Paradise Park

Distance: 12.3 miles

Elevation Gain: 2,800 feet.

Paradise Park is an amazing mid mountain meadow located right around the timberline on Mt Hood’s southwestern flank. In July and August, the area puts on one of Mt Hood’s most beautiful wildflower displays. Combine that with the ever-imposing view of Oregon’s highest mountain looming down on you from a vertical mile up, and throw in canyons, waterfalls, and rivers, and you have yourself one of the most popular hikes on Mt. Hood.

The hike begins right at the Timberline Lodge and ski area. Once you park and are headed up the road to the designated lodge guest parking area, look for the sign directing you up a flight of stairs to the PCT. This trail will merge with a service road and climb almost 200 feet in a quarter mile or so. Watch for another sign directing you to the PCT on your left and then you’re off!

From here, the trail begins its long but fairly gradual downhill grade towards Zigzag canyon. You will pass under the Magic Mile and Stormin Norman chairlifts and finally enter the wilderness area after a mile. The trail passes through Little Zigzag canyon and can get a little loose and steep, but it’s just a little canyon. Keep trekking around the headwall of another canyon and at 2.3 miles, come to an overlook of might Zigzag Canyon.

Zigzag Canyon plummets about 500 feet straight down in front of you. Knowing you get to cross this gash can make your legs feel a little wobbly. But don’t worry, it’s not too bad. Just gave upwards at the cool rock mesas and cliffs and the little twinkling sliver of water that is the Zigzag River churning below. If you look across the canyon, that grassy area above the trees is Paradise Park. See, you can see where you are going already.

The trail down the canyon drops almost 700 feet in about a mile, but doesn’t seem quite that steep for the majority of it (coming back can be a different story though). There are lots of cool springs along the decent as well as lots of huckleberry bushes. If it is mid-late August, snacking along the trail is a nice bonus.

Before you know it, you will find yourself at the bottom of the canyon and facing the Zigzag River. Its not a huge or dauting river by any means, but it can be a difficult one to get across with dry feet. Rocks and logs move year to year, so you never quite know what to expect. If you do have to wade it, it usually isn’t more than calf deep, in the summer and fall at least. Also, once you cross the river, you may want to head upstream just a tad to get some good views of Zigzag Falls as it drops into the canyon.

Once over the river, begin the climb up the north side of the canyon. Again, the climb is constant, but not too steep. In less than half a mile, you will reach the junction with the Paradise Park Loop Trail and will have a decision to make. First, if you are just wanting to hike into Paradise Park and aren’t interested in the loop, head right here. You could just barely enter the park and turn around and cut a couple miles or so off the hike if you want. But you’ve come all this way, why not experience it all. Some people claim that doing the PCT portion of the loop isn’t worth it because there aren’t any views of the mountain. There are still some beautiful wildflower meadows, some cool waterfalls in the draws, and just different terrain to experience. I always prefer loops so I would go for this option. I also like to save the best for last, so I like to head on the PCT first and experience Paradise Park on the return.

So head straight and remain on the PCT and continue to climb up through the forested slopes of Mt Hood. There are a couple more switchbacks before you clear Zigzag canyon but expect to be heading generally uphill for the next 3 miles or so. A little over a mile past the Paradise Park Trail Junction, you will cross over Lost Creek right near its junction with an unnamed tributary. Be sure to look upstream, as both creeks have pretty little waterfalls above you.

Another half a mile gates you to the edge of Rushing Water Creek canyon. The trail heads up the canyon here towards another waterfall before traversing around the canyon and back out. Keep heading through areas of meadows and forest for another half a mile until you reach the northern junction with the Paradise Park Loop Trail. Head right and as it begins to climb into Paradise.

Once on the Paradise Park Loop trail, you will quickly leave the trees behind and the flowery meadows open up before you, along with some epic views of Mt Hood. After a quarter mile or so of climbing, the trail turns south and begins its traverse through the park. If you are backpacking, watch for little side trails that lead to camping areas. The famous split rock, a huge boulder broken in two places is just a couple hundred yards above you and also makes for a great camping spot, if the weather is good.

The trail magic continues for about a mile with near uninterrupted views, verdant meadows, and bubbling creeks. Once passing back over Lost Creek, you will start to enter the trees again and begin heading back downhill. Open meadows are still shimmering with flowers though and the trek down the valley formed by a lateral moraine along Zigzag canyon is especially scenic.

All too quickly, you will find yourself make in the forest though and heading back down Zigzag canyon. Enjoy this downhill as it lasts though, because, in case you forgot, once you reach the river, its uphill all the way back to Timberline.

Directions

Timberline Lodge is pretty easy to find. Just head towards Mt Hood on Highway 26 from wherever you are. A third of a mile east of Government Camp, there will be a sign directing you to Timberline. Take that turn (left if you are coming from Portland, right from Central Oregon) and head the 5 miles up the twisty, curvy road to Timberline Lodge and ski area.

Things to Know

Passes: A Northwest Forest Pass is required to park at this trailhead and a self-issue wilderness permit is required once entering the wilderness.

Dogs: Allowed and must be on leash or under voice command at all times.

Usage: Heavy

Open Season: The trail will usually melt out sometime in July and remain snow free until late October or early November.

Bugs: Mosquitos and flies can be bad during the early summer, with mosquitos first, followed by black flies in August.

Flowers: This area is famous for its wildflowers. July and August are usually the peak months.