Mountain View on Cooks Meadow Trail #639

A beautiful view of Mount Hood from the Cooks Meadow Trail #639 in Mount Hood National Forest.

Viewpoint: Unnamed (on side of trail)

Viewpoint Coordinates: 45.35403, -121.53536 Viewpoint Elevation: 5847′ Access: Trail Distance: 0.6 miles (round trip) Elevation Range: 5800′ to 6000′ Ascend/Descend: +116 ft / -149 ft Trail: Cooks Meadow Trail #639

Permits/Fees: None, unless parking at High Prairie Trailhead where a northwest forest pass is required.

Notes: The section of Cooks Meadow that I hiked is new. I only hiked a section of the trail, not the whole length.

Permits/Fees: Northwest Forest Pass (for parking)

Location: Near Lookout Mountain in Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon, U.S.A.

Administration: Mount Hood National Forest

Ranger District: Barlow Ranger District Date Accessed: October 17, 2020

I’d originally planned on hiking Lookout Mountain, but there were a lot of people at the trailhead and I was wanting a mostly people-free outdoor adventure. I saw a trail very close that looked like it went along the ridge and there was a spot with a potential view point. There was no parking near Lookout Mountain (High Prairie Trail) Trailhead so we found a place along the side of FS 4410.

We walked up the road to the trailhead which was marked with a sign. The trail was narrow and looked like it had only been used by the occasional mountain bike. The trail wandered through the forest. We were able to see our car from the trail at one point. The trail was near the road and we could see it on and off. There was a split in the trail that took us to an incredible view of Mt Hood. I climbed on some rocks for a tree-free view on the edge of the ridge. We didn’t ever come across anyone else on the trail. It was 0.4 miles one way walking on the road – trail – off trail to view.

We took pictures and just took in the view. A little chipmunk came up to us and was quite the curious little guy. We hiked back to our car. Since we could see the car from the trail we cut straight through the woods to it instead of hiking clear back to the trailhead and then back down the road to the car. It was 0.2 miles one way from the viewpoint to our car by cutting through the woods.

Once I got home I looked up what the trail was called and discovered that the section of trail we hiked is “new” and not on many maps. It is used by mountain bikes, but we didn’t see any while we were on the trail.

Coordinates

• Parking on side of road: 45.35264, -121.53313

• Cooks Meadow Trailhead: 45.35182, -121.53432

• Split off trail to viewpoint: 45.35411, -121.53479

• Unnamed viewpoint: 45.35403, -121.53536

• View from edge without trees: 45.35404, -121.53573

• Cut through woods to car from trail: 45.35310, -121.53316

Resources

How to get there (from Sandy, OR)

Location

Map

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