Miles: 7.2 miles RT
Elevation Gain/Highest: 2,860 feet/6790 feet
Map: Nat Geo Mt. Hood, Green Trails Mt. Hood, OR No 462
Favorite Eats After Hike: Crush Cider, Walking Man Brewery, Backwoods Brewery, Thunder Island Brewing, Cascade Locks Ale House, Farm Stand Natural Foods, Dick’s Primal Burger, Back To Eden Bakery, or just Pack A Cooler. You can learn more about these places in my Must Hike Must Eat Eating Out Guide.
Find out current conditions and as always, practice Leave No Trace. Pretty please.
My hike: You can find out more story from our hike HERE.
This is a short but sweet trail we did at the beginning of March 2020 when there was still enough snow for snowshoes!
It starts at the trailhead for the Tilly Jane Ski Trail (#643) at 3,860 feet and climbs towards the Tilly Jane Campground through a dense forest on a moderate trail. A mile in the trail opens up at a burn from the 2008 Gnarl Ridge Fire on a wide, open ridge at 4,540 feet.
Before reaching the campground, the trail narrows again and conditions can be icy. Traction devices are necessary to keep from sliding down the slope!
The campground sits at almost 5,700 feet and there is a ski hut to greet you after 2.5 miles. We opted not to relax here but stopped to read about the A-Frame and Cook House that has welcomed outdoor tourists since 1924. An outdoor amphitheater makes for a good stop to put on snowshoes and grab a snack. It is possible to overnight here, check with the Hood River Ranger District first.
The Tilly Jane Trail spur (#600A) is just past the history kiosk and turns left to the south. A Mount Hood Wilderness information sign soon appears and the trail weaves through the forest to meet up with a ridge above the rocky drainage into Polallie Creek.
From here the trail opens up into a basin and Mount Hood stands regally in the background. We, of course, had no view so you will have to take my word for it.
At 6600 feet the trail meets the Timberline Trail that circumnavigates Mount Hood and just beyond it is the Cooper Spur shelter.
This makes for a great turn around point or pit stop before climbing further another 1900 feet, after which technical skills are needed. The shelter isn’t much and odds are it will be filled with snow in the winter but can offer a windbreak.
After enjoying the stunning views of Mount Hood and surrounding glaciers, you can either return exactly the way you came or back at the campground take a more leisurely (and longer) route back on the Cloud Cap Road. This offers a stop at Cloud Cap Inn, a historic cabin built in 1889, before sauntering down about 8.5 miles to reach the trailhead. The cabin is not open to the public but offers a view at Oregon mountaineering history!
Directions: From the town of Hood River along I-84 east of Portland, turn south and follow SR 35 to FR 3510 (Cooper Spur Road). Turn right and drive a few miles to a junction with FR 3512 at the Cooper Spur Ski Lodge. Turn left and drive up about 4 miles to a Y. Left is the Cooper Spur Ski Area and right is the trailhead and Cloud Cap Road (which will be closed off in the winter). There is also parking on the right just before the Y. There are no facilities.
For more trails in Oregon, check out my Southwest Washington and Columbia Gorge page as well as my Oregon page. You can also read about my Girls Weekend Columbia Gorge trip here!
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