Oregon · Hiking · Near Mount Hood Villages

Elk Cove

Elk CovePhoto: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
4.8 mi
round trip
1,114 ft
climb
5,462 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Is Elk Cove 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.

Elk Cove is a moderate out-and-back hike in Oregon's Mt. Hood National Forest, within the Hood River Ranger District. The trail is about 4.8 miles long, with a total elevation gain of about 1,114 feet, and the high point reaches roughly 5,462 feet. The climb is front-loaded, with the steepest stretch at about mile 1, where the grade hits 15 percent. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Government Camp weather station show July and August highs around 70°F with only about four wet days a month, while winter months bring highs in the mid-30s and frequent rain. That station sits about 1,480 feet below the high point, so temperatures on the trail run cooler. Pinnacle Ridge and the Pinnacle Ridge Trail #630 are both within about a mile. Kinni Kinnik Campground and the Clear Branch paddling route are a little farther out, at about 1.8 and 1.5 miles.

Around this trail

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

    Kinnikinnick Campground

    Campground

    Campground · 1.7 mi from the trail
  • If it rainsJmasterson, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum

    Museum

    Museum · 18 mi from Mount Hood Villages

    Aviation and automobile museum in Oregon, United States

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: Jmasterson, 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 Elk Cove

    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, 9.8 mi away at 3,980 ft. The station sits about 1,500 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.

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Pinnacle RidgePhoto: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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