Little Zigzag Falls, Welches, Oregon. Sept, 2024…read more What a great little hike! Located in the Mt. Hood National Forest, this is an easy-to-access trail a few paved miles off OR-26. The parking area, with space for maybe 20 or so cars, is at the end of the road. There are trail signs, as well as a porta-potty. You need a Northwest Forest Pass, or NPS pass, to park here but they are not sold on-site. (You can purchase at the Zigzag Ranger District @ 70220 E. Highway 26 in Zigzag). The Forest Service (FS) describes the trail as a "gentle uphill trail located in a narrow canyon next to the Little Zigzag River." The shaded and mostly smooth trail ends at the falls. There are some rocks and roots but overall it's quite smooth. Also, per the Forest Service, it's a great hike for kids, but supervision along the riverside is a must. We note that the stream was exceptionally fast-moving and the falls he a lot of water in mid-September The FS describes the trail as having a distance of 0.5 miles (one way), but All Trails lists it as 0.6 for BOTH ways and my watch recorded 0.7 for both. The trail is at an elevation of around 3,250 feet, and is snow-free from June to November. There's a nice shaded picnic table near the start of the trail. There's also a wooden bench near the falls. The trail is not wheelchair accessible.

Nice, easy hike with an awesome payoff at the end. The parking lot is pretty spacious. The hike is…read morevery short itself so perfect for families. Great views at the end.

This hike was an easy hike but has a lot of foliage to see as well as hearing the stream the entire…read morehike was amazing. It's a pretty straight shot hike out and hike back. Make sure if you are using all trails you download the map before you get into the hike as you lose service half way up the road to the hike. They have port a potty to use and good parking.

This is an awesome trail! Drive about 17 miles past Sandy and turn right onto Salmon River Road…read more Drive another 2.5 miles on a paved path to a gravel parking lot. (Technically, you need a recreation pass to park at the trailhead.) The trail starts right there. It is about 1.9 miles out and another 1.9 miles back. The path is fairly flat and it goes right next to the Salmon River. The road is on your other side but you hardly notice it thanks to the sound of the river and the beautiful forest. There are some creeks that cross the trail, so wear waterproof shoes. When I visited in December, one creek crossing was big enough that I could not cross in my short booties and with my little dog so we turned around early. Would love to come back!

Stunning second half. Did the loop and was very happy we didn't double back. The falls are…read moregorgeous, the river crossing was pretty easy this time of year. I found it a pleasant hike, we clocked 7.5 miles. Plenty of parking.

Ramona's falls is magical. It's a long hike, but easy to hike and worth it. Crossing the river was…read morenot as bad once you figure out an easy way to cross it.

8.1 miles, 1509 ft elevation gain, 2 hrs 33 minutes…read more The hike all the way to Tom, Dick, and Harry Mountain is definitely longer than the stated 8 miles on AllTrails. We did not have enough water and had to turn around a bit early at mile 4 (for a grand total of 8). Tom, Dick, and Harry Mountain was visible but I didn't want to risk my poor pup overheating on such a warm day. Not many other folks go past mirror lake or the initial mountain viewpoint so you might find you'll have this to yourself. The trail is very well maintained to mirror lake, and even has a few cute little bridges and stream crossings. After that, it can be quite narrow and bouldery though there are many beautiful wildflowers lining the trail. There were also a few mosquitos just after the lake so come prepared with bug spray. All I can speak for is the mountain viewpoint (since that's as far as we got) but it was worth the trek up there to see Mt. Hood, Mirror Lake, and Government Camp from that point of view.

Great Hike - but Beware! My rental car window was smashed along with a couple other cars…read more Sunglasses stolen. Cost of window and driving back down mountain in cold was worse than the lost glasses. Leave nothing in your vehicle!

Trillium Lake is a nice spot to relax and take a break from the busy Portland city life. There is a…read morewonderful trail around the lake that gives you great views of the water and of Mount Hood in the distance. It is also a great place to go camping, go for a swim, or kayak out in the water. You could tell it was a very lively place that many people enjoy and all the staff there was very friendly and cooperative. Overall, I recommend Trillium Lake to anyone looking for a calm place to unwind with amazing views.

Relaxing. Very good view of mt hood. Picnic areas clean. Public restroom available. You can go on…read morefishing here.

ICONIC. I'll be coming back to do this one again for sure…read more Trailhead parking is pretty packed and had to park along the road even on a weekday. The trail itself is pretty uneventful until about 3 miles or so in. After that you are surrounded by Mountain View's, streams, and gorgeous meadows. I'm pretty sure this is what heaven is gonna look like. Totally totally worth the climb. FYI: It's documented that this can be done as a loop, but the "shortcut" portion of the loop is massively overgrown and felt unsafe. I opted to do this as an out and back.

5 Stars and a Must Stop if you're heading to any of the parks in the Mt. Hood area. Get your day…read morepass here for $5 and you can save money. They also have white papers on some of the parks, restrooms with running water, and a helpful staff that can answer questions. Thanks!

Closed during posted business hours as well as the bathroom that has the hours posted on the door…read more Closed.

If your thing is almost no effort for huge reward, consider checking out Umbrella Falls…read more Right now you can park at Meadows and you'll see the trail sign. A narrow, (worn out) paved, and very short trail will take you right down to the falls in a minute. The setting is gorgeous and the falls are stunning. From the top when you see the little stream it's hard to believe that small amount of water can make such a beautiful and wide display. You can also add Umbrella into other hikes should you crave more of an adventure...adding in Sahalie Falls makes a great trip. But almost anyone can take the short trip down to Umbrella right now...highly recommend.

Hiking around a ski bowl in the off season is definitely cool. Something kinda creepy about those…read morechair lifts just sitting there above the abundant foliage and creeks. This hike also has some amazing waterfalls. I took the "Umbrella Falls, Sahalie Falls and Timberline Trail Loop" as it is described in AllTrails. It's a 10.7 mile loop with a good combination of easy, tree covered strolling and uphill pushes that are strenuous but not hard. I started at Hood Meadows, at the Umbrella Falls trailhead, but you can start many places. I recommend either downloading g or printing a map - there are many cross trails and it would be easy to take an unintentional detour. I went counterclockwise, so Umbrella Falls was literally the first thing I saw. Steps from the parking area. So beautiful, just picture ready. A couple miles along I came to Sahalie Falls. The scramble down to the base was super sketchy, so be careful! It's truly one of the prettiest waterfalls in the Mt. Hood Forest. Remember I said be careful? Ya, I took a hard fall at a small creek crossing. Don't be like me, test that footing and log before you put your weight on it. I fell sideways into the creek, then several more times trying to get out of it. I'm pretty bruised but okay - it's a reminder how the simplest thing can still be dangerous. Nature don't care about you, so be cautious out there. I know I'll be a lot more wary of where I place my feet. It was a warm day and nothing was broken, so I dried out and carried on. Hey, can I just say - my phone was in a Unicorn Beetle Supcase and it survived the ordeal without a scratch. Sexy and functional, I'll never put my phone in any other case (I'm a former Otterbox user. Go Unicorn Beetle or bust!) This hike is one of those you can only do when the snow is gone, and right now the weather is perfect. Enjoy!

What a beautiful hike! I'd say it's pretty family-friendly overall. There is some uphill hiking and…read moretwo short sections that are a little questionable to get up and over, but we were able to do it with a 9-month-old strapped to one parent, a 3-year-old strapped to the other, a 12-year-old, a 14-year-old, and two grandparents. We loved that most of the trail is shaded by trees, though enough sun still comes through that sunscreen is recommended. Definitely bring water. One of the coolest parts is that you can go up behind the waterfall, but be prepared to climb rocks to get there--it's not an easy walk-up-and-around situation. The hike is about 3.5-3.6 miles. There were a decent number of people there, but it never felt overwhelmingly crowded. Amenities include restrooms, picnic tables, an information kiosk, and dogs are allowed on leash. A $5 day pass, Northwest Forest Pass, or Interagency Pass is required from May 15 to October 1.

Tamanawas Falls is one of my favorite waterfalls I've seen in Oregon…read more I've hiked it twice now-- once this past summer with my cousin, and more recently, last week. The hike is about three and a half miles round trip, with about 600 feet in elevation gain. Some light scrambling is necessary to get up close to the waterfall. There is a decent sized parking area at the trail head. Parking is $5 or free with a valid recreation pass. The waterfall itself is a hundred foot tall curtain. While it's only about one third the size, the shape reminds me of Vernal Fall in Yosemite. The basalt underneath the waterfall is very pretty and interesting to examine. There were lots of yellow trees (in October) including maple and Tamarack. I've read that you can go behind this waterfall, but I did not, since I'm a chicken, and like to play it safe around water. The hike was a little harder than it sounds, but still definitely doable within a couple of hours. There are a few campgrounds nearby, including Sherwood, Pollalie, and Nottingham.

Mt. Hood is no doubt a magnificent sight. I have been wanting to visit the mountain for over a…read moredecade now and I was so glad I finally did. I was pleased, being June, that there was still plenty of snow on the mountain. Reaching 11, 250 feet I should not be surprised. Also, the temperature during my visit was very comfortable reaching the high 50's at the base of the mountain. It was perfect for meandering around and soaking in the awesome view. This mountain is definitely worth visiting if you are an enthusiast of geological formations or adventures.

Most of what I've written about the people that taught me to climb:…read morehttps://www.yelp.com/biz/mazamas-portland Also applies to the *place* where I learned to climb. This is a really special mountain to me. It's not just "The Mountain" that I brag to all my friends back East about: "Portland is only an hour form the mountain!" It's a second home. It's where I learned to not trip on my crampons and get used to cold hands and even colder toes. It's where I learned that an Acura TL can make it up the mountain in a blizzard, as long as you have the grit to chain-up in Government Camp. It's where I almost lost people. It's where I made new friends. It's where I hung out with ravens on the summit. It's where I nearly threw up from noxious sulfur fumes. It's where I witnessed rescue efforts. It's where I learned to shoot the stars. It's where I taught others climbing knots. It's where I spent a lot of time alone, at 2am, wondering why I wasn't closing down a bar in Portland. It's where I saw the alpenglow creep over the horizon at 5am and realized all the suffering was worth it.