Every winter I always see questions online (both here and elsewhere) about the best places to snowshoe on Mt. Hood, so I thought I'd start a thread. Feel free to chime in with your favorites!
(Note: these all start at sno parks, which means you have to have a sno park permit, available to buy at many retailers including REI.)
Park at Glacier View Sno Park or Skiway Sno Park and explore the network of trails behind Government Camp. I haven't done all the trails, but the ones I've done have been pretty easy. There are several maps floating around there. Here is one from Outdoor Project.
Park at Trillum Lake Sno Park and follow closed roads for a five-mile loop passes by Trillium Lake where you can see Mt. Hood on a clear day. Keep out of the groomed ski tracks if you are walking or on snowshoes. This one is super popular and gets VERY crowded. Also you have to go uphill at the very end to get back to your car.
Park at Barlow Pass Sno Park and hike south on the PCT until you feel like turning around and heading back. Alternatively you can follow Road 3530 until you feel like turning around.
Park at Frog Lake Sno Park and do the Twin Lakes loop. The downside here is that the sno park is also a jumping off point for snowmobiles, which produce a lot of noise and exhaust. Fortunately after a few minutes on the trail you leave that behind; their route is not the same as yours.
Park at White River West Sno Park and snowshoe towards the mountain until you feel like turning around. Great for a clear day since the mountain is RIGHT THERE.
Park at White River East Sno Park and snowshoe down Road 48. Not the most interesting route and it's road the whole way, plus you gain elevation on the way back. But it's not difficult.
Park at Bennett Pass Sno Park and showshoe down Bennett Pass Road (Road 3550). Nice view of Mt. Hood on a clear day!
I'm sure I'm forgetting a few, but this is a start.
Favorite Snowshoe Routes on Mt. Hood?
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justpeachy
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adamschneider
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Re: Favorite Snowshoe Routes on Mt. Hood?
Two more from Barlow Pass:
1) When the soutbound PCT leaves the ridgecrest, stay on the ridge ("Ghost Ridge," a.k.a. "Tri-County Ridge," although the maps don't call it anything). Then return on the PCT. Or keep going to Bird Butte or Upper Twin Lake.
2) Go up Barlow Butte, then bomb downhill to the east and return via Forest Road 3560.
1) When the soutbound PCT leaves the ridgecrest, stay on the ridge ("Ghost Ridge," a.k.a. "Tri-County Ridge," although the maps don't call it anything). Then return on the PCT. Or keep going to Bird Butte or Upper Twin Lake.
2) Go up Barlow Butte, then bomb downhill to the east and return via Forest Road 3560.