One Of America's Hardest Hikes Is An Oregon Mountain Loop With Brutal Climbs, Waterfalls, And Ethereal Views

The 11,239-foot Mount Hood is not only Oregon's highest point; its distinctive conical shape and visibility from Portland make it the most recognizable Oregon landmark, per The Oregonian's readers. While you can enjoy Mount Hood via its more modern amenities (like hitting the slopes on its ski resorts or following in pioneer footsteps on the historic Barlow Road), nothing will let you experience the mountain's monumental beauty like a good old-fashioned hike. Fortunately, Mount Hood features one of the most challenging — but most rewarding — hikes in the United States! The epic Timberline Trail is a formidable hiking gauntlet, with daunting climbs, difficult terrain, and a nearly 40-mile length. Yet few hikes in the U.S. will offer you anything like the spectacular views on each of Timberline's grueling miles. 

The Timberline Trail is an immense loop circling through the Mount Hood Wilderness, around the entire base of Mount Hood itself. Obviously, a full 360-degree tour of Mount Hood's base will provide more than a few excellent views of the mountain. However, the Timberline Trail is so much more than every conceivable angle of the famed mountain. It's also a comprehensive showcase of the heavenly wonders of Mount Hood National Forest, including tons of breathtaking treasures of Oregon's Cascades that often get overshadowed (literally) by Mount Hood.

The trail provides superb views of the 120-foot and multi-layered Ramona Falls, which are among the most beautiful waterfalls in Oregon. More horizontal, but no less beautiful, waters are waiting at the trail's Sandy River, fed by the same glaciers that crown Mount Hood from above. Trail stops like Bald Mountain, McNeil Point, Paradise Park, and Elk Meadows often display magnificent wildflowers, while Lamberson Butte offers an even more unique 6,634-foot peak right next to Mount Hood. 

While the scenery along the Timberline Trail is undeniably magnificent, you're going to have to work for it. The entire circumnavigation of Mount Hood covers around 40 miles, which usually takes three to four days to complete. This means a few nights of backcountry camping (fortunately, spots like Ramona Falls and Cloud Cap also double as scenic campsites). Forty miles of hiking would be a tall order on even a flat surface. The Timberline Trail, by contrast, runs through the heart of the Cascades. And even though the trail doesn't go to the summit of Mount Hood, it still involves quite a few steep climbs that can test the mettle of even experienced hikers. The trail covers nearly 10,000 feet of total elevation gain, much of it in short and steep doses. Trail sections like the Cloud Clap Saddle ascend around 1,500 feet in less than 3 miles, only to drop down similarly precarious depths just as quickly. As if that weren't hard enough, many areas require dangerous crossings of fast-moving glacial rivers. 

However, if you do triumph over the Timberline Trail's many challenges, you can reward yourself with a stay in one of the Cascades' best mountain resorts. The Timberland Trail begins and ends at the Timberline Lodge, one of the Northwest's oldest ski resorts and a unique, historic, artisanal masterpiece with cozy rooms, boutique cabins, fine dining, winter sports, and even swimming pools. While you're getting some well-deserved relaxation at the Lodge, you can also explore the lovely small towns around Mount Hood, like Oregon's Bavarian-style alpine village of Government Camp. Or, if you prefer to just fly in, the Timberline Trailhead is a little over an hour from Portland International Airport.