Mount Hood Travel Information
Rising to an impressive 11,245 feet, Mount Hood is the highest mountain in Oregon and ranks as the second most-climbed glacier-covered peak in the world. On clear days, Mount Hood peeks above Portland's horizon, much like Washington neighbor Mount Rainier as seen from Seattle, and it is less than an hour's drive from town. Like Mount Rainier, this majestic Cascade Mountain peak is a dormant volcano, but its last eruption came only a few years before the arrival of Lewis and Clark in 1805. At that time, they found along its flanks a wide river still clogged with sediment from the recent eruption, and called it the Quicksand River. Today it is known as the Sandy River, starting just below the peak and flowing some 50 miles toward Portland. Mount Hood today is home to four downhill ski resorts (including the only year-round skiing option in North America and the continent's largest night skiing area). Mount Hood is also the jeweled pinnacle of the Mount Hood National Forest, comprising more than a million acres hosting numerous cross-country trail systems, more than 1,000 miles of hiking trails, dozens of crystal-clear alpine lakes and 80-plus campgrounds. In June, a favorite feature for visitors of lower elevations are the profuse blooms of the area's wild rhododendrons. Mushroom collecting and berry-picking are also popular pastimes of forest visitors. Mount Hood is located in northwest Oregon, east of Portland. To learn more about the area, please select a topic of interest from the navigation bar on the left.
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