Timberline Trail around Mt. Hood - September 2025
Summary
In September of 2025, we backpacked 45 miles around Mt. Hood, the tallest mountain in Oregon, in the United States. This was our group’s first time back to a multi-day backpacking trip in a few years and did not disappoint!
AllTrails
AllTrails has a map that covers the entire trail that we hiked. One thing to note is the distance on AllTrails is about 10% short compared to what we had observed throughout the week. The total mileage based on our collective use of GPS watches was closer to 45 miles as opposed to AllTrail’s 40.
Where
The Timberline Loop Trail is in the Mt. Hood Recreation Area. Mt. Hood is east of Portland, Oregon and a prominent mountain in the area. Oregon is part of the Pacific Northwest region of the US, characterized by a beautiful combination of mountains and forestry.
Logistics
This trip was very quick and efficient. We didn’t have a lot of extra time on either side of the trip, so we needed to have our logistics figured out beforehand. We rented a car in Portland, and arrived on a Tuesday night. Wednesday morning we found fuel, last minute snacks, and drove to the Timberline Lodge, near Government Camp, which would serve as both the starting and ending point of our trip. We allocated 4 days and 3 nights to hike this trail, with the first and last days being a bit shorter. All in all, this worked out perfectly based on what we had predicted, but admittedly, there was not that much flexibility or room for error on either side of our hike.
Doing this hike in September really came with perfect weather conditions. We experienced nighttime lows in the high 40s to low 50s and daytime highs ranging from mid 60s to low 70s. The combination of the temperature with minimal wind, bug pressure, or precipitation proved to be about as perfect as one could expect for an extended trip outdoors.
Day 1 - Timberline Lodge to Sandy River (10 miles, 1,200ft elevation gain )
Our first day started in Portland, Oregon. We needed to find fuel, get some fishing intel, and grab lunch before we got started hiking. Along the way, we took the more scenic route up to Hood River, stopping to check out some of the waterfalls. Arriving at Timberline Lodge at 1:30PM, we quickly sorted our gear, did last minute food checks, ensured we were parked in the right place for overnight parking, and set off on our hike!
Normally, there is a permit that is required to do this hike, however this time of year, they were already taken down. Therefore, we just hopped on trail and took off clockwise, which is the more typical direction. The trail was a bit busy close to the lodge for the first mile or two, but then quickly became quiet and isolating. This part of the trail is shared with the Pacific Crest Trail, which was fun for the group as some of us had not yet shared miles with this legendary long trail!
Intersection of the Timberline Loop Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail
We knew this day would be one of the easier days. The trail was mostly downhill with a little elevation gain relative to the remaining days of the trip. Therefore, we really crushed miles for a few hours. It was clear pretty early on that we were all adjusting to being back on trail, specifically carrying 20+ pounds on our backs. Recently, we had been prioritizing a lot more day hiking or hut-to-hut style trips, so getting used to pack weight was a notable difference this time. This allowed for added opportunities for stops along the way. The views were pretty limited on Day 1, as fog had set in around us. These conditions further motivated us to keep moving along, to ensure we got to our final destination before dark.
We arrived at Sandy River rustic campsites around 6PM. There were already several other hikers in the area, so our selection on sites was relatively limited. We elected to split our group of 4 up into 2 groups of 2, in order to accommodate the sleeping arrangements as evenly as possible. In conclusion, Day 1 was a very fast start to our trip, with easy miles, adjustments along the way, and preparation for the rest of the trip to come!
Day 2 - Sandy River to Elk Cove (12.5 miles, 3,200ft elevation gain)
Day 2 would prove to be one of our more challenging days on the trail. We woke up a little later than expected, after having gotten just a few hours of sleep the first night of the trip. To add to the uniqueness of the day, one member of our group wanted to start early and go solo, to give himself a head start for the day, knowing both the mileage and the elevation gain would be significant increases compared to Day 1.
The remainder of the group took some time to get breakfast going, had some coffee, and started off around 8AM. One of our first observations for the day was that we had actually stopped early the night prior. Originally, we wanted to get to Ramona Falls to camp for the night, however Sandy River campsites were calling our names. Ramona Falls is one of the major attractions and landmarks for the trail, therefore we took some time to reflect and take in the beauty of this area upon our arrival about 1.5 miles into our day!
Ramona Falls
After taking in Ramona Falls, we continued on our day. The miles were not as aggressive as we had originally prepared for, so the day went a bit easier than anticipated. The most challenging aspect of this day, as well as all other days on the trail were the river crossings. Thankfully, doing this trail in September, the water levels were a lot more manageable than earlier in the year. Nonetheless, we needed to make sure we were as safe and cautious as possible to avoid falling into the water and jeopardizing our trip. This was the day that we actually observed someone fall into the river. Fortunately, he was traveling in a group and aside from a wet pack suffered no major consequences.
Day 2 was a foggy, cool day, which also helped with hiking. We really got into a groove and felt the weather and trail conditions were perfect for a smooth day. We arrived at Elk Cove much earlier than expected around 1PM. We also were fortunate to have found an amazing campsite for 4 off the trail, with private access to the river running through the area. After having set up camp, iced our feet, and started to relax, our other friend rolled into camp, completing the day about 30 minutes after us.
Knowing we had a bit more time on our hands at camp, we used this time to finally relax, catch up, and play cards together. Sunset was typically around 8PM, so this day we had about 6 hours of downtime. Normally, we don’t get to enjoy something like this as our adventures require a bit more mileage or time, but we all agreed it was a nice change of pace to have time to catch up and relax. With all that being said, we did float the idea of continuing on on Day 2 or Day 3 to try to shorten the trip by a half day or day, but some of the benefits described above outweighed the thought of pushing forward. This was one of the luxuries of this trail in having a lot of flexibility and options in terms of days to hike.
Day 3 - Elk Cove to Newton Creek (13.5 miles, 3,200ft elevation gain)
As we awoke on Day 3, it was abundantly clear we made the right choice staying put. The sunrise around us and the view of Mt. Hood was a tough view to leave. Additionally, after having reflected on the enjoyment we found with our added time together, we agreed to take Day 3 at a pace that ensured all 4 of us could stay together throughout the day. Day 3 was the most challenging day both in terms of trail length and conditions. We knew this going into the day, so we started as early as we could, around 7AM.
We were in luck as we started hiking for the day. We quickly realized the scenery and weather were changing in our favor. As the views became more expansive, the fog we had encountered the previous two days had also lifted. This presented perfect conditions to take in the beautiful, recurring views of Mt. Hood and the surrounding area in the background. Day 3 was marked with several river crossings, waterfalls, and our emergence into alpine hiking, getting our best views of Mt. Hood yet!
One of the major landmarks along the way was Cloud Cap campground. We used this as our midpoint for the day, but given our early start, decided we would press forward vs. stop for lunch. I think many in the group would agree that the second half of Day 3 was some of the best hiking and views of the trip. We really got to see Mt. Hood up close and personal, and also were met with a descent back into the evergreen forestry that we had really grown to enjoy.
We were the first to arrive at Newton Creek around 2PM and had received some recommendations from hikers traveling the opposite direction on where would be best to setup as a group. Their recommendations were very accurate and we got to enjoy a larger campsite for 4 situated above the main camping area, tucked away from the rest of the hikers. This night, we saw quite a bit more traffic from others on the trail. Similar to the day before, we enjoyed added downtime by playing cards in the Newton Creek basin, enjoying the remaining sunshine while we could!
Day 4 - Newton Creek to Timberline Lodge (8 miles, 2,200ft elevation gain)
We started Day 4 early again, knowing this would be our last day hiking and a breakfast buffet at the Timberline Lodge was waiting for us! We quickly tore down camp and got on trail, some of us passing on parts of our typical breakfast routine. The day started with a major climb, but as a reward for our efforts we were met with stunning views of Mt. Hood being engulfed by the incoming sunrise! This was my favorite view of the entire trip!
My favorite picture of the trip, seeing the sunrise hit Mt. Hood as we left Newton Creek
We spent most of the hike reflecting on the previous 3 days and nights together. We all agreed this was a nice change of pace compared to some of our more ambitious adventures. As we continue to get older and prioritize time together like this, we’ve found that finding balance between physical challenge and rest and relaxation together comes with great advantages.
With all that being said, the hiking on Day 4 was relatively straightforward after having left Newton Creek, crossing a few rivers, and exiting a canyon. The mileage was shared with ski resorts for the back half of our relatively easy 8 mile day. The major challenge for the day was hiking back up to Timberline Lodge, which sat about 2,000ft above us with 3 miles to go. This was a constant reminder of the physical endurance required to do these backpacking trips as nothing comes for free, not even the finish line!
Upon our arrival to the Timberline Lodge, we snagged a finish line photo, removed our backpacks, freshened up a bit and took off for the breakfast buffet. We were fortunate to finish shortly after 10AM, with the buffet being served until 11AM. From there, we used some of our late morning time to make a pitstop at Trillium Lake before heading back to Portland and concluding our time outdoors.
Our much awaited and delicious breakfast at the Timberline Lodge
Conclusion
The Timberline Loop Trail was almost exactly what we had hoped for. The weather conditions were ideal, the trail conditions were perfect, and the time of year offered a mix of solitude, with companionship on trail. We chose this trip as a means to get back to our roots of enjoying time backpacking together in remote areas across the US. I think everyone in the group came out of this week with a shared agreement that this hike checked all of the boxes we had hoped for!
Photos
All photos were taken with my phone at the time, the iPhone 12 Pro
