zigzag Canyon and the Silcox Hut

Two hikes start at the lodge, where the USFS says no recreation pass is needed to park in summer. Zigzag Canyon is an out-and-back west on the Pacific Crest Trail to an overlook of the canyon. Oregon Hikers gives 5.4 miles and 950 ft; oregonhiking.com gives 4.4 miles and 500 ft. The route enters the Mount Hood Wilderness, so a free self-issued permit applies in season. The Zigzag Canyon page has the detail.

The Silcox Hut, at 7,000 ft, is reached on the Mountaineer Trail #798. One hiking guide gives a 2.2-mile loop with 1,100 ft of gain. This is the same ground climbers cross in the dark on their way to the South Side route.

Forest: the Salmon River

The Salmon River Trail runs through "mossy old growth forest next to the wild and scenic Salmon River", in the USFS description, inside the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness. It is 6.3 miles to Kinzel Lake from one end, with loop options up to 14.5 miles. The USFS lists a bridge closure 0.25 miles from the East Trailhead, where the creek can be waded.

Seasons and conditions

The USFS gives July to October as the season for the high trails, and the best time to hike page covers meltout by area. Several trailheads switch to Oregon Sno-Park permits from November 1 to April 30. Wildfires closed a number of trails on the east side of the mountain in late summer 2026; check the Mt. Hood National Forest alerts page before setting out.

For a day at the mountain without driving

No guided hike to these trails is sold on GetYourGuide. The Portland: Mt. Hood Day Tour is the closest fit for visitors without a car: its listing gives 30 minutes at Timberline Lodge for "free time, hiking, self-guided tour" in an 8.5-hour day. That is time for a short walk, not for the trails above.

Frequently asked questions