Oregon · Cross-country skiing · Near Mount Hood Villages

West Access

0.4 mi
round trip
282 ft
climb
4,581 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Is West Access 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 Access is a cross-country ski route in Oregon's Mt. Hood National Forest, within the Hood River Ranger District, managed by the Forest Service. The outing is a short out-and-back, about 0.8 miles long, with a total climb of about 280 feet, so it works as a quick stretch of trail for skiers already on the move. The route rises from about 4,478 feet to a high point of about 4,581 feet, with the steepest section coming early on, around 8% grade. Winter is the natural season for this kind of skiing. Typical averages from the nearby Government Camp weather station show January highs around 37°F with lows near 26°F, while July and August highs reach about 70°F and see only four wet days a month. That station sits roughly 600 feet lower than the route, so expect temperatures on the trail to run a bit cooler. The Heather Canyon Trail is just 0.2 miles away, and Sahalie Falls is about half a mile off. Alpine Campground, about 3 miles away, and Badger Lake, roughly 4.4 miles away, offer places to stay nearby.

Around this trail

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

    Alpine Campground

    Campground

    Campground · 3.0 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Vertical

    Restaurant

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

    Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum

    Museum

    Museum · 25 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
  • Best time to go · Jun–Sep

    Best time to visit West Access

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

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors