Oregon · Hiking · Near Mount Hood Villages

Blue Box

Blue BoxPhoto: bgreenlee, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
7.4 mi
round trip
2,302 ft
climb
4,608 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Is Blue Box open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 4 alerts for Hood River Ranger District.

As of · Source: USFS · Hood River Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Blue Box is a 7.4-mile out-and-back hike in the Hood River Ranger District of Mt. Hood National Forest, about 7 miles from Government Camp, Oregon. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is a natural-surface route with a total elevation gain of 2,302 feet and a high point of 4,608 feet. The climb is rated hard, and the route is most comfortable for a day trip rather than a longer stay. The trip starts at an elevation of about 3,972 feet and reaches its high point at roughly 4,608 feet. The steepest stretch comes at about 3.2 miles, where the grade reaches 27%. That makes the hike a serious challenge, so plan for about 3.5 hours on the trail. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. At Government Camp, a nearby weather station, typical July and August highs run around 69 to 70°F with only four wet days a month, while winter brings highs in the mid-30s and rain on most days. Frog Lake Trail #530 is just 0.2 miles away, and Frog Lake campground is about half a mile off. Lower Twin Lakeshore is 1.6 miles away, and Trillium Lake Campground is about 3.3 miles out.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Frog Lake

    Campground

    Campground · 0.5 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Multorpor Restaurant and Lounge

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 5 mi

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors

More in Mount Hood Villages

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Jun–Sep

    Best time to visit Blue Box

    Best months: June–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      37° / 26°

      20 wet

    2. Feb

      38° / 26°

      17 wet

    3. Mar

      41° / 28°

      20 wet

    4. Apr

      45° / 31°

      18 wet

    5. May

      54° / 36°

      15 wet

    6. Jun

      59° / 41°

      10 wet

    7. Jul

      69° / 48°

      4 wet

    8. Aug

      70° / 48°

      4 wet

    9. Sep

      64° / 45°

      8 wet

    10. Oct

      53° / 37°

      13 wet

    11. Nov

      42° / 30°

      18 wet

    12. Dec

      35° / 26°

      21 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Government Camp, OR, 5.4 mi away at 3,980 ft. The station sits about 600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Frog Lake Trail #530Photo: bgreenlee, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Frog Lake Trail #530

Next door

0.66-mile out-and-back trail to Frog Lake in Oregon with 87 ft of elevation gain.

MUD CREEK LOOP NORDICPhoto: mjfmjfmjf, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

MUD CREEK LOOP NORDIC

~6 min drive

13.98-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 1,785 ft elevation gain and loss.

TRILLIUM LAKE WINTER LOOPPhoto: Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

TRILLIUM LAKE WINTER LOOP

~7 min drive

5.7-mile out-and-back out-and-back at Trillium Lake in Oregon with 1,165 ft elevation gain

HIKE

Barlow Butte Trail #670

~7 min drive

4.75-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 1,387 ft elevation gain.

Jackpot MeadowsPhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Jackpot Meadows

~8 min drive

1.86-mile out-and-back trail to Jackpot Meadows in Oregon with 349 ft of elevation gain.

Frog LakePhoto: LukeDetwiler, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Frog Lake

~2 min drive

2.00-mile out-and-back trail at Frog Lake in Oregon with 66 ft gain.

Eureka PeakPhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Eureka Peak

~8 min drive

2.40-mile out-and-back trail to Eureka Peak summit in Oregon with 961 ft gain.

Powerline TrailPhoto: Scott Cameron, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Powerline Trail

~8 min drive

1.04-mile out-and-back hike in Oregon with 343 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

Fir Tree

~8 min drive

3.00-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 183 ft gain and 1,118 ft loss.

Sunrise TrailPhoto: mjfmjfmjf, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Sunrise Trail

~10 min drive

3.42-mile out-and-back hike in Oregon with 1,663 ft elevation gain