Things to Do at Mount Hood

Hikes on the flanks

The day hikes circle the lower and middle mountain. Each has its own page on this site:

• Mirror Lake: 1.9 miles to the lake, 460 feet of gain (USFS).
• Trillium Lake: a 2-mile barrier-free loop (USFS).
• Ramona Falls: 7 miles round trip, with a ford of the Sandy River.
• Zigzag Canyon: from Timberline Lodge on the Pacific Crest Trail, 4.4 to 5.4 miles round trip depending on the source.
• Cooper Spur: the highest point reachable by trail, about 8,510 feet, per hiking clubs.
• Paradise Park: about 5.9 miles on Trail #778, from 2,800 to 6,240 feet (USFS).
• Tamanawas Falls: about 100 feet high and 40 feet wide (USFS), 3.6 miles round trip (WTA); the USFS notes the trail was damaged in a December 2025 storm.

The best hikes page sets them side by side, and the Timberline Trail page covers the multi-day loop of about 40 miles. 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.

Timberline Lodge

Timberline Lodge stands at about 6,000 feet. It was built by the Works Progress Administration, dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on 28 September 1937, opened on 4 February 1938 and declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977. The lodge and the USFS give “nearly two million visitors every year”. It is open to visit, and parking needs no recreation pass in summer (USFS). Exterior shots of the lodge appeared in the film The Shining. The Timberline Lodge page covers the building, and the Shining page covers the film connection.

The Magic Mile and summer skiing

Above the lodge, the Magic Mile Sky Ride runs to 7,000 feet in summer and needs no skis or snowboards, according to timberlinelodge.com; it was closed for the season by late September 2026. Higher still, the Palmer chairlift, opened in 1978, carries summer skiing and snowboarding on the Palmer Snowfield from June through August. Timberline describes Palmer as “the only lift-accessed summer snow experience of its kind in North America”. The phrase “longest ski season in North America” appears in ski media, but the lodge’s own wording is “the longest winter season on Mt. Hood”, typically mid-November through late May.

Lakes

Trillium Lake covers 63 acres, takes non-motorized boats only, and Travel Oregon describes its “impressive view of the summit”. Mirror Lake sits in the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness above Government Camp. Lost Lake has a 3.1-mile Lakeshore Trail with 1.2 miles barrier-free (USFS); it is run by a resort, which charges its own day-use fee, and the USFS states that the Northwest Forest Pass and Interagency pass are not accepted there. Its 2026 season runs May 1 to October 10 (USFS).

Multnomah Falls and the Gorge

Multnomah Falls, 620 feet, is the most visited natural recreation site in the Pacific Northwest, according to the USFS, and the trail to the top is 2.4 miles with about 600 feet of gain. It is in the Columbia River Gorge, on the loop route rather than on the mountain. The Multnomah Falls page covers the summer timed-use permit.

Hood River and the Fruit Loop

Hood River is a town on the Columbia River, not the mountain. South of it, the Fruit Loop is a 35-mile scenic drive past orchards, vineyards, lavender farms and farm stands, most active April to October, per Travel Oregon. See the Hood River and Fruit Loop page.

The Scenic Byway and the Barlow Road

The Mt. Hood Scenic Byway follows US-26 and OR-35 around the mountain: about 100 miles per Travel Oregon, 105 per the FHWA. It includes the Barlow Road, developed by Samuel Barlow in 1846 and described by the FHWA as “the final section of the Oregon Trail”, and it crosses Barlow Pass. The getting there page covers the route.

Winter sports

Timberline typically runs its winter season from mid-November through late May. Mount Hood Meadows, on OR-35 on the southeast side, is described in secondary sources as the largest of the mountain’s ski resorts. Mt. Hood Skibowl, at Government Camp, describes itself as the largest night ski area in the United States. From November 1 to April 30, many parking areas take an Oregon Sno-Park permit (USFS), and the chain law applies when posted.

From the air, and the summit

The Portland: Flightseeing Tour Mount Hood is a 1-hour airplane flight from Troutdale. Its listing gives an aerial view of Mount Hood, Cascade Locks, Horsetail Falls, Multnomah Falls and the Gorge, with Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams and Mount Jefferson on clear days. Karl, from the United States, mentioned feeling comfortable with a professional pilot. The summit itself is a technical climb: the USFS states there are no trails to it, and a fee-based climbing permit is required above 9,500 feet. See can you hike Mount Hood.

Frequently asked questions