Oregon · Hiking · Near Mount Hood Villages

Castle Canyon

Castle CanyonPhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)
1.3 mi
round trip
803 ft
climb
2,490 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Is Castle Canyon 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.

Castle Canyon is a 1.3-mile out-and-back hike in Oregon's Mt. Hood National Forest, on the Zigzag Ranger District. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail's natural surface makes it a straightforward route for an easy day on foot. The climb is front-loaded, with the steepest stretch at about half a mile in. Starting near 1,787 feet, the trail gains about 776 feet to reach a high point of 2,490 feet, and the total gain and loss on the round trip are each roughly 800 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Government Camp show July and August highs around 69 to 70°F with only about four wet days a month, while winter brings highs in the mid-30s and rain on most days. Zigzag Mountain and Road 19 Trail both lie about 0.9 miles away. Tollgate campground is about 1.2 miles off, and the climbing at The Swine (aka Enola Hill) is about 1.3 miles away.

Around this trail

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

    Tollgate

    Campground

    Campground · 1.2 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    al Forno Ferruzza

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 1 mi
  • If it rainsIan Poellet, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    Philip Foster Farm

    Museum

    Museum · 22 mi from Mount Hood Villages

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 3.0 (commons)

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 Castle Canyon

    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, 8.7 mi away at 3,980 ft. The station sits about 1,500 ft higher than this place, so expect it a little warmer here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

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