5 Great Hikes in Oregon’s Mt. Hood Territory

Oregon is one of America’s most beautiful states when it comes to nature.  When we spent a long weekend in Oregon City, our main goal was to spend as much time outdoors as possible.  There is a multitude of hiking trails of varying difficulty available to visitors to Oregon’s Mt. Hood Territory.  The five Oregon hikes that we chose provided a nice sampling of what Oregon has to offer hikers.

Related: Things to Do in Oregon City and Mt. Hood Territory

Mt. Hood National Forest Mirror Lake Trail

The Mirror Lake Trail within Mt. Hood National Forest is a 2.1-mile roundtrip hike with an elevation gain of 1,400 feet.  2.1 miles doesn’t sound very long, but it felt longer because there is quite a bit of uphill, especially when approaching the lake.  The trail is shaded by a forest of tall trees so you can stay cool even in the middle of summer.

The views of the lake are worth the climb.  Be sure to walk around the entire lake.  We found the best views to be at the halfway point around the lake.  Walking around the lake adds another half-mile.  Part of the trail around the lake is a wooden plank walkway crossing the wilderness terrain.  As the name implies, the mirror surface of the lake creates a picturesque reflection of Mt. Hood. 

Mt. Hood National Forest Trillium Lake Trail

The Trillium Lake Trail is a much easier lake trail at 1.9 miles around the lake with no elevation gain.  The trail is a mix of flat compacted earth and wooden boardwalks.  This trail also provides views of Mt. Hood.  As the trail crosses through wetlands, there are also bird watching opportunities. 

Trillium Lake is a popular place for people to enjoy the shore and water sports like kayaking and paddle boarding.  There is a campground along part of the lake.  When we hiked the trail the beach on the dam was completely filled because it was a holiday weekend.

Mt. Hood National Forest Barlow Trail

The Barlow Trail was the least picturesque of the hikes we took, but what makes it interesting is that it was once part of the Historic Barlow Road, one of the final legs of the Historic Oregon Trail.  The trail is .6 miles one-way with a 100-foot elevation gain.  The trail is rustic and rocky in places because its historic characteristics are being preserved.

Mt. Hood National Forest Little Zigzag Falls Trail

The Little Zigzag Falls Trail is a short half-mile one-way hike that leads hikers 100 feet uphill along a stream with a destination of a very pretty waterfall.  Because the trail is shaded and follows along running water, the temperature stays very cool.  The hike is easy and short and the return is far greater than the effort required.

Molalla River Trails System

The Molalla River Recreation Corridor has 20 miles of trails.  However, unlike the Mt. Hood National Forest which has in-depth descriptions of each hike on their website, the online documentation of the Molalla River Trails System is a bit lacking, which made it hard for us to choose our trails of choice.  However, as we started hiking the trails system, we ran into two ladies on horseback who were kind enough to provide us with suggestions that turned out to create a beautiful hike.

The most popular trailhead is the Hardy Creek Trailhead, but after our conversation, we left that trailhead and chose to start our hike at the Annie’s Cabin Trailhead, which can be easy to miss as it consists of a yellow gate part way up a hill and an unmarked dirt parking area across the street.  The good news is that the trails themselves are well-marked, so we were easily able to create a hike made with a combination of trails using a picture of the South Trails map that was at the trailhead.

We started with the Yellow Gate Trail, took a right on Huckleberry Trail and passed Annie’s Cabin.  We left the main trail and followed the much narrower Fern Creek Trail, which passes through a fern forest.  We eventually met up with the Loop Trail, which we followed until it met back up with the Huckleberry Trail, which we followed, under the shade of towering trees, back to our starting trailhead.  As was true with the other trails we hiked, the Molalla River Trails System is almost completely shaded.

A recreation pass is required for hiking trails within Mt. Hood National Forest.  It is possible to buy a day pass or an annual pass, depending on how many days you will be hiking.  A parking fee may be required by the Bureau of Land Management when hiking in the Olalla River Recreation Corridor, though during our visit all we saw was a voluntary donation box partway into the hike.  Most of these hikes in Mt. Hood National Forest are snow-free in the summer and fall months.  Visit the closest U.S. Forest Ranger Station before setting out to see if any trails have unexpected conditions.

Thank you to Oregon’s Mt. Hood Territory for hosting our long weekend in Oregon City and The Territory and making this post possible.  As always, all opinions are our own.

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Things to Do In Oregon City and Mt. Hood Territory

We spent the Fourth of July weekend in Oregon’s Mt. Hood Territory for some well-deserved communing with nature.  While only a half-hour’s drive away from the city of Portland, The Territory feels a world away with its small towns and a wide range of outdoor activities.  For our four-day visit to Mt. Hood Territory, we hiked, kayaked, and checked out fun and interesting things to do in Oregon City.

Hiking Trails

The main reason for our trip was to spend some quality time outdoors.  In Oregon’s Mt. Hood Territory there are plenty of hikes from which to choose.  Most of them can be found in Mt. Hood National Forest.  There are short hikes, long hikes, easy hikes, and difficult hikes.  We chose a mix of hikes that took us to lakes with views of Mt. Hood, a remaining section of the Oregon Trail, and a waterfall.  Another great place for hiking in The Territory is the Molalla River Recreation Corridor.  The Molalla River Trails System is a collection of 20 miles of trails through forests and fern groves.

Kayaking

During the summer months, ranger-led kayak tours are offered along Estacada Lake in Milo McIver State Park.  We’d never heard of a ranger-led kayak tour before.  Estacada Lake is the perfect spot for kayaking.  We paddled our way along the smooth water, sliding under shady trees, along the length of the lake down to the bridge and back.

Special Events

Oregon’s Mt. Hood Territory has festivals and activities year-round.  During our weekend in Oregon City, we participated in two fun and very different events.

One event that happens throughout the year is Field & Vine’s Dinner in the Field series.  Each multi-course meal is served at a different place each time in Oregon’s wine and farm country.  Ours was held in a field surrounded by alpacas at Alpacas at Marquam Hill Ranch.

Our meal consisted of gruyere cheese focaccia, warm spinach salad, crushed Yukon potatoes, Oregon ling cod, grilled brocollini, Cascade Farms beef short ribs, and buttermilk panna cotta, accompanied by wine from Alexeli Vineyards.

Another special event we attended on our long weekend in Mt. Hood Territory was the Molalla Buckeroo PRCA Rodeo.  I’ve always wanted to go to a rodeo and I was excited that my first rodeo would be such a historic one.  Rodeo events have been happening here since 1913, and the operation became official in 1925.

The Molalla Buckeroo features a number of traditional rodeo events like bareback riding, barrel racing, bull riding, saddle bronc, steer wrestling, team roping, tie-down roping, and the beloved donkey races.  There was even a rodeo clown.  I was surprised by how exciting a rodeo can be.  I was on the edge of my seat.  But I can’t lie, I was cheering for the little steers that got away.  Don’t tell the cowboys.

For information about future events, check Oregon's Mt. Hood Territory's event calendar.

McLoughlin Promenade

For a nice walk and views of Willamette Falls and the old abandoned mills along the river, follow the McLoughlin Promenade.  The McLoughlin Promenade was first constructed in 1938 as part of the Works Progress Administration project created by President Roosevelt in order to provide employment to unemployed Americans.  (Mt. Hood’s Timberline Lodge was also built as part of that project.)  However, the land for the promenade was first donated to be used as a promenade in 1851 by Dr. John McLoughlin.

Oregon City Municipal Elevator

The Oregon City Municipal Elevator is a 130-foot elevator that connects the upper McLoughlin neighborhood and promenade to the lower downtown Oregon City, making it the only "vertical street" in North America.  This is the second elevator in this spot as the first was built in 1915 and was water-powered.  The current elevator was completed in 1955 and has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.  The Oregon City Municipal Elevator is one of only four municipal elevators in the world.

Oregon City Main Street

While in the heart of Oregon City, Main Street offers a nice little stroll.  There are a number of restaurants, boutique stores, and craft beer and wine tasting shops.

Historic House Museums

Oregon City is Oregon’s first city.  It was established in 1829 by Dr. John McLoughlin.  Dr. John McLoughlin was originally a medical doctor from Canada.  He moved to Fort William to practice as a physician, but became a prominent fur trader and later became known as the Father of Oregon.  Oregon City is the end of the Oregon Trail and Dr. McLoughlin helped travelers along the Oregon Trail navigate the river and gave them food if they had no money.

Today visitors to Oregon City can visit the McLoughlin House as well as graves of the Father of Oregon and his wife Marguerite.  Neither the house nor the graves are original to the site, but were moved in order to be preserved.  The house used to be on the Willamette River but was moved up the hill in 1909 on rollers with one horse and a circular pulley system.

The house was opened as a museum in 1910.  The house features a number of the McLoughlin’s furnishings and photos, including things like a horsehair couch and the oldest item in the house, a quilt from the 1700s.

Next door to the McLouglin House is the Barclay House, which was owned by Dr. Forbes Barclay, physician, mayor of Oregon City, superintendent of schools, and coroner, and his wife Maria Pambrun Barclay.  The house is now used as offices for the National Park Service and is where tours of the McLoughlin House begin.

Just a couple blocks away from the McLoughlin house is the Stevens-Crawford House, one of only a few historic homes in Oregon City that have never been moved.  The Stevens-Crawford House was built in 1908 by Medorem Crawford and his wife Mary-Elisabeth.  Medorem was a wagon master, guiding pioneers along the Oregon Trail.  He was also a friend of Abraham Lincoln and later one of his pallbearers. 

Much of the house has been restored to its original condition and can be visited on a guided tour.

Willamette Falls Heritage Trail

A number of these things to do in Oregon City can be found along the Willamette Falls Heritage Trail.  Oregon’s Mt. Hood Territory launched a downloadable app which shares stories about the region’s history through a self-guided tour of 30 heritage and cultural sites in Oregon City, West Linn, and Lake Oswego.

Oregon City Restaurants, Breweries and Distilleries

McMenamins Oregon City

We came into town on a late flight and there aren’t many restaurants open late at night around Oregon City.  There was one place open, however, and that was McMenamins Oregon City.  McMenamins is one of Oregon’s largest craft breweries.  What makes them unique is that they take historic buildings and turn them into brewpubs, breweries, music venues, and hotels.  McMenamins Oregon City is housed in a historic church with pew seating.

Oregon City Brewing Co. and OP Wurst

Another one of Oregon’s craft breweries in Oregon City is Oregon City Brewing Co.  Their logo is pioneering beer for the pioneer city.  The brewery is family-owned, started by Bryce Marrow along with his father and father-in-law.  The brewery serves not only its own beers, but also beers and ciders from other breweries.   We tried the Elevator Ale, the brewery’s flagship IPA, and the Creamy & Dreamy pale stout, a deliciously smoky stout best first tasted with the eyes closed as the pale color makes one forget they're drinking a stout.

Connected to Oregon City Brewing Co. is OP Wurst, allowing craft beer drinkers to accompany their brew with a top-of-the-line frankfurter.  Olympia Provisions started Frankfurter Friday in 2012 and it became so popular they opened OP Wurst, specializing in craft hot dogs.

Tony’s Fish Market

Across the street from Oregon City Brewing Co. is Tony’s Fish Market, a family-owned market that’s been around since 1936.  Rome had a hankering for some oysters and I was curious about the smoked salmon candy, which turned out to be something like beef jerky made with smoked salmon.

Stone Cliff Inn

Stone Cliff Inn is a restaurant made of logs looking out over the Clackamas River.  The restaurant is known for its recipes prepared from scratch.  Stone Cliff Inn is also known for its appearances in the Twilight movie.  We made a meal of appetizers after our kayak tour.  Rome, as always, was crazy for the oyster shooters.  I was impressed by the unique flavors of the smoked salmon cakes.  The salmon is smoked on site. 

Pho Thi

It was hard to find a restaurant open on the Monday before the Fourth of July in Oregon City.  We passed Pho Thi and Rome was ready to go in, but I was a little suspicious of a Vietnamese restaurant on Main Street of Oregon City.  But I checked for reviews on my phone and found they were good, so in we went.  Pho Thi turned out to be a delicious choice serving Vietnamese food like pho and bun cha that brought us back to our time in Vietnam.

Arch Bridge Tap House

Just around the corner from Pho Thi in downtown Oregon City is Arch Bridge Tap House, named after the arch bridge just down the street.  Arch Bridge Tap House is a great place to relax, possibly in a window seat, and enjoy a craft beer.  There are even games if you’re looking for a little more excitement.

Trail Distilling

Trail Distilling is the First City’s first distillery since Prohibition.  It is a family-owned operation by a couple who wanted to get into the alcohol business, but didn’t want to open a bar because they like to go to bed early.  Trail Distilling makes rum, vodka, and gin, and will soon be making rye whiskey with rye from a family farm.  We visited the distillery because I love a good craft gin and Trail Distilling’s Trillium Gin did not disappoint with its fourteen botanicals, especially the barrel-aged gin. 

Oregon City Hotel

For our long weekend in Oregon’s Mt. Hood Territory we stayed at the Best Western Plus Rivershore Hotel.  Most rooms have a balcony and river view.  Our room was one of the larger rooms with a king bed and living room area with couch, chair, and business desk.  The hotel has a pool, hot tub, and restaurant, the Rivershore Bar & Grill.

We ate breakfast each morning at the Rivershore Bar & Grill to fuel up for our hikes each day, and each morning the restaurant was full.  It’s clearly a popular spot with the locals because there was even a bridal shower held on the deck.

Just across the street from the hotel is Clackamette Park which provides a walking trail along the river.

Sometimes when we tell people we are going on small trips like this to some random place in the US, they’re surprised because it isn’t exotic.  But every time we are reminded that little trips like this are so much fun.  Oregon is such a beautiful state with good food, good beer, good wine, good spirits, good hikes, and some of the best scenery.  A vacation doesn’t have to be exotic, far away, or expensive to be great.  We can see ourselves traveling to this part of Oregon again.

Thank you to Oregon’s Mt. Hood Territory for hosting our long weekend in Oregon City and The Territory and making this post possible.  As always, all opinions are our own.

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