Oregon · Hiking · Near Mount Hood Villages

Little Zigzag Falls

Little Zigzag FallsPhoto: mjfmjfmjf, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
1.1 mi
round trip
293 ft
climb
3,360 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Caution today

Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 8 h ago

Is Little Zigzag Falls 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.

Little Zigzag Falls is an easy out-and-back hike of about a mile in the Zigzag Ranger District of Mt. Hood National Forest in Oregon, managed by the Forest Service. The trailhead is called Little ZigZag Falls Trailhead, and the route rises from about 3,125 feet to about 3,360 feet, with a total elevation gain of about 293 feet for the round trip. 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 months bring highs in the mid-30s and rain on most days. The trail is surfaced with gravel. Hidden Lake Trail #779 and Hidden Lake are both about 0.2 miles away. Kiwanis Camp Crag, a climbing area, is about 0.8 miles off, and the Zigzag River, a paddling route, is about 1.9 miles away.

Around this trail

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

    Burnt Lake campsite #6

    Campground

    Campground · 2.6 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Starlight Cafe

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 1 mi
  • 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 Little Zigzag Falls

    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, 2.8 mi away at 3,980 ft. The station sits about 600 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.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

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

Hidden Lake Trail #779

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

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