Mt. Hood National Forest

Located twenty miles east of the city of Portland, Oregon, and the northern Willamette River valley, the Mt. Hood National Forest extends south from the strikingly beautiful Columbia River Gorge across more than sixty miles of forested mountains, lakes and streams to Olallie Scenic Area, a high lake basin under the slopes of Mt. Jefferson. Visitors enjoy fishing, camping, boating and hiking in the summer, hunting in the fall, and skiing and other snow sports in the winter. Berry-picking and mushroom collection are popular, and for many area residents, a trip in December to cut the family's Christmas tree is a long standing tradition. Some popular destinations that offer rewarding visits are Timberline Lodge, built in 1937 high on Mt. Hood, Lost Lake, Trillium Lake, Timothy Lake, Rock Creek Reservoir and portions of the Old Oregon Trail, including Barlow Road. There are 314,078 acres of designated wilderness on the Forest. The largest is the Mt. Hood Wilderness, which includes the mountain's peak and upper slopes. Others are Clackamas, Lower White River, Roaring River, Badger Creek, Salmon-Huckleberry, Hatfield, and Bull-of-the-Woods. Olallie Scenic Area is a lightly-roaded lake basin that provides a primitive recreational experience.