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

Elk Meadows Perimeter

Elk Meadows PerimeterPhoto: BFS Man from Webster, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
1.3 mi
round trip
441 ft
climb
5,181 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Is Elk Meadows Perimeter 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 Meadows Perimeter is an easy, out-and-back hike of about 1.3 miles in Oregon's Mount Hood Wilderness, within the Hood River Ranger District of Mt. Hood National Forest. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail's natural surface makes it a straightforward walk for anyone already exploring the surrounding wilderness. The route rises from about 5,036 feet to a high point of 5,181 feet, with a total gain of 441 feet over the course of the trip. The steepest stretch comes at about half a mile in, where the grade reaches 10 percent. The climb is rolling rather than steep, and the whole hike takes roughly half an hour. 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. Elk Meadows Trail #645 and Gnarl Ridge both start about 0.2 miles away. Nottingham campground is about 3 miles off, and Badger Lake campground is about 4 miles away.

Around this trail

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

    Nottingham

    Campground

    Campground · 3.1 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Vertical

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 2 mi
  • If it rainsJmasterson, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum

    Museum

    Museum · 23 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 Meadows Perimeter

    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, 6.6 mi away at 3,980 ft. The station sits about 1,200 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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Elk Meadows Trail #645Photo: BFS Man from Webster, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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