Majestic and breathtaking, Mount Hood is one of the most popular mountains to visit in Oregon, with most hikers stopping by during the winter months. In contrast, the east side of the mountain provides a welcome reprieve from the crowds and a remarkable tranquility.
The best place to start is the Elk Meadows and Sahalie Falls Trailhead, which will take you through a path surrounded by mixed firs, black huckleberries, and hemlocks, then past the Clark and Newton Creeks. After exploring Elk Meadows, continue on to the Sahalie Falls Trailhead for a beautiful introduction to Oregon’s incredible rivers and waterfalls on an old-growth forest loop. The pinnacle of this trailhead is the 100-foot-tall Sahalie Falls, one of the McKenzie River’s two grandest waterfalls. Visitors can expect a moderate hike through both trailheads with an elevation gain of 780 feet for Elk Meadows and 400 feet for Sahalie Falls. Elk Meadows and Sahalie Falls Trailhead Map