Oregon · Hiking · Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness · Near Mount Hood Villages

West Benson Way

6.4 mi
round trip
1,458 ft
climb
4,134 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Is West Benson Way 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.

West Benson Way is a 6.4-mile out-and-back hike in Oregon's Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness, within the Hood River Ranger District of Mt. Hood National Forest. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail's natural surface carries hikers on a steady climb that begins and ends around 4,100 feet, peaking at about 4,130 feet. The steepest stretch lies roughly 3 miles from the start, where the trail reaches a 17% grade. 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. Several other destinations sit close by. The Benson Spur Trail #405C is under a mile away, and the Benson Ruckel lies about 1.4 miles off. Herman Creek offers canoeing about 2 miles away, and Wahtum Lake Campground is roughly 3.8 miles from the trail.

Around this trail

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

    Benson Camp

    Campground

    Campground · 1.0 mi from the trail
  • If it rainsJmasterson, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum

    Museum

    Museum · 15 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 West Benson Way

    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, 22.5 mi away at 3,980 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Benson Spur Trail #405CPhoto: bzo, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Benson Spur Trail #405C

~2 min drive

0.9-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 77 ft elevation gain.

Eagle BensonPhoto: mjfmjfmjf, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Eagle Benson

~4 min drive

5.32-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 3,251 ft elevation gain

Indian SpringsPhoto: mjfmjfmjf, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Indian Springs

~5 min drive

4.00-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 2,116 ft elevation gain.

Ruckel CreekPhoto: Fotos_Ohio, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Ruckel Creek

~7 min drive

4.95-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 4,348 ft elevation gain.

Benson RuckelPhoto: Ryan Forsythe, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Benson Ruckel

~2 min drive

Benson Ruckel is a 1.56-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 117 ft gain.

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

Herman Creek

~6 min drive

Scenic out-and-back climb along Herman Creek in the Columbia River Gorge.

Eagle Creek TrailPhoto: Ryan Forsythe, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Eagle Creek Trail

~6 min drive

12.98-mile point-to-point trail in Oregon with 4,352 ft elevation loss.

Pct - Washington Section HPhoto: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Pct - Washington Section H

~7 min drive

Pct - Washington Section H is a 144.23-mile point-to-point trail in Oregon.

Eagle CreekPhoto: mjfmjfmjf, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Eagle Creek

~4 min drive

Easy 2-mile out-and-back creek walk in Oregon's Eagle Creek area.

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

Ruckel Ridge Trail

~7 min drive

5.88-mile out-and-back hike in Oregon with 3,603 ft elevation gain and loss.