The Mount Hood Wilderness is a protected

wilderness area Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally re ...

inside the

Mount Hood National Forest The Mount Hood National Forest is a U.S. National Forest in the U.S. state of Oregon, located east of the city of Portland and the northern Willamette River valley. The Forest extends south from the Columbia River Gorge across more than of f ...

, in the U.S. state of

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

. The area, covering , includes the peak of

Mount Hood Mount Hood is a potentially active stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc. It was formed by a subduction zone on the Pacific coast and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located about east-southeast of Portl ...

and its upper slopes, and ranges from

temperate rain forest Temperate rainforests are coniferous or broadleaf forests that occur in the temperate zone and receive heavy rain. Temperate rain forests occur in oceanic moist regions around the world: the Pacific temperate rain forests of North American P ...

s at the lower elevations, to

glacier A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such a ...

s and rocky ridges at higher elevations. The wilderness wraps around the mountain from west to northeast, and borders

Timberline Lodge Timberline Lodge is a mountain lodge on the south side of Mount Hood in Clackamas County, Oregon, about east of Portland. Constructed from 1936 to 1938 by the Works Progress Administration, it was built and furnished by local artisans during th ...

and Mount Hood Meadows ski lifts on some of the south and east slopes of the mountain.

Trails

Journeys to the summit are popular. There are opportunities for experienced and novice mountaineers to traverse glaciers, snowfields and steep volcanic soil, and to deal with rapidly changing and difficult to predict weather. More than 10,000 climbers annually make the attempt, making Mount Hood's summit the most visited snowclad peak in America. Numerous trails circle the mountain, from Lolo Pass on the northwest (which the

Pacific Crest Trail The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, which lie ...

crosses) to

Cloud Cap In meteorology, a cloud is an aerosol consisting of a visible mass of miniature liquid droplets, frozen crystals, or other particles suspended in the atmosphere of a planetary body or similar space. Water or various other chemicals may co ...

on the northeast to the ski areas on the south. There are several historic structures (predating the wilderness designation), one of which is the remains of a stone lodge near Cairn Basin on the northwest side. Numerous pristine areas are easily accessible, such as Elk Cove on the north side of the mountain near the

tree line The tree line is the edge of the habitat at which trees are capable of growing. It is found at high elevations and high latitudes. Beyond the tree line, trees cannot tolerate the environmental conditions (usually cold temperatures, extreme snow ...

The best known trail is the forty-one mile Timberline Trail, Forest Service trail #600, which circles the mountain. It shares eleven miles with the Pacific Crest Trail and alternates above and below the timberline. The trail is rerouted periodically due to washouts and to avoid sensitive high altitude and

alpine Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National P ...

meadows. It has a handful of informal campsites for backpackers, although camping is permitted anywhere outside the meadows and at least from water bodies. There are several hazardous stream crossings, especially on the west side and at the landslide-prone Eliot Branch near Cloud Cap, which closed the trail there in 2007. The trail has several significant vertical ascents and descents totaling , mostly at canyon crossings. Elevation of the trail varies from (half a mile west of dramatic Ramona Falls on the west side) to on the east side. The trail is accessible from Timberline Lodge, which has free parking for backpackers, and numerous connecting trails.

Restrictions

Wilderness permits are required, but free, to enter the area and can be filled out at ranger stations or at kiosks along trails where they enter the wilderness. Climbers ascending to or near the summit are required to register (and sign out at return) in Timberline's day lodge, or at other wilderness permit registration kiosks.

Mountain Locator Unit A Mountain Locator Unit or MLU was a radio transmitter for use by mountain climbers as an emergency locator beacon when the wearer needs rescue. The MLUs were simple radio beacons, and thus required search and rescuers to use traditional radio d ...

s can be rented in

Government Camp Government Camp is an unincorporated community and census-designated place located in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States, on the base of Mount Hood and north of Tom Dick and Harry Mountain. It is the only town within of Mount Hood and ther ...

and at some area recreation businesses.

U.S. Wilderness Area The National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS) of the United States protects federally managed wilderness areas designated for preservation in their natural condition. Activity on formally designated wilderness areas is coordinated by the Na ...

s do not allow vehicles, including bicycles. Although camping and fishing are allowed with proper permit, no roads or buildings are constructed and there is also no logging or mining, in compliance with the 1964 Wilderness Act. Wilderness areas within National Forests and

Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands. Headquartered in Washington DC, and with oversight over , it governs one eighth of the country's ...

areas do allow hunting in season.

References

External links

Mount Hood Wilderness information
- Wilderness.net
TopoQuest map

Satellite image (Google Mapping)Forests and Global Warming
- Oregon Wild

from

BlueOregon ''BlueOregon'' is a now-defunct progressive blog that covered the politics of the U.S. state of Oregon. While rarely updated in recent years, it was once an often read Oregon political blog. It was often mentioned in articles on Oregon politics by ...

, March 10, 2008
Timberline Trail information
{{Authority control Protected areas of Clackamas County, Oregon Protected areas of Hood River County, Oregon Wilderness areas of Oregon Mount Hood Mount Hood National Forest 1964 establishments in Oregon

Trails

Restrictions

See also

References

External links