Mount Hood

Mount Hood is Oregon's highest peak at 11,249 feet (3,429 meters), a glaciated stratovolcano and the fourth-highest peak in the Cascade Range, standing approximately 50 miles southeast of Portland in the Mount Hood National Forest. The mountain is visible across much of western Oregon and serves as one of the region's most recognizable landmarks. It is also one of the most-climbed glaciated peaks in North America, with an estimated 10,000 summit attempts each year, though technical mountaineering experience and glacier travel skills are required for the summit. For most visitors, Mount Hood offers a range of experiences without summit ambitions. Timberline Lodge, a National Historic Landmark at 6,000 feet, provides year-round ski and snowboard access via the Palmer Snowfield, making it one of only two ski areas in the contiguous United States with summer skiing. The Timberline Trail circumnavigates the entire mountain in approximately 40 miles, passing glaciers, wildflower meadows, and forested ridges. Shorter hikes accessible from Timberline Lodge and Government Camp include the Mirror Lake Trail (3 miles, views of the mountain reflected in a high lake), the Ramona Falls Trail (7 miles through mossy old growth to a 120-foot basalt fan waterfall), and the McNeil Point route to an alpine shelter with panoramic Cascade views. Trillium Lake, 2 miles from Government Camp, offers the classic dawn reflection photograph of Mount Hood. Government Camp at the mountain's base is the primary services town with food, gear, and lodging.