Tag Archives: National Recreation Area

Oregon

Mt. Hood National Forest

September 16, 2026 Raven About The Parks 6 Comments

Mt. Hood National Forest

Oregon

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

1,117,921 acres (1,071,446 federal/ 46,475 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/mthood

Overview

Mt. Hood National Forest is named for the 11,249-foot-tall stratovolcano that dominates the skyline east of Portland. It has 12 glaciers that feed the amazing waterfalls of the region, several of which you can drive right up to in Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area (see our blog post). This area was first established as the Bull Run Forest Reserve in 1892 and was considered for National Park status beginning in 1940. One famous destination is Bagby Hot Springs (fee), accessible by a 1.4-mile trail to hand-hewn tubs with cedar plumbing. The lower bathhouse contains three individual log tubs and one six-foot round tub, while the upper bathhouse contains another six-foot round tub on an open deck.

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Highlights

Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Mt. Hood National Recreation Area, Multnomah Falls, Mt. Hood Loop Highway, Olallie Scenic Area, Bagby Hot Springs, Switchback Falls, Sahalie Falls, Trillium Lake, Lost Lake, Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail

Must-Do Activity

The highest of the five ski resorts on Mt. Hood is located at the end of a steep, six-mile-long paved drive off Highway 26. It is home to Timberline Lodge, a National Historic Landmark you might recognize from the opening scenes of the 1980 film The Shining. The ornate woodwork from the 1930s harkens back to a bygone era of craftsmanship, which is on display throughout the main lobby and the Rachael Griffin Historic Exhibition Center. Downhill skiing is sometimes open throughout the summer, but even without skis you can take the sky ride to 7,000 feet in elevation for great views south of Mt. Jefferson and the Three Sisters in Deschutes National Forest. Spring is the season for summitting Mt. Hood, and climbers must carry a free uphill travel pass and a WAG bag (human waste pack out bag). Another popular spot, Olallie Scenic Area, is a high-elevation lake basin north of Mt. Jefferson. Mountain bikers are drawn to Mt. Hood National Recreation Area (see our blog post).

Best Trail

The hike behind Tamanawas Falls leaves from a trailhead near Sherwood Campground, where a rolling two-mile hike rises a cumulative 360 feet through a shady Douglas-fir forest as it follows the course of Cold Spring Creek. At the base of the 100-foot-tall waterfall, a careful climb up slippery wet rocks takes hikers behind the curtain of water. There are 1,200 miles of trails in the National Forest, including the 40.7-mile Timberline Trail built around Mt. Hood by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s. Part of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail shares this route as it skirts the volcano’s western slope.

Watchable Wildlife

Mt. Hood National Forest has both Roosevelt and Rocky Mountain elk, as well as mule deer, red foxes, coyotes, mountain lions, and black bears. Less commonly seen are badgers, American pika, and Pacific marten. Large birds include golden eagles, pileated woodpeckers, and Steller’s jays. Situated at 4,900 feet in elevation, 240-acre Olallie Lake is stocked with both rainbow and brook trout. The Sandy River and its tributaries have runs of chinook salmon, coho salmon, and steelhead.

Photographic Opportunity

One particularly great spot to photograph Mt. Hood is from Lost Lake, which has canoe rentals and a nice three-mile hiking trail that encircles it. We have also heard that Trillium Lake offers a great view.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

$10 day use fee (no America the Beautiful passes accepted, but some take a Northwest Forest Pass) at the most popular areas like Trillium Lake; $15 at Lost Lake with no passes accepted; $5 per person at the Bagby Hot Springs with no passes accepted; $5 (or America the Beautiful pass) at Frog Lake Sno-Park/Trailhead; State of Oregon Sno-Park permit required November 1 through April 30 at some trailheads; see website for details: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/mthood/passes

Road Conditions

The road is paved to Timberline Lodge, but there are many unpaved roads in this area, some of which are in bad shape due to the high amounts of precipitation.

Camping

There are more than 70 campgrounds in Mt. Hood National Forest, including seven in Olallie Scenic Area. The popular Bagby Campground near the hot springs does not take reservations. Dispersed camping is a great way to enjoy the area.

Wilderness Areas

Badger Creek Wilderness

Bull of the Woods Wilderness

Clackamas Wilderness

Lower White River Wilderness

Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness

Mt. Hood Wilderness

Roaring River Wilderness

Salmon–Huckleberry Wilderness

Gifford Pinchot National Forest (Washington)

Newberry National Volcanic Monument (Oregon)

Mt. Baker National Forest (Washington)

Nearest National Park

Mount Rainier

Conifer Tree Species

Douglas-fir, western hemlock, western redcedar, noble fir, grand fir, subalpine fir, western yew, ponderosa pine, western larch

Flowering Tree Species

Oregon white oak, bigleaf maple, vine maple, rose-bay, salal, Pacific rhododendron

Explore More – Mt. Hood has been given a 3-7% chance of erupting in the next 30 years; when was the volcano’s last major eruption?

Learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests in our new guidebook Out in the Woods

Oregon

Mt. Hood National Recreation Area

August 5, 2026 Raven About The Parks 1 Comment

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

Mt. Hood peaking out behind Upper Twin Lake

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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Washington

Mt. Baker National Recreation Area

July 22, 2026 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Mt. Baker National Recreation Area

Washington

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

Established 1984

8,473 acres

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/mbs/recreation/mt-baker-national-recreation-area

Overview

Part of Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Mt. Baker National Recreation Area was set aside to provide a place for snowmobile use on the 10,781-foot volcano’s south slope. Snowmobiling is restricted to certain areas outside the designated Wilderness and requires a minimum snow depth of two feet. Mt. Baker is an active stratovolcano that last had a major eruption 6,700 years ago, but experienced hydro-thermal explosions in 1840 and 1880 that led to dangerous lahars.

Highlights

Park Butte Lookout, Railroad Grade Trail, Scott Paul Trail, Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail

Must-Do Activity

North of Baker Lake, Park Butte Trailhead is the main access point for Mt. Baker National Recreation Area and has a large parking lot with vault toilets and trash cans. Park Butte Trail immediately enters groves of large western hemlock and Alaska yellow-cedar trees. Taking the split to the right for the Scott Paul Trail creates a 7.5-mile loop, which remains heavily snow covered into mid-June. In addition to snowmobiling, other activities include snowshoeing, skiing, picking huckleberries, and climbing to the summit of Mt. Baker on the Coleman Glacier and Easton Glacier routes. Horseback riding is allowed on Bell Pass, Elbow Lake, Park Butte, and Ridley Creek Trails.

Best Trail

Railroad Grade Trail splits off Park Butte Trail and quickly climbs up to a lateral glacial moraine that offers incredible views of Mt. Baker on clear days. It is used by mountain climbers making their way to the summit of the volcano.

Photographic Opportunity

It is 7.9 miles out-and-back with 2,093 feet of cumulative elevation gain to the Park Butte Lookout, a historic structure built in 1932 that is maintained by Skagit Alpine Club volunteers. It is technically just inside the boundary for Mt. Baker Wilderness.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

$5 day use (or America the Beautiful pass) at Park Butte Trailhead from May 1 through October 31, and a Washington State Sno-Park permit required the rest of the year.

Road Conditions

Park Butte Trailhead is accessed by taking the pothole-riddled Forest Service Roads 12 and 13 uphill for 8.9 miles. Access to Elbow Lake Trailhead and Ridley Creek Trailhead also require long dirt road drives.

Camping

There are a couple designated free hiker campsites at Park Butte Trailhead with limited options for dispersed car camping situated along the road up to it. Backpacking is popular in this area, especially inside the historic 1932 Park Butte Lookout, which is available on a first-come, first-served basis. There are flat tent pads built at Cathedral Camp, High Camp, Railroad Camp, and Mazama Park Horse Camp in the backcountry.

Ebey’s Landing National Historic Reserve (Washington)

Okanogan National Forest (Washington)

Mt. Baker National Forest (Washington)

Nearest National Park

North Cascades

Explore More – Mt. Baker has the second-most thermally active crater in the Cascade Range, ranking only after which volcano?

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Washington

Mt. Baker National Forest

July 15, 2026 Raven About The Parks 6 Comments

Mt. Baker National Forest

Washington

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

1,330,316 acres (1,302,215 federal/ 28,101 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/mbs

Overview

Mt. Baker National Forest’s namesake is the 10,781-foot glacier-covered stratovolcano that dominates the skyline of northwest Washington. It is surrounded by the 119,989-acre Mt. Baker Wilderness and the specially designated 8,473-acre Mt. Baker National Recreation Area that allows snowmobiling on the southern slope. About half of this National Forest is designated Wilderness, which also encompasses another active volcano within 566,057-acre Glacier Peak Wilderness. In 1968, part of Mt. Baker National Forest turned into North Cascades National Park and five years later its remaining acres were administratively merged with Snoqualmie National Forest.

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Highlights

Mt. Baker National Recreation Area, Heather Meadows, Glacier Public Service Center, Nooksack Falls, Mountain Loop Scenic Byway, Baker Hot Springs, Boulder River Trail, Bagley Lakes Trails, Fire and Ice Trail, Baker Lake Trail, Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail, Shadow of the Sentinels National Recreation Trail

Must-Do Activity

Mt. Baker Scenic Byway (Highway 542) passes Nooksack Falls as it heads east to Artist Point (open after snow melts). Be sure to stop at photogenic Picture Lake and the Heather Meadows Visitor Center, built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). A recreation pass is at most trailheads around nine-mile-long Baker Lake, a reservoir popular with campers and fishermen. On the lake’s east side, boat-in or hike-in Maple Grove Campground provides amazing views of Mt. Baker on a clear day.

Best Trail

Mt. Baker Scenic Byway accesses several trailheads before dead ending in a huge parking lot at Artist Point, surrounded by snowy mountains. Snow often covers the 4.2-mile one-way trail to Lake Ann well into July. The first two miles share a path with the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail, dropping 800 feet to a junction with Swift Creek Trail. From there, a 700-foot climb begins to Lake Ann, a popular destination for backpackers within Mt. Baker Wilderness, which in addition to the normal restrictions prohibits campfires and requires all human waste to be packed out. On clear days, the payoff is unsurpassed views of Mt. Baker and Mt. Shuksan, a 9,131-foot peak in North Cascades National Park reached by continuing up the trail.

Watchable Wildlife

Mountain goats can be seen at high elevations, alongside marmot, pika, and snowshoe hare. Other large mammals include black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, Columbian black-tailed deer, and elk. In 1978, the Skagit Wild and Scenic River System was established along 125 miles of rivers, providing habitat for one of the nation’s largest winter populations of bald eagles. Two types of sea-run trout and five species of salmon are anadromous fish found in the lakes and streams.

Photographic Opportunity

Picture Lake near the Heather Meadows Visitor Center creates wonderful reflections of the surrounding snowy mountains. Plus, it is a good spot for huckleberries in September.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

$5 Northwest Forest Pass (or America the Beautiful pass) required at the end of Mt. Baker Highway and at trailheads around Baker Lake; Washington State Sno-Park permit is required November 1 through April 30 at some sites

Road Conditions

Mt. Baker Highway (542) received the National Forest Scenic Byway designation in 1988. The 57-mile-long paved route from Interstate 5 is open most of the year between Bellingham and Mt. Baker Ski Area, but it is usually closed beyond that from October well into July because of heavy snowfall.

Camping

There are several campgrounds around Baker Lake, including the boat-in or hike-in Maple Grove Campground. Marble Creek and Mineral Park are two free campgrounds on the Cascade River Road. There are no campgrounds in the Heather Meadows area, but at lower elevations on the Mt. Baker Scenic Byway are Douglas-Fir and Silver Fir Campgrounds.

Wilderness Areas

Alpine Lakes Wilderness (also in Wenatchee National Forest)

Boulder River Wilderness

Clearwater Wilderness

Glacier Peak Wilderness (also in Wenatchee National Forest)

Henry M. Jackson Wilderness (also in Wenatchee National Forest)

Mt. Baker Wilderness

Noisy-Diobsud Wilderness

Norse Peak Wilderness

Pasayten Wilderness (also in Okanogan National Forest)

Wild Sky Wilderness

Lake Chelan National Recreation Area (Washington)

Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve (Washington)

Gifford Pinchot National Forest (Washington)

Nearest National Park

North Cascades

Conifer Tree Species

Douglas-fir, western hemlock, mountain hemlock, Pacific silver fir, western redcedar, yellow-cedar, Pacific yew

Flowering Tree Species

bigleaf maple, vine maple, black cottonwood

Explore More – When was this area first protected within the 3,594,240-acre Washington Forest Reserve?

Learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests in our guidebook Out in the Woods

West Virginia

Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area

May 13, 2026 Raven About The Parks 2 Comments

Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area

West Virginia

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Northern Region

99,794 acres (57,232 federal/ 42,562 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/monongahela/recreation/spruce-knob-seneca-rocks-national-recreation-area

Overview

In 1965, this portion of Monongahela National Forest became the first National Recreation Area managed by the U.S. Forest Service. It includes 4,863-foot-tall Spruce Knob, the highest point in West Virginia and the Alleghany Mountains. Seneca Rocks is a 900-foot-tall quartzite crag heavily used by rock climbers, including by the military during World War II. Also part of this area, Smoke Hole Canyon is a rugged 20-mile gorge on the South Branch of the Potomac River. It is best seen by kayaking and whitewater canoeing since there are few trails. Formerly, the canyon had remote family homesteads and moonshine stills, and now it is considered one of the most biologically diverse spots in the eastern U.S.

Highlights

Seneca Rocks Discovery Center, Smoke Hole Canyon, Spruce Knob Tower

Must-Do Activity

When the road is not closed due to snow, it is easy to drive to the top of Spruce Knob where an observation tower was built for seeing over the trees at the flat summit. The half-mile Whispering Spruce Trail has interpretive signs at the top, and an extensive network of backcountry trails leave from the parking lot to access Seneca Creek and Alleghany Mountain. To the west, 25-acre Spruce Knob Lake has campgrounds and picnic tables, as well as boating and fishing opportunities (but no swimming is allowed). Rock climbing is one of the biggest draws to this area, especially at Seneca Rocks and in Smoke Hole Canyon (at Eagle Rocks, the Route 220 entrance, and the walls of Long Branch).

Best Trail

For those not interested in roping up to climb the steep cliffs, stop into the Seneca Rocks Discovery Center open Thursday through Monday in the summer. Next door at the Sites Homestead, on Saturdays pioneer interpreters demonstrate quilting, fiddling, and basket-weaving. Hikers can access the narrow rock ledge at Seneca Rocks via a steep 1.3-mile one-way trail that circles the formation.

Photographic Opportunity

The jagged spires of Seneca Rocks are the most photogenic rock formation in the state. Since 1971, more than a dozen people have died from falls at the site, so exercise extreme caution at the top of the cliff.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

None

Road Conditions

The paved road to the top of Spruce Knob is open year-round when it is snow-free.

Camping

Big Bend Campground offers 46 sites with hot showers and is located on a peninsula in Smoke Hole Canyon. Seneca Shadows Campground accepts online reservations April through October for walk-to tent sites and standard RV sites. Spruce Knob Lake Campground is more primitive with vault toilets, as are some other campgrounds in Monongahela National Forest.

Related Sites

Allegheny National Recreation Area (Pennsylvania)

Gauley River National Recreation Area (West Virginia)

Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area (Virginia)

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (Kentucky-Tennessee-Virginia)

Nearest National Park

New River Gorge