Hiking 40 miles on the Timberline Loop in Oregon
Kraig AdamsJul 2023 · Solo
- Days
- 2 days
- Direction
- Loop from Timberline Lodge, about 6,000 ft, on the south side of the…
- Cost
- The permit and summer parking at the lodge are free
- Lodging
- Tent
North America · United States
Timberline Trail
Mount Hood, Oregon
- Distance
- 40.2 mi64.7 km
- Days
- 2 days
- Elevation gain
- 8,747 ft2,666 m
- High point
- 7,306 ft2,227 m
- Season
- July to October
- Lodging
- Tent
Hikes / North America / Timberline Trail
In July 2023 I hiked the Timberline Trail, the loop all the way around Mount Hood in Oregon, alone and in two days: about 40 miles clockwise from Timberline Lodge, past Zigzag Canyon, the Sandy River, Ramona Falls, Cairn Basin, Elk Cove and Cloud Cap, over the high point of the loop on the east side, through Mt. Hood Meadows and back across the White River to the lodge. It's the trip from my film Hiking 40 miles on the Timberline Loop in Oregon.
Kraig Adams
Effort at this pace: Very hard · about 20 mi (32 km) and 4,373 ft (1,333 m) of climbing a day over 2 days, up to 7,306 ft (2,227 m). Our grade for the days given, worked out from distance, climbing and altitude a day; it isn't the trail's usual difficulty rating (under Basics) and doesn't rate exposure, terrain or weather.
Where these numbers come from
From Kraig Adams's GPS recording and guide.
Relief map
The route, day by day
From Kraig Adams's GPS. Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (USGS 3DEP, SRTM) on AWS · Glaciers, rivers & lakes © OpenStreetMap contributors
Tap a day for his map of it
Download GPX (4 files)
- Day 1: my camp to Cloud Cap, past Zigzag Canyon, the Sandy River, Ramona Falls, the Muddy Fork, Cairn Basin, Elk Cove and the Eliot Branch (25.8 mi / 41.5 km) 162 KB
- Day 2: Cloud Cap past the high point of the loop, Gnarl Ridge, Newton Creek, Mt. Hood Meadows and the White River back to Timberline Lodge (13.3 mi / 21.3 km) 84 KB
- The evening before: Timberline Lodge to where I camped, about a mile in (1.1 mi / 1.8 km) 4 KB
- All three in one file, plus waypoints for the places and river crossings named in the guide. 251 KB
The film
Watch it first
Hiking 40 miles on the Timberline Loop in Oregon
Before you go
The basics
- Start
- Timberline Lodge, about 6,000 ft, on the south side of the mountain, just over an hour's drive from Portland
- Finish
- Timberline Lodge, about 6,000 ft, on the south side of the mountain, just over an hour's drive from Portland
- Direction
- Loop from Timberline Lodge, about 6,000 ft, on the south side of the mountain, just over an hour's drive from Portland
- Usual difficulty
- Long days, steep canyon walls, sandy trail, and glacial rivers with no bridges
- Best time
- July to October (Forest Service). I went July 21 to 23, 2023
- Permits
- Free, filled out at the trailhead box (2026). Summer parking at the lodge is free
- Getting there
- My way in. I'd just finished two hikes in British Columbia, the Howe Sound Crest Trail and Panorama Ridge. I immediately drove to the Vancouver airport, dropped off my rental car and jumped on a very quick flight down to Portland, Oregon: Air Canada, 5:05 p.m. to 6:19 p.m. on Friday, July 21. I was going boom, boom, boom with these hikes, so I needed to start the Timberline Loop that night. From the airport I got a new rental car, drove to REI and stocked up on some food and fuel, because you can't really fly with fuel: you have to get it at each new destination.
- Lodging
- Tent
From Kraig Adams's guide
Costs and gear
From Kraig Adams's guide
Safety
Rescue numbers
- Emergency: 911. No cell service on most of the loop.
Phone signal
- Don't count on cell service on the loop.
Insurance
- Oregon law lets search and rescue agencies charge up to $500 a person, but only if you didn't take reasonable care or broke the law.
Bail-out points
- Day 1, Timberline Lodge to Cloud Cap. The trail crosses other trails to trailheads all day. Near the start, Timberline Lodge is behind you. On the west side the PCT and the Ramona Falls Trail #797 lead down to the Ramona Falls trailhead (a rough road; high clearance recommended), and the Top Spur Trail #785 leaves near Bald Mountain for the Top Spur trailhead. On the north side, the Cairn Basin and Elk Cove areas have trails down to the Vista Ridge and Elk Cove trailheads.
- Day 2, Cloud Cap to Timberline Lodge. Cloud Cap and Cooper Spur are on the Cloud Cap road. Mt. Hood Meadows, at mile 9.7, is a ski area with roads to Highway 35. Otherwise keep going: the lodge is 3.6 miles past the Meadows.
From Kraig Adams's guide. For planning, not navigation: check before you go.
Their films and versions
Creators who've done it
1 creator so far: Kraig, 2 days, tent.
Hiking 40 miles on the Timberline Loop in Oregon
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Typical: 2 days (the hike's facts).
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Planning questions about Timberline Trail, answered only from this page's facts, the creators' versions and hikers' public tracks, with where each answer comes from. When the data doesn't say, the answer says "not given".
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Answered from the data
Questions people ask
How many days do you need for Timberline Trail?
The Forest Service says most trips take 3 to 4 days. I did it in two in July 2023, after a short walk-in the evening before: almost 27 miles to Cloud Cap on Day 1 and 13 miles back to the lodge on Day 2.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How much does Timberline Trail cost?
The permit and summer parking at the lodge are free. Cloud Cap Saddle Campground is $20 a night, cash or check. Other trailheads on the loop need a Northwest Forest Pass ($5 a day or $30 a year) or an Interagency pass ($80 a year for US residents, $250 for nonresidents from 2026). The Mt Hood Express bus is $2 each way.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
When is the best time to hike Timberline Trail?
The Forest Service gives July to October. Snow lingers into July on the high east side. I went July 21 to 23, 2023, and it was clear and very hot. In August 2026 a wildfire closed part of the east side until September 4, so check the alerts.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Do you need a permit for Timberline Trail?
A free wilderness permit you fill out yourself at the trailhead box, from May 15 to October 15. There's no quota or reservation in 2026. Summer parking at Timberline Lodge is free; from November 1 to April 30 you need an Oregon Sno-Park permit.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How long is the Timberline Trail?
My loop around Mount Hood was 40.2 miles on my GPS, with about 8,750 ft of climbing, clockwise from Timberline Lodge. The Forest Service calls it an approximately 40-mile loop.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Is the Eliot Branch crossing open?
Yes. A debris flow washed out the old crossing in 2006, and the Forest Service rerouted the trail across the Eliot Branch in 2016, reopening the full loop. It's still a ford with no bridge, and it was open with no closure in 2026.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Is there a bridge over the Sandy River on the Timberline Trail?
No. The Forest Service says there is no bridge and none will be installed. It's a ford, like the Muddy Fork, Coe Branch, Eliot Branch, Newton Creek and White River. Cross in the morning, when the glacial rivers are lower.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.