Things To Do In Mount Hood, Oregon

Me, I find the wilderness of Oregon to be much time worthy. If you are visiting Portland, Mount Hood Territory 45 minutes from Portland, with a few other cool parts slightly farther away.  There are a lot of things to do in Mount Hood, Oregon and I hope you find this guide useful! 

Read my full Oregon Travel Guide in Winter here!

We were in Portland for three days and spent the entire second day driving around Mount Hood taking in the fall foliage. Cars are cheap to rent at PDX — we spent $109 (including gas, taxes, etc) for three days of rental – a steal!

So, here’s our route and the stops we made along the way. Read on!

Things to Do In Mount Hood, Oregon

Witch Castle: Before you leave Portland, swing by here for a morning hike!It’s an old stone house hidden in Washington Park. We made that our first stop. The hike down took about 20 minutes, the hike up somehow faster. I’m sure it’s beautiful year-round, but we found it stunning with all the colors of the leaves. It was a great first stop. I made friends with some puppies and their humans.

Multnomah Falls: This is the waterfall you see photos of all over the internets. It’s 611 feet tall and so easy to get to from Portland. The drive there was quick, but the line to the parking lot took at least 25 minutes. I think this is mostly because we went on a Saturday morning that was sandwiched between two rainy days — the locals and tourists alike were eager to get out for a bit. I had no idea what to expect when we arrived. Was the falls deep in the woods? Would we be hiking a lot in and out? Nope — you can basically stumble from the parking lot to the base of the waterfall. It was crowded, but breathtaking. Again, I’m sure it’s pretty year round, but I found Oregon like on her wedding day pretty during October. Make sure to hike allllll the way to the top!

Tamolitch Blue Pool : Ok, so this is probably technically not in the Mount Hood Territory anymore, but if you have time, make the drive down to see this beautiful natural blue pool!

Timberline Lodge: This ski lodge is so-freaking charming. It’s nestled right on the base of Mount Hood and had a beautiful view. Make sure to grab hot chocolate here!

Cosmic Tubing: If you are visiting during the winter, make sure to go cosmic tubing one night! This was the most fun I’ve had in a LONG time !

Mount Hood Brewing: Grab a pint at Mount Hood Brewing in Government camp in Mount Hood!

Spa Time: Have a message or a facial at the Resort At The Mountain. Seriously, the best massage I’ve ever had. If you want to spend a night here, we loved our stay at the Resort!

Sandy: On your way back down, visit Sandy, a cute town that is home to Joe’s Donut’s some of the best donuts I’ve ever had. Try the lemon one!

I loved the drive through the mountains. SO peaceful. The view of Mount Hood sneaks up on you — we turned a corner and suddenly it was there!! Just staring us down. We pulled over to take photos, but a few miles down the road, found the perfect lookout spot of the mountains (below). In the summer, Mount Hood is all about hiking. The winter, all about skiing and other winter sports. I loved how close it was to Portland. Unlike Tahoe, which is at least a 4 hour drive from San Francisco, Mount Hood is about an hour from Portland. I can see why everyone is so outdoorsy!

Oregon is all about the outdoors. If you are heading to Oregon/Portland, let me know if you have any questions! And feel free to leave more travel tips below.  I hope this Mount Hood road trip recap will help you plan your own trip! Need places to stay? These are the best cabin rentals in Oregon (from log cabins to a-frames with hot tubs!) These are also my favorite Oregon Coast Airbnbs (like treehouses and yurts!)