Timberline Trail Around Mount Hood

Mount Hood Wilderness, Mt. Hood National Forest (Timberline Lodge)

The Timberline Trail circles Mount Hood at or near tree line for about 40 miles, according to the Forest Service, and backpackers usually take three or four days. The Civilian Conservation Corps built most of it in the summer of 1934, Wikipedia says, and it shares the Pacific Crest Trail between Timberline Lodge and Yocum Ridge.

What sets it apart is water: glacial rivers with no bridges, which rise as afternoon snowmelt picks up.

The hike

Most guides start at Timberline Lodge and go clockwise. Oregon Hikers’ field guide heads west on the PCT, passes Zigzag Overlook, and crosses the Zigzag River at about mile 3.4. An optional detour through the meadows of Paradise Park adds about 400 feet of climbing but no extra distance, with reliable water at Lost Creek.

The route then drops to the Sandy River, one of the harder crossings, on rocks and logs. The Ramona Falls junction follows. The Forest Service suggests bypassing a washed-out section north of Ramona Falls by taking the PCT to Top Spur. Past the Muddy Fork crossings, the trail climbs to Cairn Basin and Elk Cove on the north side. Between Elk Cove and Cloud Cap it crosses forest burned in the 2011 Dollar Lake Fire; Elevation Changes counted more than 350 downed logs there in June 2026, most easy to step over.

Next come the Coe Branch and the Eliot Branch. A November 2006 storm washed out the Eliot crossing, according to Wikipedia, and today’s trail follows a reroute. Hiking Guy calls Eliot the hardest crossing: “not super wide, but the banks are steep and the current is swift.” Elevation Changes found three ropes in place in mid-June 2026.

From Cloud Cap, the loop climbs past Cooper Spur to the Timberline High Point at about 7,350 feet, the highest point on the loop according to Oregon Hikers, then crosses Gnarl Ridge. Water is scarce between Cloud Cap and Newton Creek, Hiking Guy notes. The east side brings Newton Creek, Clark Creek, the Mount Hood Meadows ski area, and finally the White River, which the Forest Service lists among the very difficult crossings.

Near the end, Oregon Hikers warns that the trail fades near the White River viewpoint, and hikers who kept climbing have gotten lost. Watch for the Mountaineer Trail back to the lodge.

For a lower-elevation overnight on the same national forest, see Eagle Creek to Wahtum Lake.

Tips

Cross early. The Forest Service says flows rise as afternoon temperatures climb, so mornings are generally safer.
Unclip your hip belt and sternum strap at fords, Hiking Guy advises, and turn back or wait if a crossing looks wrong.
Follow fresh cairns and flagging at crossings, not just a GPS line; crossing points shift.
Fill up at Cloud Cap or carry enough for the dry stretch to Newton Creek.
Fill out the free wilderness permit at a trailhead kiosk.
Check Grasshopper Fire closures before driving to the east-side trailheads.

Camping

The Forest Service requires a free, self-issued wilderness permit where a portal is provided, but its pages give different dates: May 15 to October 15 on some pages, and May 1 to October 31 on the Ramona Falls trailhead page. Camping is not allowed in any meadow, on the tree-covered islands in Elk Cove and Elk Meadows, or within 500 feet of Ramona Falls. Campfires are banned within 500 feet of Ramona Falls and McNeil Point, on the tree islands in Elk Cove and Elk Meadows, and in Paradise Park. Treat all water.

Oregon Hikers lists camps at Paradise Park, the Ramona Falls area, Cairn Basin, Elk Cove, Gnarl Ridge, and above Mount Hood Meadows. Cloud Cap Saddle Campground is a fee campground shared with car campers.

Inside Intel: Hiking Guy recommends Eden Park, about a mile off the trail, as quieter than Elk Cove, which it calls the most popular spot on the trail.

Trail facts

Distance: About 40 miles (Forest Service); 38.3 to 41.5 miles in guides
Route type: Loop, usually clockwise from Timberline Lodge
Difficulty: Strenuous
Campsites: Paradise Park, Ramona Falls area, Cairn Basin, Eden Park, Elk Cove, Gnarl Ridge, above Mount Hood Meadows
Water: Plentiful on the west and north sides; scarce from Cloud Cap to Newton Creek; glacial rivers are silty; treat all water
Permits: Free self-issued wilderness permit; May 15 to Oct. 15 or May 1 to Oct. 31, depending on the Forest Service page
Fires: Banned in Paradise Park, near Ramona Falls and McNeil Point, and in the Elk Cove and Elk Meadows tree islands
Hazards: Unbridged glacial crossings (Sandy, Muddy Fork, Coe, Eliot, Newton, Clark, White River)
Trailhead: Timberline Lodge (also Ramona Falls, Top Spur, and Cloud Cap)
Last verified: October 17, 2026

The Lowdown

Glacial crossings on the Timberline Trail:

The Timberline Trail crosses unbridged glacial rivers like the Sandy, Eliot and White, and the Forest Service says flows rise as afternoon snowmelt picks up. Cross early, and read the rest of the tips.

Get the five tips →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.