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Timberline Trail: a still from my film

Mount Hood, Oregon · July 2023 · Solo

Timberline Trail

64.7 KM · 2 DAYS · 2,670 M

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

Watch the film 17:07 · 142K views

At a glance

Where
Mount Hood, Oregon
Distance
64.7 km (40.2 miles)
Days
2 days, plus a short walk-in the evening before. Most people take 3 or 4
Climbing
About 8,750 ft (2,670 m) up and 8,670 ft (2,640 m) down
Season
July to October (Forest Service). I went July 21 to 23, 2023
Difficulty
Long days, steep canyon walls, sandy trail, and glacial rivers with no bridges
Start and end
Timberline Lodge
When I went
July 2023
Relief map of the Timberline Trail route: 2 days drawn in red with numbered day starts, labelled Timberline Lodge, Mount Hood and Cloud Cap.
Day 1Day 2Highest 7,310 ft (2,227 m)

Elevation, start to finish: highest 7,310 ft (2,227 m), lowest 3,280 ft (999 m).

My GPS recording on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts. The GPX files come with the guide.

Everything I made about it

The film

Photos

  • Mount Hood from the trail, Day 1.
    Mount Hood from the trail, Day 1.
  • Mount Hood from the east side, an hour out of Cloud Cap, Day 2.
    Mount Hood from the east side, an hour out of Cloud Cap, Day 2.
Beargrass beside the trail on the north side, Day 1.
Beargrass beside the trail on the north side, Day 1.

The guide · 50-page PDF + GPX files · 2027 season edition

Do it yourself

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

  • Both days
  • My GPX files
  • The river crossings
  • Permits and rules
  • Getting there

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Look inside the guide

Free sample

Try Day 1 free

The whole Day 1, Timberline Lodge to Cloud Cap page from the guide as a PDF, plus my camping packing list: the 42 things I carry, with a note on each. Both come by email. You'll also get my emails about new guides and trips, a few a year.

Music in this film

All music

What I'd take now

My current kit

Everything I use, in Tools

The Americas and New Zealand bundle

This guide is in The Americas and New Zealand Hiking Guide Pack: 36 guides for $39. Or all 62 guides for $59.

Short answers

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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