Mazamas — For the Love of Mountains
Hike the Mazama Trail to the Timberline Trail and then hike the Eden Park loop. Visit Cairn Basin and ford Ladd Creek twice. Abundant flowers in mid to late summer. Important: Drive to the trailhead via Hood River to avoid very rough roads.
Activity Notes
Wildflowers flanked by a volcano on the northwest side of Mt Hood. Most of our route was cleared of downed trees by Mazamas’ Trail Tenders earlier this summer. We will admire their efforts as we ascend 2,100’. There will still be masses of downed trees to negotiate, and the other possible hazard is two crossings of Ladd Creek. After we reach the Timberline Trail, we will hike the Eden Park loop and visit the Cairn Basin shelter.
With the delta variant traversing Oregon, I again prefer not to carpool. We will gather at Starvation Ridge Trailhead, I-84 exit 55 eastbound. We’ll use the bathrooms and then caravan to the Mazama Trailhead via Hood River. Approaching from this direction means any vehicle can handle it; there’s just a little easy gravel, and the primary hazard is miles of single-lane paved road.
| Other Information | |
|---|---|
| Driving Distance from Portland | 90 miles |
| Driving Time from Portland | 2 hours |
| Distance - Round Trip | 10 miles |
| Expected Duration | Car to car in one day |
| Interesting Features | Mountain Views, River or Creek Ford, Spectacular Views, Wildflowers |
