Location: Government Camp, Mt. Hood, Oregon
Distance: .5 Mile Out and back (to the falls) or 4.2 Mile Lollipop Loop
Time: 20 Minutes or 2 hours for the full loop
Height and Type: 60 Foot Cascade Waterfall
Difficulty: Easy (Moderate for the whole loop)
Elevation Gain: 800 Feet for the Entire Loop
Season: May/June-October
Foot Traffic: Moderate
Date Hiked: Saturday, July 17, 2021
Overview
Umbrella Falls is a beautiful 60 foot cascade waterfall located near Mt. Hood. A short .5 mile trail with jaw dropping views of Mt. Hood in the background will bring you to these splendid falls.
For those short on time and wanting to catch a glimpse of the falls, a quick stop at Mt. Hood Meadows, followed by the short walk to the falls, will be a delight and should suffice. For those yearning for more, they can connect the trail with Sahale Falls. This will allow you to explore more of the area along a 4 mile loop trail. Additionally, a quick stop inside the gorgeous Mt. Hood Ski Resort is a must. The trail to Umbrella Falls starts in the very back of the parking lot for the Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort.
Trail Description and My Story
After arriving in Mt. Hood the night before, my wife, daughter Scout and I woke up anxious to get outside. We were currently about 2 weeks into a 4 month trip that we were embarking on throughout the United States. While we wanted to get a ton of hiking in, we were also battling with just trying to see as much as we could in a short time. Our plan was to check out Umbrella Falls from the short .5 mile trail to save some time for other hikes later. Upon arriving at Mt. Hood Meadows we had a little bit of a tough time finding the trail. The scenery around us and views of Mt. Hood were incredible. While I was trying to figure out where the trail head was, we decided we would stop in at the Mt. Hood Ski Resort and get some food.
The views from the back of the resort where the ski lifts are located, were spectacular. We watched as many hikers jumped on the lifts to get a head start on trails further up the mountain.
Mt. Hood Meadows to Umbrella Falls
After checking out the inside of the resort we made our way back to the parking lot and found the trail head. The key was to either park or walk towards the very far back of the parking lot away from the resort. A magnificent meadow with wildflowers greeted us with Mt. Hood framing itself as a backdrop. With our 9 week old daughter, Scout, now secured in her pack on her moms chest, we were finally ready.
From the meadow, we picked up the obvious trail and briefly began a steady descent. The sound of the East Fork of the Hood River quickly became exceedingly prevalent off to our left. Within 5 to 10 minutes of starting we arrived at the beautiful cascading falls. A pretty wooden foot bridge greeted us as we crossed over the stream to a better views of the falls.
The falls were gorgeous and the scene was super peaceful as only one other group was present while we were there. We watched as the falls gently cascaded downwards about 60 feet in a seemingly sideways direction.
The mid morning light was becoming pretty harsh and the lighting was pretty horrible. We decided we would come back later in the evening and try for some better pictures.
Once again, we enjoyed our time later that evening immensely and were pretty much by ourselves again. My wife got her tripod out with our daughter strapped to her chest and took some pictures while our baby Scout listened to the sounds of the waterfall and took in all the sights and sounds that she was surely still getting accustomed to at the age of only 9 weeks old.
Earlier in the day we made the decision to drive to the lookout of Sahale Falls and take the short trail to its base. For those with more time, Sahale Falls can also be accessed from this trail on a very manageable and pretty 4 mile loop. Both of these waterfalls are worth visiting and the surrounding area absolutely blew me away.
The Mt. Hood area was very peaceful and quiet and was far more impressive than what I was expecting. After traveling a reasonable amount throughout Oregon over the years, I was surprised to find out that this area had just become one of my favorites. This was another amazing day in a very special place. These are memories I will always cherish as I continue to teach my daughter about the outdoors and introduce her to the thing that has most inspired me in life. I can only hope that as she grows up she gets as much out of nature as I have and that she too can help preserve these places for future generations.
Getting to Umbrella Falls
Umbrella Falls Trail #667 Trailhead
Notes, Questions and Thoughts
Is this a fee area? No
Are pets allowed?
- Yes. Pets are allowed but they must be leashed and kept in control at all times. Please clean up after your pets and pack any waste out with you.
Are there restrooms at the trailhead?
- No, not at the trail head. There are however restrooms available inside the Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort.
Please recreate responsibly. Respect hikers, and all visitors and wildlife. Help make everyone’s experience better by keeping the nature experience as authentic as possible. Leave no trace and pack out everything that you pack in. Please remember that we are visitors and stewards of these special places. Help keep these places as wild as possible while not diminishing the outdoor experience of others.
