Oregon · Hiking · Near Mount Hood Villages

Thunder Mountain

2.4 mi
round trip
1,370 ft
climb
5,071 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Is Thunder Mountain open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Clackamas River Ranger District. It doesn't name Thunder Mountain, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Clackamas River Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Thunder Mountain is an easy out-and-back hike in the Clackamas River Ranger District of Mt. Hood National Forest in Oregon, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is about 2.4 miles long, with a one-way climb of 823 feet, and the route is natural-surfaced. The climb starts at about 4,281 feet and reaches a high point of about 5,071 feet. The steepest stretch comes early, around 0.15 miles from the start, with a grade of about 30 percent. The total round-trip gain is about 1,370 feet. 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 rain on most days. That station sits roughly 1,100 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the mountain run cooler. Skookum Lake is about half a mile away, and the Bagby Trail is about 2.6 miles off. Kingfisher Campground and Fish Creek, a canoeing spot, are both within about 3.5 miles.

Around this trail

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

    Skookum Lake

    Campground

    Campground · 0.8 mi from the trail

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 Thunder Mountain

    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, 29.5 mi away at 3,980 ft. The station sits about 1,100 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

Bagby Trail #544Photo: mjfmjfmjf, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Bagby Trail #544

~6 min drive

10.68-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 3,373 ft elevation gain.

Alder FlatPhoto: Forest Service, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Alder Flat

~14 min drive

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RiversidePhoto: Forest Service, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Riverside

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Kopetski TrailPhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Kopetski Trail

~18 min drive

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Battle Ax Creek Trail #3339

~16 min drive

12.18-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 4,622 ft elevation gain/loss

WhetstonePhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Whetstone

~15 min drive

Whetstone is a 1.28-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 557 feet of elevation gain.

HIKE

Skookum Lake

Next door

2.40-mile out-and-back trail to Skookum Lake in Oregon, 262 ft gain.

HIKE

Pansy Lake

~11 min drive

3.76-mile out-and-back trail to Pansy Lake in Oregon with 1,397 ft gain

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ELK LAKE CREEK

~17 min drive

16.72-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 3,762 ft elevation gain/loss

Opal Creek TrailPhoto: mjfmjfmjf, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Opal Creek Trail

~18 min drive

1.25-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 715 ft of elevation gain.

Route details

Distance
2.4 mi round trip
Climbing
About 1,370 ft
Summit
5,177 ft
Difficulty
Moderate
Time
About 1.5 hours

Other routes up Thunder Mountain

Questions about this route

How long is the Thunder Mountain on Thunder Mountain?

About 2.4 mi round trip.

How much elevation gain is on the Thunder Mountain?

About 1,370 ft of climbing round trip.

How hard is the Thunder Mountain?

It is rated moderate.

How long does the Thunder Mountain take?

About 1.5 hours round trip.

How many routes go up Thunder Mountain?

2: Skookum Lake and Thunder Mountain.

Conditions and forecast on Thunder Mountain

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.