Timberline Trail Gear Checklist
The Timberline Trail circles Mount Hood for about 40 miles, and the forest says most hikers take 3 or 4 days. The part that shapes the pack is the unbridged glacial rivers. People write about sandals or a wading plan, a cord for the steep banks, microspikes early in the season, paper maps, a way to treat silty water, and shoes that dry. It is a permit-light loop, so the planning is about gear and not about winning a lottery.
What shapes your gear on Timberline Trail
- Length and time
- About 40 miles around the mountain. The forest says the typical backpacker needs three or four days to finish the circuit. Trip reports we read run from a two-day fast pack to a five-day itinerary.
From Mt. Hood National Forest (USDA Forest Service), Six Moon Designs and Backpackers Review
- River crossings
- The forest names the Newton, Coe, Muddy Fork, Sandy and White Rivers as the toughest fords, typically no more than knee deep. It warns that mornings are best because flows rise as the day warms. There are no bridges at Clark Creek and the White River.
- Season
- The forest lists July to October as the season of use. The north side of the mountain melts out later, and early in the season hikers cross snowfields that need good footing.
- Water
- The forest says to treat all water. Writers describe water as plentiful. One fast packer never needed to haul over two liters between sources, and a silty stream needed a few minutes of settling before filtering.
From Mt. Hood National Forest (USDA Forest Service), Six Moon Designs and Backpacking Light forum
- Where the trail was moved
- A 2016 washout changed the Eliot Branch crossing, and the trail now crosses downstream of the old spot. The forest also reports a washout about 2 miles north of Ramona Falls and heavy blowdown between Muddy Fork and Yocum Ridge, with a PCT bypass suggested. Check the forest alerts before you leave.
From Halfway Anywhere and Mt. Hood National Forest (USDA Forest Service)
What the agency requires on Timberline Trail
A free self-issued Wilderness permit
From May 15 to October 15 the forest requires a free self-issued permit where a portal is provided. Not every trail has one, and some trailheads charge a day use fee.
A camp that is off the meadows and away from Ramona Falls
Camping is banned in any meadow, in the tree islands of Elk Cove and Elk Meadows, and within 500 feet of Ramona Falls. Fires are also off limits near Ramona Falls and McNeil Point (500 feet), in Paradise Park, and on the Elk Cove and Elk Meadows islands.
What hikers carry on Timberline Trail
Camp shoes or sandals for the wide fords
One trip report swapped into sandals for three crossings and kept dry feet on the rest by using logs and rocks. Another hiker waded the Eliot and Newton in boots and dumped the water out of them. A guide suggests waterproof socks for hikers who expect to get wet.
From Oregon Hikers forum: Timberline Trail: 6/28/19-6/29/19, Oregon Hikers forum: Timberline Trail around Mt Hood conditions? and Halfway Anywhere
20 to 50 feet of thin cord
A one-day runner lists it as critical gear for steep, loose banks at the creeks. Two trip reports also mention a fixed rope on the Eliot, which helped on the way out.
From Mountain Shop (Portland) and Six Moon Designs
Trekking poles
A hiking blog says they help balance in the fords and save knees on the steep climbs and drops. The one-day runner lists poles as critical too.
Microspikes on an early or late trip
A July report on Reddit advised them for patchy snow, with more of it on the north and east side, and suggested a whippet as a second option. The forest says early-season hikers cross snowfields on the higher trails.
From Reddit r/backpacking and Mt. Hood National Forest (USDA Forest Service)
A paper map and a GPS track
A fast-packing couple twice met lost hikers who had only phones. A one-day runner added 3 miles on a wrong turn and tells people to use a GPS device. A 2015 hiker made paper-map notes of water and camp spots.
From Six Moon Designs, Mountain Shop (Portland) and Backpacking Light forum
Water filter that you tested at home
A runner's squeeze filter was clogged on the trail and could not be flushed. The advice is to test it before you leave. A 2015 hiker kept a small spare bottle to let silty glacier water settle.
A warm sleep system and a down layer for the north side
A late September fast pack found frozen ground on the north side and slept in a quilt with down pants. Temperatures dropped below freezing there.
From Six Moon Designs
Bug spray, and an Ursack or a hung bag
A trip report says mosquitoes can be thick where snow just melted. It also says black bears live in the wilderness but no canister is required, though rodents raid food, so hang it or use a sack. A June 2019 report found none of the bugs yet.
From Backpackers Review and Oregon Hikers forum: Timberline Trail: 6/28/19-6/29/19
Rain jacket for sudden storms
A hiker in late June was caught in a short, miserable thunderstorm near Little Zigzag Canyon that the forecast had not shown.
12 people can go on one permit. Split this list between them so nobody carries two stoves.
Plan a trip hereWhat hikers regret or leave behind on Timberline Trail
Gaiters and spare batteries on a summer trip
A 2015 hiker did not touch his gaiters and got through only one and a half phone batteries and less than one spare torch battery over the four days. He planned to trim 220 grams of gaiters and several spare batteries next time.
A knife and heavy softshell gloves
The same hiker never used his knife, and he judged his heavy gloves far too warm for a trip in August.
Shopping for water bottles at the last minute
He ended up with five mismatched bottles instead of the four large ones he wanted, and called it his one big mistake.
A camp mug on a fast trip
A couple left it behind to save space on a two-day loop and drank from the cook pot instead. They said they missed it at sunrise.
From Six Moon Designs
Thin trail-running kit with no map
Two runners in vests with a few snacks missed the Elk Cove turnoff and added miles at dusk because they had no paper map or GPS.
From Six Moon Designs
Gear questions for Timberline Trail
Do you need a permit for the Timberline Trail?
A free self-issued Wilderness permit is required from May 15 to October 15 where a portal is provided. The forest does not describe a quota or a lottery for it, and two hikers we read say you do not need to reserve ahead.
From Mt. Hood National Forest (USDA Forest Service), Backpackers Review and Halfway Anywhere
Do you need a bear canister on the Timberline Trail?
One trip report says no canister is required, though it advises hanging food or using a sack against rodents. Check the forest page for current rules before you go.
From Backpackers Review and Mt. Hood National Forest (USDA Forest Service)
What do you wear for the Timberline Trail river crossings?
Most writers use sandals, camp shoes or wet boots, with trekking poles. Cross in the morning when flows are lower, and use any fixed rope on the Eliot banks.
From Mt. Hood National Forest (USDA Forest Service), Oregon Hikers forum: Timberline Trail: 6/28/19-6/29/19, Oregon Hikers forum: Timberline Trail around Mt Hood conditions? and Six Moon Designs
How many days should you plan for the Timberline Trail?
The forest says most backpackers take 3 or 4 days. Reports we read cover two-day fast packs, a 4-day trip with a first-timer and a five-day plan.
From Mt. Hood National Forest (USDA Forest Service), Six Moon Designs, Backpacking Light forum and Backpackers Review
Sources
- Timberline Trail #600 · Mt. Hood National Forest (USDA Forest Service) · Agency
- Timberline Trail: 6/28/19-6/29/19 · Oregon Hikers forum, Born2BBrad · Trip report
- The Timberline Trail: A Fast-Pack Adventure Around Mt. Hood · Six Moon Designs, Kirsten Anderson · Blog
- The Timberline Trail, Mount Hood, Oregon, USA, Aug 12th to 16th 2015 · Backpacking Light forum, Dave B · Forum thread
- Timberline Trail, Mount Hood Wilderness, OR (40 mile loop) · Backpackers Review · Trip report
- Timberline 50K · Mountain Shop (Portland) · Trip report
- Timberline Trail around Mt Hood conditions? · Oregon Hikers forum · Forum thread
- Timberline Trail hiking guide · Halfway Anywhere · Blog
- Timberline Trail, Mt Hood, Oregon · Reddit r/backpacking, u/the_RAPDOGE · Reddit thread