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.

How many days does the Timberline Trail take?

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.

Do you need a permit for the 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.

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.

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.

When is the best time to hike the 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.

The Timberline Trail film: Mount Hood, Oregon

Mount Hood, Oregon · 2 days · 40 miles

Timberline Trail Hiking Guide

A 40-mile loop around Mount Hood in 2 days.

Watch the film · 142K views

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Look inside

Real pages from the guide. Tap one to see it big.

A day page
A day map and elevation profile
At a glance
The river crossings

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The route

My GPS recording of 2 days on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts; the red dot is the finish. The full GPX files and the day maps come with the guide.

Relief map of the Timberline Trail route: 2 days drawn in red with numbered day starts, labelled Timberline Lodge, Mount Hood and Cloud Cap. — Map data: Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (USGS 3DEP, SRTM) on AWS · Glaciers, rivers & lakes © OpenStreetMap contributors

At a glance

Days: 2 days
Distance: 40 miles
Climbing: About 8,750 ft (2,670 m) up
Season: July to October
Permit: Free, filled out at the trailhead box (2026)
Start and end: Timberline Lodge

What's inside

Both days. Stats, the time I took, my notes, the trail, where to get off, a map with an elevation profile, and links to that day in my film.
My GPX files. My own recordings, with waypoints for every river crossing, Ramona Falls, Cairn Basin, Elk Cove, Cloud Cap and the high point, ready for AllTrails, Gaia GPS, Garmin or Organic Maps.
The river crossings. Every ford in order with its mile, which ones have no bridge, the Eliot Branch reroute, and how to cross.
Permits and rules. The free self-issued wilderness permit, where you can't camp or light a fire, and the 2026 fire closures, checked in October 2026.
Getting there. Portland to Timberline Lodge by car or bus, free summer parking, and the walk-in I did the night before.
More days. The miles between the main places, for planning a 3- or 4-day loop, and the Forest Service's bypass north of Ramona Falls.
Before you go and a trip sheet. One page of year-to-year checks and a printable one-page summary of the whole loop.

About this trip

In July 2023 I hiked the Timberline Trail alone, all the way around Mount Hood in Oregon: 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 and back across the White River. It's the trip from my film Hiking 40 miles on the Timberline Loop in Oregon. This guide has my GPS files, maps and notes for both days, every river crossing and how the Eliot Branch works now, the free permit and the 2026 camping, fire and closure rules, getting to the lodge from Portland, water and heat, and what I paid.

Watch the film on YouTube (142K views).

The Day 1, Timberline Lodge to Cloud Cap page from the Timberline Trail Hiking Guide

Free sample + packing list

Try Day 1 free, plus my packing list

Timberline Lodge to Cloud Cap

The whole day page from the guide as a PDF, plus my camping packing list: the 42 things I carry, with a note on each. The PDF opens right away and both come by email. You'll also get my emails about new guides and trips, a few a year.

The details

Format: A 50-page PDF sized for a phone (A5, prints fine too) and a folder of GPX files, in one zip download.
Edition: 2027 season edition, updated October 2026.
Delivery: Instant. After you pay you get a private download link. Bookmark it to download again on any device.
Payment: Secure checkout through Stripe, in your own currency. Tax is included in the price, except in the US and Canada, where any sales tax is added at checkout.
Refunds: Not useful? Email me within 30 days for a refund: kraig@kraigadams.com.
Questions: Email kraig@kraigadams.com.

Questions

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.
How many days does the Timberline Trail take?: 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.
Do you need a permit for the 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.
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.
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.
When is the best time to hike the 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.

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