| Mount Hood National Forest | |
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IUCN Category VI (Managed Resource Protected Area)
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| Location | Oregon, USA |
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| Nearest city | Government Camp, Oregon |
| Coordinates | 45°22′14″N 121°42′14″W / 45.37056°N 121.70389°WCoordinates: 45°22′14″N 121°42′14″W / 45.37056°N 121.70389°W |
| Area | 1,067,043 acres (4,318 km2) |
| Established | 1908 |
| Visitors | 4.4 million[1] (in 2006) |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
The Mount Hood National Forest is located 20 miles (32 km) east of the city of Portland, Oregon, and the northern Willamette River valley. The Forest extends south from the Columbia River Gorge across more than 60 miles (97 km) of forested mountains, lakes and streams to the Olallie Scenic Area, a high lake basin under the slopes of Mount Jefferson. The Forest encompasses some 1,067,043 acres (4,318.17 km2).[2] Forest headquarters are located in Sandy, Oregon. A 1993 Forest Service study estimated that the extent of old growth in the Forest was 345,300 acres (139,700 ha)[3]. The Forest is divided into four separate districts - Barlow (with offices in Dufur), Clackamas River (Estacada), Hood River (Mount Hood-Parkdale), and Zigzag (Zigzag).
In descending order of land area the National Forest is located in parts of Clackamas, Hood River, Wasco, Multnomah, Marion, and Jefferson counties. [4]
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History
Mount Hood National Forest was first established as the Bull Run Forest Reserve in 1892. It was merged with part of Cascade National Forest on July 1, 1908 and named Oregon National Forest. The name was changed again to Mount Hood National Forest in 1924.[5]
Recreation
The Mount Hood National Forest is one of the most-visited National Forests in the United States, with over four million visitors annually. Less than five percent of the visitors camp in the forest. The forest contains 170 developed recreation sites, including:[1][2][6]
- Timberline Lodge, built in 1937 high on Mount Hood
- Lost Lake
- Burnt Lake
- Trillium Lake
- Timothy Lake
- Rock Creek Reservoir
- The Old Oregon Trail, including Barlow Road
Other common recreational activities in the Mount Hood National Forest include fishing, boating, hiking, hunting, rafting, horseback riding, skiing, mountain biking, berry-picking, and mushroom collecting.[2] A portion of the Pacific Crest Trail passes through the National Forest on the flanks of the mountain. Mount Hood is a popular destination for mountain climbers, making it the second most climbed mountain in the world.
Several nonprofits lead free hikes into the National Forest to build support for further protection from logging and off-road vehicle use, including Bark and Oregon Wild.[7][8]
Wilderness
There are more than 295,917 acres (1,198 km2) of designated wilderness on the National Forest.
- Mount Hood Wilderness at 67,320 acres (272 km2) includes the peak and upper slopes of Mount Hood.
- Badger Creek Wilderness at approximately 28,140 acres (114 km2)
- Salmon–Huckleberry Wilderness at 61,340 acres (248 km2)
- Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness at approximately 64,960 acres (263 km2)
- Bull of the Woods Wilderness at 37,607 acres (152 km2)
- Roaring River Wilderness at 36,550 acres (148 km2)
- Mount Jefferson Wilderness at 111,177 acres (450 km2), though only part of the wilderness is located in the Mount Hood National Forest
The Olallie Scenic Area is a lightly-roaded lake basin that also offers a primitive recreational experience.[2]
References
- ^ a b Revised Visitation Estimates - National Forest Service
- ^ a b c d "About Us". Mt. Hood National Forest. U.S. Forest Service. http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mthood/about/.
- ^ Bolsinger, Charles L.; Waddell, Karen L. (1993), Area of old-growth forests in California, Oregon, and Washington, United States Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Resource Bulletin PNW-RB-197, http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_rb197.pdf
- ^ Table 6 - NFS Acreage by State, Congressional District and County - United States Forest Service - September 30, 2007
- ^ Davis, Richard C. (September 29, 2005), National Forests of the United StatesPDF (341 KB), The Forest History Society
- ^ Michael Milstein (September 20, 2007). "Rethinking camping—A Forest Service plan could dramatically change Mount Hood's offerings". OregonLive.com. The Oregonian. http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1190258728155510.xml&coll=7&thispage=2. Retrieved on 2007-10-06.
- ^ Hikes & Events - Oregon Wild
- ^ Activities - Bark
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mount Hood National Forest |
- Mount Hood National Forest - US Forest Service
- Mount Hood National Forest - Wildernet.com
- Hiking Mount Hood National Forest - GORP
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