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Difference between revisions of "Vista Ridge Trailhead"

From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
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[[Category:Viewpoints]]
 
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[[Category:Alpine]]
 
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[[Category:Glacier]]
 
 
[[Category:Wildflowers]]
 
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[[Category:Forest Road Access]]
 
[[Category:Trailheads]]
 
[[Category:Trailheads]]
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[[Image:HoodVistaRidgeRoad.jpg|thumb|400px|Mount Hood from the road to Vista Ridge Trailhead "(Tom Kloster)"]]
 
[[Image:HoodVistaRidgeRoad.jpg|thumb|400px|Mount Hood from the road to Vista Ridge Trailhead "(Tom Kloster)"]]
  
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{{maplinkinfo|latitude=45.442|longitude=-121.7255}}
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{{maplinkinfo|latitude=45.4429|longitude=-121.7292}}
 
{{Elevation|4500 feet}}
 
{{Elevation|4500 feet}}
  
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=== Fees & Regulations ===
 
=== Fees & Regulations ===
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* Northwest Forest Pass required
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* No pass required.
  
 
=== Driving Directions ===
 
=== Driving Directions ===
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Drive to the community of Zigzag on U.S. 26 which is 18 miles east of Sandy and 10 miles west of Government Camp.
 
Drive to the community of Zigzag on U.S. 26 which is 18 miles east of Sandy and 10 miles west of Government Camp.
  
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From Zigzag, go north on the Lolo Pass Road and drive 10.7 miles to Lolo Pass, and the end of pavement.  
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From Zigzag, at the Zigzag store, go north on the Lolo Pass Road and drive 10.7 miles, and take the second right at Lolo Pass, onto FS 18, which is signed for Lost Lake. After 5.5 miles of gravel you’ll be back on pavement, and 5 miles beyond that – a total of 10.5 miles on FS 18 since Lolo Pass – make a hairpin right onto paved FS 16. (A sign at this intersection points to Vista Ridge Trail #626) Go 5.4 miles and turn right at a large intersection onto FS 1650, which quickly becomes good gravel road. The trailhead is 3.6 miles ahead, at the end of the road. Note that twice during this stretch you’ll need to stay left and uphill on the bigger of two roads.  
  
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Turn right on gravel McGee Creek Road 18. After 5.5 miles it becomes paved. Follow this for another 5.5 miles.
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An enticing view of Mount Hood unfolds just as you approach the trailhead, foreshadowing the trip ahead. Parking can be tight where the road abruptly ends at the trailhead, so be prepared to backtrack and park along the shoulder.
  
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Turn sharp right onto paved Road 16. This is under power lines, and there's a sign saying "Vista Ridge Trail 626, 8 miles". Follow this for 5.5 miles.
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For a slightly longer route that has less rough road, drive east on I-84 to Hood River, take Exit 62, turn right onto Westcliff Drive, then immediately right on Country Club Road, which briefly parallels the freeway, then turns south. At a T-intersection with Barrett Drive, turn left, and follow Barrett Drive for about a mile to Tucker Road, marked by a gas station and grocery story. Turn right on Tucker, and follow this route as it eventually descends to a bridge over the West Fork Hood River and passes a fruit market. Just beyond the bridge and market, turn right on Dee Highway and follow this route for approximately 7 miles to the abandoned mill site at Dee. Take the fork to the right onto the Lost Lake Highway, and following signs to Lost Lake at various twists and turns through orchards. Soon, this route enters forest and begins paralleling the West Fork, and enters the National Forest, also becoming Forest Road 13. After several miles, come to the well-signed junction at a hair-pin turn with Lolo Pass Road, which is also Forest Road 18. Turn left onto Lolo Pass Road, and follow it 3.2 miles as it drops to another crossing of the West Fork, then climbs for a few miles to the junction with Forest Road 16. Turn left, onto Road 16, and from here follow the directions described in the Zigzag approach.
  
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At a broad intersection, turn sharply right onto Spur road 1650. It is paved for about 25 yards, then gravel. There is another trail sign here, but it's tough to see.  Follow this road 3.7 miles to the trailhead. Twice during this stretch, you'll see smaller roads going off to the right; always stay left and on the larger road. This is good gravel road.  An enticing view of Mount Hood unfolds just as you approach the trailhead, foreshadowing the trip ahead. Parking can be tight where the road abruptly ends at the trailhead, so be prepared to backtrack and park along the shoulder.
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[http://adamschneider.net/hiking/Vista_Ridge_roads.html See a map] of the different driving approaches to the trailhead.
  
−
For a slightly longer route that has less rough road, drive east on I-84 to Hood River, take Exit 62, turn right onto Westcliff Drive, then immediately right on Country Club Road, which briefly parallels the freeway, then turns south. At a T-intersection with Barrett Drive, turn left, and follow Barrett Drive for about a mile to Tucker Road, marked by a gas station and grocery story. Turn right on Tucker, and follow this route as it eventually descends to a bridge over the West Fork Hood River and passes a fruit market. Just beyond the bridge and market, turn right on Dee Highway and follow this route for approximately 7 miles to the abandoned mill site at Dee. Take the fork to the right onto the Lost Lake Highway, and following signs to Lost Lake at various twists and turns through orchards. Soon, this route enters forest and begins paralleling the West Fork, and enters the National Forest, also becoming Forest Road 13. After several miles, come to the well-signed junction at a hair-pin turn with Lolo Pass Road, which is also Forest Road 18. Turn left onto Lolo Pass Road, and follow it 3.2 miles as it drops to another crossing of the West Fork, then climbs for a few miles to the junction with Forest Road 16. Turn left, onto Road 16, and from here follow the directions described in the Zigzag approach.
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Note that this trailhead does not have enough parking to accommodate the high volume of hikers who come here. Get here early to get a parking spot.  
  
 
=== Page Contributors ===
 
=== Page Contributors ===
 
* [[User:Splintercat|Splintercat (Tom Kloster)]] (primary)
 
* [[User:Splintercat|Splintercat (Tom Kloster)]] (primary)
 
* [[User:retiredjerry]]
 
* [[User:retiredjerry]]

Revision as of 13:41, 24 June 2017

Mount Hood from the road to Vista Ridge Trailhead "(Tom Kloster)"

Contents

Hikes starting here

The Vista Ridge Trailhead is east of Lolo Pass, and is the starting point for several hikes on the scenic north side of Mount Hood. There is no water or restroom here, nor good campsites at the trailhead.

Fees & Regulations

  • No pass required.

Driving Directions

The Vista Ridge Trailhead can be reached from Lolo Pass Road.

Drive to the community of Zigzag on U.S. 26 which is 18 miles east of Sandy and 10 miles west of Government Camp.

From Zigzag, at the Zigzag store, go north on the Lolo Pass Road and drive 10.7 miles, and take the second right at Lolo Pass, onto FS 18, which is signed for Lost Lake. After 5.5 miles of gravel you’ll be back on pavement, and 5 miles beyond that – a total of 10.5 miles on FS 18 since Lolo Pass – make a hairpin right onto paved FS 16. (A sign at this intersection points to Vista Ridge Trail #626) Go 5.4 miles and turn right at a large intersection onto FS 1650, which quickly becomes good gravel road. The trailhead is 3.6 miles ahead, at the end of the road. Note that twice during this stretch you’ll need to stay left and uphill on the bigger of two roads.

An enticing view of Mount Hood unfolds just as you approach the trailhead, foreshadowing the trip ahead. Parking can be tight where the road abruptly ends at the trailhead, so be prepared to backtrack and park along the shoulder.

For a slightly longer route that has less rough road, drive east on I-84 to Hood River, take Exit 62, turn right onto Westcliff Drive, then immediately right on Country Club Road, which briefly parallels the freeway, then turns south. At a T-intersection with Barrett Drive, turn left, and follow Barrett Drive for about a mile to Tucker Road, marked by a gas station and grocery story. Turn right on Tucker, and follow this route as it eventually descends to a bridge over the West Fork Hood River and passes a fruit market. Just beyond the bridge and market, turn right on Dee Highway and follow this route for approximately 7 miles to the abandoned mill site at Dee. Take the fork to the right onto the Lost Lake Highway, and following signs to Lost Lake at various twists and turns through orchards. Soon, this route enters forest and begins paralleling the West Fork, and enters the National Forest, also becoming Forest Road 13. After several miles, come to the well-signed junction at a hair-pin turn with Lolo Pass Road, which is also Forest Road 18. Turn left onto Lolo Pass Road, and follow it 3.2 miles as it drops to another crossing of the West Fork, then climbs for a few miles to the junction with Forest Road 16. Turn left, onto Road 16, and from here follow the directions described in the Zigzag approach.

See a map of the different driving approaches to the trailhead.

Note that this trailhead does not have enough parking to accommodate the high volume of hikers who come here. Get here early to get a parking spot.

Page Contributors

Retrieved from "https://www.oregonhikers.org/w/index.php?title=Vista_Ridge_Trailhead&oldid=70680"
Oregon Hikers Field Guide is built as a collaborative effort by its user community. While we make every effort to fact-check, information found here should be considered anecdotal. You should cross-check against other references before planning a hike. Trail routing and conditions are subject to change. Please contact us if you notice errors on this page.

Hiking is a potentially risky activity, and the entire risk for users of this field guide is assumed by the user, and in no event shall Trailkeepers of Oregon be liable for any injury or damages suffered as a result of relying on content in this field guide. All content posted on the field guide becomes the property of Trailkeepers of Oregon, and may not be used without permission.