Photo spots nearby
What to see near Timberline Lodge
Trillium Lake is worth the short drive south, especially if the air is still and the surface of the water has gone glassy. The reflection of Mount Hood rises out of the lake with an almost unsettling clarity, the volcano doubling itself in silence. Walk the easy path around the shoreline and let the scale of it settle over you slowly. From there, the trail to Mirror Lake earns its name the same way, a modest climb that opens onto something quietly astonishing. And if you want moving water, Ramona Falls spreads itself across a wide curtain of mossy basalt in a way that feels more like a cathedral than a cascade.
Within 25 miles · ranked by scenic score
10 Places Worth Seeing
Government Camp, OR
Timberline Lodge
Timberline Lodge is a National Historic Landmark built by the Works Progress Administration in 1937, located at 6,000 feet on the south slope of Mount Hood. The lodge features handcrafted woodwork, ironwork, and textiles. It served as the exterior of the Overlook Hotel in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining.
Government Camp, OR
Mirror Lake Trail
Mirror Lake is a small alpine lake that reflects Mount Hood on calm mornings. The hike is 3.2 miles round trip with 700 feet of elevation gain through dense forest. The lake is most photogenic in late summer and early fall when water levels are stable and foliage adds color.
Government Camp, OR
Trillium Lake
Trillium Lake is a 63-acre lake located south of Mount Hood that provides one of the most iconic reflection views of the volcano. The lake was created in 1960 by a dam on Mud Creek. A 1.9-mile trail loops around the shoreline through old-growth forest.
Government Camp, OR
Ramona Falls
Ramona Falls is a 120-foot waterfall on Mount Hood's west slope that cascades over a mossy columnar basalt face, spreading into hundreds of thin streams. The falls are accessed via a 7.1-mile loop trail that crosses the Sandy River and passes through old-growth forest. The unique texture of the falls makes it one of the most photographed waterfalls on Mount Hood.
Cascade Locks, OR
Punch Bowl Falls
Punch Bowl Falls is a 35-foot waterfall on Eagle Creek that drops into a deep turquoise pool surrounded by mossy basalt walls. The falls are accessed via the popular Eagle Creek Trail, one of the most scenic hikes in the Columbia River Gorge. The trail features tunnels blasted through cliff faces and narrow ledge paths.
Hood River, OR
Panorama Point
Panorama Point is a county park in the Hood River Valley offering a wide-angle view of Mount Hood framed by orchards and farmland. In spring, the surrounding fruit orchards bloom with pear and apple blossoms. The site provides one of the most accessible and unobstructed views of Mount Hood's north face.
Cascade Locks, OR
Elowah Falls
Elowah Falls is a 213-foot waterfall that plunges into a large basalt amphitheater in John B. Yeon State Scenic Corridor. The moss-covered walls of the amphitheater create a dramatic enclosed setting. An upper viewpoint trail provides a birds-eye perspective of the falls and gorge.
Cascade Locks, OR
Wahclella Falls
Wahclella Falls is a two-tiered waterfall with a total drop of approximately 350 feet, tucked into a narrow basalt canyon on Tanner Creek. The lower tier drops into a large splash pool surrounded by moss-covered rocks. The trail is 1.9 miles round trip through a lush, fern-lined gorge.
Cascade Locks, OR
Bonneville Dam
Bonneville Dam is a major hydroelectric dam on the Columbia River completed in 1938 as a New Deal public works project. The dam complex includes fish ladders with underwater viewing windows where visitors can watch salmon and steelhead migrate. The dam's massive spillway and powerhouse are set against the steep basalt walls of the gorge.
Cascade Locks, OR
Bridge of the Gods
The Bridge of the Gods is a steel cantilever bridge crossing the Columbia River between Cascade Locks, Oregon, and the Washington shore. It is a major landmark on the Pacific Crest Trail where thru-hikers cross between states. The bridge is named after a Native American legend involving a natural land bridge at this location.
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