Elk Cove
Low Point: 3600'
High Point: 5500'
Season: Summer
Difficulty: 3/5
Directions
From Hood River, drive Highway 35 south for 15 miles until reaching the town of Mount Hood. Turn right (west) at an intersection marked for Parkdale. Drive this route for another two miles until making a right at Clear Creek Road in the town of Parkdale. Drive 2.8 miles, turning right (west) on Lawrence Lake Drive. At the lake, turn left onto Road 2840 for one mile, parking where the old Road 650 split from 2840.
Trail Description
From the trailhead, cross Pinnacle Creek and walk the old Road 650 for 1.3 miles, past a sharp bend in the road to the old trailhead (keep an eye out for logs thrown across the road signaling the real start to the trail). Once the trail leaves the old road, it rises through a nice ridge-crest forest of moss-covered trees. After only one mile up the trail, the views of Mt. Hood start to open up, complete with a couple of nice viewpoints along the way that are very nice for breaks. At three miles, the trail crosses a little creek, which may require getting a little wet during the summer when runoff from the melting snow is at its peak, but the crossing should not pose any serious risks. The trail meets Elk Cove at 3.5 miles with great views of Coe Glacier and the north face of the mountain. Great camping sites can be found in the forests at the end of the trail. This area of the Mt. Hood Wilderness is amazing. In my opinion, Elk Cove offers the best views of Mt. Hood, from it's best angle. The wildflower displays are also pretty amazing during certain parts of the summer, so plan to spend lots of time exploring this area.
