Oregon · Hiking · Mount Hood Wilderness · Near Mount Hood Villages

Cast Lake

Cast LakePhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)
1.0 mi
round trip
286 ft
climb
4,531 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Is Cast Lake open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 4 alerts for Zigzag Ranger District.

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

Cast Lake is a short, easy out-and-back hike in Oregon's Mount Hood Wilderness, within the Zigzag Ranger District of Mt. Hood National Forest. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is a natural-surface route that starts at about 4,450 feet and reaches a high point of 4,531 feet, with a total round-trip elevation gain of 286 feet. The climb is gentle, with the steepest stretch at about 0.19 miles in, where the grade reaches 17 percent. The trip takes about half an hour, so it works well as a quick outing or a stop on the way to other trails in the area. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Government Camp show July and August highs around 70°F with only about four wet days a month, while winter brings highs in the mid-30s and rain on most days. Cast Creek Trail #773 and Devil's Tie Trail #767 both lie within a quarter mile, and the Zigzag River offers canoeing about 2 miles away. For an overnight stay, Lost Creek campground is about 2.3 miles off.

Around this trail

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

    Burnt Lake campsite #3

    Campground

    Campground · 1.1 mi from the trail
  • If it rains

    Underwater Viewing Chamber

    Attraction

    In town

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 Cast Lake

    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, 5.3 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

Cast Creek Trail #773Photo: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Cast Creek Trail #773

Next door

10-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 3,826 ft elevation gain and loss.

Devil's Tie Trail #767Photo: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Devil's Tie Trail #767

Next door

0.7-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 404 ft elevation gain

Burnt Lake Trail #772Photo: LukeDetwiler, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Burnt Lake Trail #772

~3 min drive

8.12-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 2,361 ft elevation gain.

Hidden Lake Trail #779Photo: mjfmjfmjf, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Hidden Lake Trail #779

~5 min drive

8.38-mile out-and-back hike to Hidden Lake in Oregon with 2,744 ft elevation gain.

BURNT LAKE NORTHPhoto: LukeDetwiler, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

BURNT LAKE NORTH

~3 min drive

8.94-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 2,666 ft elevation gain and loss.

Lost Creek Nature Trail #776Photo: LukeDetwiler, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Lost Creek Nature Trail #776

~4 min drive

0.6-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 131 ft elevation gain.

HorseshoePhoto: eekim, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Horseshoe

~4 min drive

3.60-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 1,772 ft gain

Paradise Park Trail #778Photo: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Paradise Park Trail #778

~6 min drive

6.33-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 814 ft gain.

CAST CREEKPhoto: niiicedave, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

CAST CREEK

~4 min drive

9.76-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 3,591 ft elevation gain and loss.

Little Zigzag FallsPhoto: mjfmjfmjf, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Little Zigzag Falls

~5 min drive

1.1-mile out-and-back trail to Little Zigzag Falls in Oregon's Zigzag Canyon