One Day Wilderness-Burnt Lake

This one is a Mt. Hood classic that is more pleasant in the beginning of the summer when the snow melts or in the fall when the crowds and mosquitos die down. After a strange maze of road to get to the TH, start out in a nice flat forest trail before making a hard right and climbing to the lake, but before the climb enjoy the lovely falls along the creek to the left of the trail. Cross over several small creeks before arriving at the lake itself in a little less than 4 miles, which offers nice views of Mt. Hood on its west shore. But if you are going to stay overnight, I like the spots on the other side of the lake better. They tend to be a little less abused and have a symphony of bullfrogs come dusk. If you have a bit more time, explore the Zig Zag Ridge behind the lake, it offers far better views of the Mountain in a little more than a half mile and has nice open flower fields come early July. Take this trail east towards the Mountain that heads to East Zig Zag Mountain, Cast Lake and even Paradise Park on the Timberline Trail. Or hang a right to a viewpoint of the Willamette Valley and Portland from an old lookout site that is long gone, but has a great, but dry camp spot. Or perhaps the best piece of advice is to hike the Zig Zag Lollypop Loop in two or three days and soak in all the goodness that this area has to offer!

A view of Wy’East from the ridge near Cast Lake