Mt. Hood National Recreation Area

Oregon

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region

Established 2009

34,550 acres

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/mthood/recreation/trails/surveyors-ridge-trail-688

Overview

Mt. Hood National Recreation Area was established within Mt. Hood National Forest on March 30, 2009 through legislation that expanded and established many Wilderness areas in Oregon and throughout the U.S.  It is divided into three non-contiguous units: the northernmost Shellrock Unit, easternmost Fifteenmile Unit, and the largest Mt. Hood Unit located south of (and not including any portion of) the volcano.  Bicycles are prohibited in designated Wildernesses, so this National Recreation Area was set aside specifically for mountain bikers (and shared by other trail users). 

Highlights

Frog Lake, Twin Lakes, Surveyor’s Ridge Trail, Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail

Must-Do Activity

The Mt. Hood Unit incorporates Wilderness areas and has a network of trails, including a stretch of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail.  It is easily accessed from Highway 26 at the Frog Lake Sno-Park/Trailhead (fee).  Frog Lake and Lower Twin Lake are short hikes from this large parking area, while Upper Twin Lake is a further distance with more elevation gain required.  There are many backpacking campsites situated along the shorelines of these lakes.  The Shellrock and Fifteenmile Units are in second-growth forests that have single-track trails popular with mountain bikers.  The best cycling areas in the Mt. Hood Unit are in the east along the Gunsight Trail and around Bonney Meadows and the Boulder Lakes.

Best Trail

Surveyor’s Ridge Trail ascends 1,000 feet up to the top of Bald Butte for great views of Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens, and Mt. Rainier on clear days.  With both a north and south trailhead it works well with a two-car shuttle.  Fifteenmile Trail is a challenging bike route that follows the Wild and Scenic Fifteenmile Creek and connects to Cedar Creek Trail to form a 12.7-mile loop with 2,273 feet of elevation gain.

Photographic Opportunity

Pacific rhododendron and beargrass were in bloom in mid-June near the Frog Lake Sno-Park/Trailhead.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

$10 (or a Northwest Forest Pass) for Frog Lake Day Use Area located adjacent to Frog Lake Campground, but Frog Lake Sno-Park/Trailhead off Highway 26 is only $5 and accepts America the Beautiful passes (plus a State of Oregon Sno-Park permit is required November 1 through April 30).

Road Conditions

Frog Lake Sno-Park/Trailhead sits where the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail crosses Highway 26 and can be reached by taking paved roads to the large dirt parking lot.  Surveyor’s Ridge Trail complex has easy access from Forest Roads (FR) 44 and 17.  Fifteenmile Trail leaves from the campground, accessed by traveling eight miles on FR 44, then two miles on FR 4420 and two miles on FR 2730, narrow roads with a maximum vehicle length of 16 feet.

Camping

Fifteenmile Campground is first-come, first-served, while Frog Lake Campground takes reservations, as does the popular Trillium Lake Campground outside the National Recreation Area.

Related Sites

Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area (Oregon-Washington)

Newberry National Volcanic Monument (Oregon)

Mt. Hood National Forest (Oregon)

Malheur National Forest (Oregon)

Nearest National Park

Mount Rainier

Explore More – How large are the Clackamas, Lower White River, and Roaring River Wilderness areas created in Mt. Hood National Forest in 2009?

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