Timberline Trail

A loop around Mount Hood, the Timberline Trail encircles Oregon's highest peak for about 40 miles at or near treeline, linking wildflower meadows, glacial canyons, and long views across the Cascades.

Most hikers take three to five days and gain roughly 9,000 to 10,500 feet cumulatively, often starting and ending at historic Timberline Lodge. The route drops into and climbs out of several deep drainages, and the ford of the Eliot Branch can be genuinely hazardous when glacial melt is high.

Practical detail: a free self-issue wilderness permit covers the loop, with no quota at present, though the popular Paradise Park and Ramona Falls areas see heavy use. Snow lingers on the north side into midsummer, and route-finding across washouts can slow progress.

August and September are the prime months, when the fords are lowest and the meadows bloom; earlier the streams run dangerously fast, and later autumn storms move in. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, the trail remains one of the finest volcano circuits in the Lower 48.