Mount Hood National Forest
The Mount Hood National Forest is a 4318 sq km large National Forest around the dormant volcano Mount Hood (3425 m) in the north of the US state of Oregon under the administration of the US Forest Service . It is located 32 km east of the city of Portland in the mountain range of the Cascade Range and extends from the Columbia River Gorge almost 100 km to the south over wooded hills and mountain landscapes with lakes and streams. In the far south is the Olallie Scenic Area near Mount Jefferson . In addition to commercially used forest areas, it also contains remnants of the temperate rainforest , which originally covered the entire coastline.
In the north of the area on the Columbia River ran in the middle of the 19th century, the Oregon Trail with the Barlow Road , on which settlers from the eastern United States reached the Oregon Territory . The Pacific Crest Trail , a long-distance hiking trail from the Mexican border in California to the Canadian border in Washington, runs the full length of the national forest .
Embedded in the national forest are five wilderness areas , the strictest class of nature reserves in the USA, with a total of around 740 km² or around 17% of the total area. The Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness is located south of the Columbia Gorge, was established in 1984 and has an area of around 160 km². The Mount Hood Wilderness (1964, 190 km²), the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness (1984, 180 km²) and the Badger Creek Wilderness (1984, 100 km²) lie in the core of the area around Mount Hood. In the south of the national forest is the Bull of the Woods Wilderness (1984, 110 km²). As in all wilderness areas, there are no roads or other infrastructure in these either, but hiking trails are maintained. People are allowed to enter the area for natural use and only on foot or on horseback. Vehicles of any kind (including mountain bikes ) are not permitted.
A permit is required for ascent of Mount Hood and overnight stays in the Wilderness Areas, and a fee is also charged for day trips and other uses of the area.
Web links
- Mount Hood National Forest at USDA Forest Service
- Wilderness Areas in the Mount Hood National Forest (Engl.)
Coordinates: 45 ° 22 ′ N , 121 ° 42 ′ W