| Mount Hood National Forest | |
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IUCN Category VI (Managed Resource Protected Area)
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Snow covered Mount Hood peaks above the Mount Hood National Forest |
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| Location | Oregon, USA |
| Nearest city | Government Camp, Oregon |
| Area | 1,067,043 acres (4,318 km2) |
| Established | 1908 |
| Visitors | 4.4 million[1] (in 2006) |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
The Mount Hood National Forest is located 62 miles (100 km) east of the city of Portland, Oregon, and the northern Willamette River valley. The Forest extends south from the Columbia River Gorge across more than 60 miles (97 km) of forested mountains, lakes and streams to the Olallie Scenic Area, a high lake basin under the slopes of Mount Jefferson. The Forest encompasses some 1,067,043 acres (4,318.17 km2).[2] Forest headquarters are located in Sandy, Oregon. A 1993 Forest Service study estimated that the extent of old growth in the Forest was 345,300 acres (139,700 ha).[3] The Forest is divided into four separate districts - Barlow (with offices in Dufur), Clackamas River (Estacada), Hood River (Mount Hood-Parkdale), and Zigzag (Zigzag).
In descending order of land area the National Forest is located in parts of Clackamas, Hood River, Wasco, Multnomah, Marion, and Jefferson counties.[4]
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Mount Hood National Forest was first established as the Bull Run Forest Reserve in 1892. It was merged with part of Cascade National Forest on July 1, 1908 and named Oregon National Forest. The name was changed again to Mount Hood National Forest in 1924.[5]
In 2010, Mount Hood National Forest was honored with its own quarter under the America the Beautiful Quarters program.[6]
The Mount Hood National Forest is one of the most-visited National Forests in the United States, with over four million visitors annually. Less than five percent of the visitors camp in the forest. The forest contains 170 developed recreation sites, including:[1][2][7]
Other common recreational activities in the Mount Hood National Forest include fishing, boating, hiking, hunting, rafting, horseback riding, skiing, mountain biking, berry-picking, and mushroom collecting.[2] A portion of the Pacific Crest Trail passes through the National Forest on the flanks of the mountain. Mount Hood is a popular destination for mountain climbers, making it the second most climbed mountain in the world.
Several nonprofits lead free hikes into the National Forest to build support for further protection from logging and off-road vehicle use, including Bark and Oregon Wild.[8][9]
There are more than 295,917 acres (1,198 km2) of designated wilderness on the National Forest.
The Olallie Scenic Area is a lightly roaded lake basin that also offers a primitive recreational experience.[2]