Zigzag Canyon from Timberline

The walk

Oregon Hikers gives the Zigzag Overlook hike as 5.4 miles with 950 ft of gain and a high point of 6,052 ft; oregonhiking.com gives 4.4 miles and 500 ft. The route runs west from the lodge into the Mount Hood Wilderness to an overlook on the canyon rim. The free Wilderness permit is required from May 15 to October 15 and is self-issued at the trailhead. 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.

Too long for a tour stop

The listings give 30 minutes at Timberline Lodge on the day tour and the waterfalls and wine tour, and 40 minutes on the gorge tour, whose listing states a “maximum typical walk distance: ½ mile round trip”. Those stops fit a look at the lodge and a few minutes on the trail above it, not a 4 to 5 mile round trip. The private tour’s listing gives 1.5 hours at Timberline, still tight for the full walk. Zigzag Canyon suits a day with a car; how to get there covers the drive. For Timberline on a tour, the private tour’s stop is the longest among the listings that give a time.

Frequently asked questions