This is a report for the Cook Hill loop trail, which is closest to dog mountain but not available on WTA.
We were the first car at 7am. Greeted with 7 additional cars at noon on our return.
There was enough wind that the bugs didn't cause any problems.
It's a great loop with a lot of tree cover to be protected from the sun. This was great given the heat advisory.
It is quite steep and poles were very welcome on the way down. Taking the loop counterclockwise is the way to go if you want a steep accent with a more reasonable descent.
On our way back, the local goats eye our enjoying some sun.
It's definitely a great other option besides Dog Mountain, and while it has fewer flowers, it's higher up so the view of Mount Hood is nicer in my opinion.
Type of Hike
Day hikeTrail Conditions
Trail in good conditionRoad
Road suitable for all vehiclesBugs
Bugs were not too badSnow
Snow free
Comments
Thanks for posting this report! A quick search revealed some info, did you have any trouble finding the trail in places (overgrown)? Thanks for info!
Posted by:
kascadia on Jun 08, 2025 10:05 PM
I followed the map from Alltrails and that was reasonably simple. The steep part is the main overgrown part of the loop - the rest is very well cleared - likely for some forest work being done from time to time. There are many small branch tents around, which tells me the forest is actively being maintained.
There are dark blue markers along the deep, overgrown section of the trail and they were welcome as it's easy to veer off unexpectedly in the steep section.
Posted by:
Alexandre Kaspar on Jun 08, 2025 10:35 PM