Revision as of 22:20, 4 September 2020

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

Do not miss the right turn here at Lolo Pass (Cheryl Hill)

Early morning at the Vista Ridge Trailhead; it gets crowded later on, even during the week (bobcat)

• Weather forecast: NWS/NOAA
• Maps: Oregon Hikers Maps Google Maps
• Latitude, Longitude: 45.4429, -121.7292
• Elevation: 4500 feet

Hikes starting here

• Owl Point from Vista Ridge Hike   (TH | <—   —> | LOG)
• Perry Lake from Vista Ridge Hike   (TH | <—   —> | LOG)
• Cairn Basin from Vista Ridge Hike   (TH | <—   —> | LOG)
• Elk Cove from Vista Ridge Hike   (TH | <—   —> | LOG)

Fees & Regulations

• No pass required; no facilities at trailhead
• Entering wilderness; wilderness rules apply

Driving Directions

The Vista Ridge Trailhead can be reached from two directions, both are about the same travel time from Portland:

LOLO PASS ROUTE

This route is shorter in distance, but involves more driving on rough gravel roads. From Portland, 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 Lolo Pass Road and drive 10.7 miles to Lolo Pass where you will pass a Pacific Crest Trailhead sign on the right then immediately turn right on FS 18, which is signed for Lost Lake. This turn is very easy to miss! If you start passing two brown road markers on the right that say "100" you just missed your turn and you're about to head down a very rough road that is not passable for most vehicles.

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. Note that speed bumps have been created all along Road 1650, so you'll have to drive slowly.

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.

HOOD RIVER ROUTE

This is a slightly longer route that has much less rough road than the Lolo Pass route. From Portland, drive east on I-84 to Hood River, take Exit 62, turn right onto Cascade Avenue. After 0.25 mile turn right onto newly-constructed Mt. Adams Avenue, which quickly becomes Wine Country Avenue after a sharp turn to the right and after a short distance becomes Country Club Road after another sharp to the left. Country Club Road then heads west from here, briefly parallels the freeway, then climbs steeply and 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 mini-mart. Turn right on Tucker Road, and follow this route as it eventually descends to a bridge over the West Fork Hood River and passes the Apple Valley Country Store. Just beyond the bridge and store, turn sharply 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, following signs to Lost Lake at various twists and turns through orchards. Soon, this route enters (mostly clearcut) private forest lands and begins paralleling the West Fork Hood River, where it becomes Forest Road 13. After several miles, come to a well-signed 3-way junction at a hair-pin turn with paved Lolo Pass Road, which is Forest Road 18. Turn left onto Lolo Pass Road here, and follow it another 3.2 miles as it drops to another crossing of the West Fork Hood River, then climbs steeply for a few miles to a junction with paved Forest Road 16. A sign at this intersection points to Vista Ridge Trail #626. Go 5.4 miles on Road 16 and turn right at a very large, unsigned intersection onto Forest Road 1650, a well-maintained gravel road. The trailhead is 3.6 miles ahead, at the end of road 1650. Note that when you reach unsigned forks with a couple spur roads you will always go left and head uphill to stay on Forest Road 1650. Note that speed bumps have been created all along Road 1650, so you'll have to drive slowly.

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.

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

• Splintercat (Tom Kloster) (primary)
• User:retiredjerry