This review is for Mirror Lake Loop which was a ~4.3 miles round trip that took ~2 hours to…read morecomplete. Located 22 minutes away from Tamanawas Falls, Mirror Lake Loop was a dense forest trail that was ~90% shaded in Mt Hood, Oregon. The first ~5 minutes of the trail was paved and becomes a dirt trail filled with rocks and roots. The last stretch towards the lake was an incline alongside the mountain. There were only a few openings around the lake to view the water and the surroundings. The best view would be the Mirror Lake with Mt Hood in the distance! Limited parking area at the trailhead. Restroom available at the parking lot. Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/8WsTe72wDP4

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.

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!

Beautiful hike. How to get to the hike you have to drive down a long gravel road I recommend…read moredriving a suv or a car you don't care about it's a tight trail at some points so you will get scratches on ur vehicle but the hike is amazing one of my new favorites

This is a beautiful hike! If you follow all trails map, it will start you at the bridge of the…read moregods trailhead. There is another lot a couple of blocks away. The bridge of the gods trailhead does not have a lot of parking. If you do park there, cost is $5 cash for the day be sure to bring that with you. Bathrooms are open. There are trash cans at the parking lot. The views of the bridge of the gods are stunning from the parking lot. the first bit of the trail is a little bit loud. It is very cool to be on the PCT. Especially if you are not from the area. It is nice to have had my feet touch a small portion of the PCT, hopefully someday there will be more. The trail is very green and lush. It is also well signed and marked. The birds were singing. I arrived at 730 am and was the 2nd car in the lot. I didn't see anyone out until i was on my way back down and in my last 3/4 of a mile. From reading reviews on all trails though it can get busy so best to know where the other parking lot is in case you can't get a spot at the bridge of the gods trailhead parking lot. The trail has a gentle but steady incline from the get go. The falls at the end are of course lovely. If i were in the area again i would do this one again.

Never disappoints. Winter is less touristy but the water Colin is much better to make more and…read morebetter waterfalls. There are spots with warnings of slides, beware and respect them - don't risk your safety. I even found still maturing blackberries that are bright red in mid December! And a bunch of cute looking mushrooms. The air is amazing. The gorge view is breathtaking and never gets old. Love it.

One of many great places to pull off the 84 and see waterfalls...but here you can park and easily…read morewalk to 3 in no time. Do yourself a favor and make this stop when heading east...otherwise you'll be loons like us and have to go past, come back east, and then east again in order to head back west. Worth the out-of-the-way loop? Yes! 3 nice falls for literally anyone with any walking ability. There's a decent sized lot, as well as restrooms. Starvation Falls is right there, just steps away from the lot. Head up the trail westward and you'll hit both Cabin Creek and Hole in the Wall Falls before you know it. I didn't time it exactly, but if you've got 30 mins I'm sure you can take it all 3. Each falls has its own character and gorgeous setting, as well as picnic tables at Starvation. Yes, ANOTHER stop along the 84 to see waterfalls. There are a couple others nearby should you have a bit more time to hike, but a short stroll gets you a sweet pic times 3!

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!

Moderate difficulty hike that's 5.4 miles from the North Bonneville Trailhead to Gillette Lake. I…read morerecommend looking up the trail on the gorgefriends.org website for directions and additional helpful info. You do have to pay to park at the trailhead unless you already have a Northwest Forest Pass (it's currently a $5 day-use fee to park if you don't have that pass). There's a couple pit toilets and picnic tables at the trailhead parking lot as well. The trail is dirt in some sections and loose gravel/rocks in others. There are sections of inclines as well, so along with the rocky sections of trail, some people may prefer to use trek poles for stability. The incline sections aren't too long and it's a good mix of up and down, so you don't get too winded of you're in relatively good shape. It's also a nice mix of shaded sections in the forest, and open areas in the sun. There's nice views of the surrounding area in the upper open sections and the lake itself is quite pretty. There aren't any benches at the lake, though, so plan on sitting on the ground, or bring your own camp chair, if you want to hang out at the lake a bit. There also isn't a lot of open shoreline, either, so keep that in mind.

This is a super easy hike. You follow the trail from the Bonneville dam trailhead for about 1/2…read moremile, until it connects with the Pacific Crest Trail. Hang a left, and it's 2 miles to Gillette Lake. The trail has a mix of Forrest, clear-cut, and rocky talus. While the clear-cut is a little depressing, it does allow for some nice views throughout the hike. You pass by another lake on the way to Gillette, and there is a nice stream just past the lake. You can continue up the Pacific Crest Trail for as long as you like. There is a decent little loop about 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile past Gillette lake. It's worth it if you want to add a few miles onto the hike. There is supposedly a viewpoint or overlook up this way, but we did not find it. The trail is fairly muddy if you hike in winter. But this is a nice alternative to many of the very hard hikes out here in the gorge. A great Sunday outing for the family. There is a fee to park, unless you have a Northwest forest pass or a Discover pass. I think the fee is five dollars. There are some pit toilets at the trailhead if you need that sort of thing.

Great trail. Fantastic any time of year, slightly less so during falcon breeding season.. (but a…read morevery worthwhile imposition!)

Very clean and clear trails. We went in the evening on a…read morewarmer overcast day. Not busy, only ran into a few people on the way and had no problems finding a parking spot. We also only hiked up to the first viewpoint but boy, was it a view. Absolutely gorgeous hike and not too far out of portland. Super easy to find and has parking lot and well maintenanced bathrooms. Great spot to ;)