Hood River Mountain

Area	Columbia Gorge (east - OR)
Best time to visit	Late April through mid-May
Blooming Now	No
Elevation	1760-2120 feet
Trail Info	1.1 mile one-way to the northern end of the meadows, with app. 420 feet cumulative elevation change.
	PLANT LIST AVAILABLE
	WILDFLOWER SEARCH
Dogs	Allowed

NOTE: The blue marker indicates the trailhead.

Description

Hood River Mountain is an extremely rewarding hike for very little effort. The open ridge is covered with wildflowers, most notably Northwest Balsamroot (Balsamhoriza deltoidea), Carey's Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza careyana var. deltoida), Columbia Gorge Broad-Leaf Lupine (Lupinus latifolius var. thompsonianus), and Harsh Paintbrush (Castilleja hispida). Plus, on a clear day you will enjoy a fantastic view of Mount Hood and the Hood River Valley.

Directions

Take Interstate 84 to Exit 64 (Highway 35, White Salmon / Government Camp). Travel south on Button Bridge Road for 0.3 mile to a four-way stop, then proceed straight onto Highway 35. In 1.9 miles, turn left onto Whiskey Creek Road. Proceed 0.5 mile until it ends at Eastside Road. Turn left, then almost immediately (0.1 mile) turn right onto Old Dalles Road (perhaps mislabeled "Dr"). The pavement ends at 0.9 miles, but the gravel road is safe for normal passenger cars. At 2.0 miles from Eastside Road, curve right onto Elder Road. Continue 1.1 mile to a gated gravel road on your right (N 45° 39.765 W 121° 27.875). Park on the shoulder and do not block the gate. Start your hike by walking past the gate uphill on the gravel road.

If there is no room to park (which is highly unlikely), continue 0.7 mile south on Elder Road to the Whoopdee trailhead on the right/west side of the road. The trail starts at the northwest corner of the parking area, and passes through forest to join the gravel road near the radio tower.

Trip Reports

Date	Submitted by
Reports from previous years
04/26/2025	John Bishop
05/03/2018	Heidi Venture

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'Let us give Nature a chance; she knows her business better than we do.' -- Michel de Montaigne