Oregon · Hiking · Near Mount Hood Villages

Zig Zag

Zig ZagPhoto: niiicedave, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
1.7 mi
round trip
1,059 ft
climb
3,721 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Caution at last check

Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 15 h ago

Is Zig Zag 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.

Zig Zag is a moderate out-and-back hike in Oregon's Mt. Hood National Forest, within the Hood River Ranger District. The trail is about 1.7 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 1,059 feet. It starts at roughly 3,036 feet and climbs to a high point of about 3,721 feet, with the steepest stretch near the start at about 0.56 miles in, where the grade reaches nearly 39 percent. That makes the first part of the hike the hardest to tackle, and it's an easy matter to turn around and head back down. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Government Camp show July and August highs around 69 to 70°F with only about four wet days a month. Winter is cold and wet, with highs in the mid-30s and 20 or more wet days a month from November through January. Climbers will find Klinger Spring and (3) The Aviary just 0.1 mile away. Tamanawas Falls and Cloud Cap Saddle are each about half a mile off.

Around this trail

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

    Cloud Cap Saddle

    Campground

    Campground · 0.5 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Crooked Tree Tavern & Grill

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 1 mi
  • If it rainsJmasterson, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum

    Museum

    Museum · 19 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 Zig Zag

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

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