9 Mount Hood Adventures with Kids -2019
Updated: Jan 27, 2019
Looking for some fun kid-friendly activities in the Mount Hood region aside from skiing and snow tubing? You came to the right place! Here are our favorite things to do at Mt. Hood with kids in the spring, summer and fall! . Mount hood has so many kid friendly adventures if you just know where to look. Ready? Let's go!
1. Mirror Lake
Looking for a fun and exiting kid friendly adventure in the Mount Hood area? Mirror Lake is a beautiful lake with a lovely rambling trail that clocks in at around 4 miles round trip. Check out a wonderful review of Mirror Lake from one of our amazing community members, PNW Family Explorers. Check out their Mirror Lake adventure here and their Instagram page here.
Quick Mirror Lake Details
Difficulty - Moderate
Distance - 4.1 miles
Route Type - Out and Back
Elevation Gain - 679 feet
Best Time - March to October
2. Ramona Falls
Read our full review of Ramona Falls here:
Ramona falls is located in the Mt. Hood National Forest near Rhododendron, Oregon. The main draw of this hike is Ramona Falls, beautiful cascading waterfalls about 3.5 miles up the trail. We ventured out hoping to make it the entire 7 mile round trip but ran out of water just after the Sandy River and had to turn back ( about 1.7 miles out).
We saw a lot of families who made it to the river and turned back, which is a gorgeous section of the trail in itself. I didn't see too many other families ( especially with littler kids who were walking) past the river. Though I think a lot of that had to do with the fact it was a 95 degree day when we hiked this ( which was not our best idea!)
3. Clear Lake, Mt. Hood, Oregon
Clear Lake is in Mt. Hood's National Forest near Maupin , ( a few miles past Timberline Lodge and Trillium Lake). We loved that the lake was fairly shallow for at least 10 FT out ( that's as far as we explored) and in some parts, it's very clear.
There are nice trails that go around the lake on well maintained and compact single track. There are also a variety of campgrounds and bathrooms available around the lake. On a nice summer day, Clear Lake can be very crowded which pushed us further away from the main parking lot when deciding where we should settle in. We recommend you arrive early to get the best spots.
Read our full review on Clear Lake here
4. Trillium Lake
One of our favorite lakes is Trillium Lake. In the winter you can snowshoe and in the warmer months it is a perfect spot to relax and play in the shadows of mount hood. The lake has bathrooms and a campground. There is also a lovely two miles loop around the lake that is perfect for little hikers. In the summer this area can be really crowded, so make sure to arrive early when the weather warms up.
5. Lost Lake
Another must see location on mount hood is Lost Lake. With a beautiful campground, beautiful trails and a boat rental facility, you could easily spend a week here !
6. Paradise Park
PNW Kids community members have reported this is a lovely place to see alpine wildflowers in bloom in July and August. This trail clocks in around 12.1 miles roundtrip but you certainly don't have to do the entire hike, even a small section will be absolutely beautiful and worth the trek!
7. Timothy Lake
Timothy Lake has a wonderful campground and is home to the South Shore Trail, which is a lovely path with striking views of Mt .Hood. The lake is also a fun place to canoe, kayak or SUP. Plus this lake has absolutely amazing views of Mt. Hood.
9. Little Zig Zag Falls
A perfect kid friendly adventure at Mt. Hood, Zig Zag trails is perfect to beat the summer heat but can be enjoyed anytime of the year! The hike in is very small and you can lounge around at the foot of this beautiful waterfall!
Have you been to Mount Hood with your kids? What did you think? Add your thoughts on these adventures to help our community of adventurous PNW families! Let us know in the comments below!
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