Camp Melacoma
Campground
Campground · 4.6 mi from the trail
Oregon · Hiking · Near Mount Hood Villages
Red Shorts Cut Route
Photo: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)- 1.6 mi
- one way
- 593 ft
- climb
- 2,385 ft
- high point
- Point to point
- route
- Jun–Sep
- best months
Is Red Shorts Cut Route open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists an alert for Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.
Eagle Creek Fire Area Closure - CRGNSA and Mt. Hood
Agency alert covering Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area · Order 06-22-01-26-04 · USFS · Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
As of · Source: USFS · Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Red Shorts Cut Route is a 1.55-mile hike in Oregon's Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, managed by the Forest Service. It is a short, easy outing with a total elevation gain of 593 feet, rising from about 1,738 feet to about 2,385 feet. The route is a point-to-point trail, and the steepest stretch comes early on, with a 17% grade at about 0.1 mile. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July and August highs in the upper 70s with only five or six wet days a month, while winter months bring highs in the low 40s and rain on most days. That station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the route run cooler. The hike starts close to Angel's Rest Trail, about 0.1 mile away, and Devil's Fork and Lily's Lane are both within a mile. Rat Cave, a climbing area, is about a mile off.
Around this trail
Add any of these when you start a tripSleep close Eat after 
If it rainsIan Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0 (commons)
More in Mount Hood VillagesLocal outfitters
- Bike the Gorge14 mi away
- Horseback Riding Adventures Oregon21 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Jun–Sep
Best time to visit Red Shorts Cut Route
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.
Jan
44° / 35°
22 wet
Feb
47° / 36°
19 wet
Mar
52° / 37°
21 wet
Apr
57° / 40°
20 wet
May
64° / 46°
16 wet
Jun
69° / 50°
12 wet
Jul
77° / 54°
6 wet
Aug
78° / 54°
5 wet
Sep
72° / 51°
9 wet
Oct
60° / 45°
16 wet
Nov
49° / 40°
21 wet
Dec
43° / 35°
23 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Headworks Portland Wtr B, OR, 7.9 mi away at 748 ft. The station sits about 1,600 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
Photo: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Devil's Fork
~1 min drive
0.59-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 391 ft elevation gain.
Photo: John Murphy, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Gorge
~2 min drive
22-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 3,714 ft gain
Photo: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)Return Trail #442
~2 min drive
0.88-mile out-and-back hike in Oregon with 1,176 ft gain/loss.
Photo: BFS Man from Webster, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Lily's Lane
~1 min drive
0.46-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 173 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: loggedout, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Larch Mountain Trail
~3 min drive
6.55-mile point-to-point trail in Oregon with 4,187 ft elevation gain
Photo: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)Wahkeena
~2 min drive
3.00-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 2,075 ft gain.
Photo: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Devil's
~1 min drive
0.30-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 164 ft gain.
Photo: John Murphy, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Angels Rest
~2 min drive
8-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 2,631 ft elevation gain.
Photo: brx0 from Portland, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Loop Trail
~3 min drive
4.04-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 1,455 ft elevation gain/loss
Photo: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Primrose Path
~2 min drive
0.58-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 365 ft gain and 481 ft loss.
Route details
- Distance
- 1.6 mi
- Climbing
- About 593 ft
- Summit
- 2,431 ft
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- About 1 hour
Other routes up Devils Rest
Questions about this route
How long is the Red Shorts Cut Route on Devils Rest?
About 1.6 mi.
How much elevation gain is on the Red Shorts Cut Route?
About 593 ft of climbing round trip.
How hard is the Red Shorts Cut Route?
It is rated easy.
How long does the Red Shorts Cut Route take?
About 1 hour round trip.
How many routes go up Devils Rest?
3: Devils Rest, Primrose Path and Red Shorts Cut Route.
Conditions and forecast on Devils Rest
Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
