Adventures abound in the Pacific Northwest mountains. It’s a place where one feels new, young, alive again. It’s impossible to explain and impossible not to feel when here.
A bit of backstory on what led us to Mirror Lake in Mt Hood National Forest: my Mom spent a few months out in Oregon visiting my sister and her husband in the summertime. At the time of her visit, my Mom was battling cancer and found enormous peace on this hike with heavenly views of Mount Hood reflected in the water. When my Mom passed, I had this unshakeable and intense desire to experience this place that had brought her abundant joy. I wanted to hike the exact path she had hiked. To not only see what she saw but to feel what she felt. This was the first Pacific Northwest hike we set out on when we came to the region. We hiked the Mirror Lake trail one year almost to the date after my Mom did. When I reflect back on this place, it will forever evoke feelings of wonder and an unrelenting sense of closeness to my Mom which I’ll be eternally grateful for.
The Mirror Lake Trail
This is an easy(ish) trail, running about 4.4 miles out and back. It took us about 2.5 hours to complete and you will see about a 600 feet elevation gain once it’s all said and done.
The trailhead is easy to spot and located just off Highway 26 making it a fantastic day hike option if you’re visiting/staying in Portland, Oregon. It’s close proximity to the city also makes this trail very popular. We recommend visiting during the week when it is less crowded.
Other trails accessible here are the Tom, Dick and Harry Mountain Trail which are more challenging with great views of the Cascade Mountain Range.
What You Will See
The hike will take you through old-growth forests, across wooden planks precariously situated over flooded parts of the trail and ultimately leads you along the edge of Mirror Lake. Once you reach this backcountry lake, you’ll see spectacular view of Mount Hood, which rises 11,244 feet and is the highest point in all of Oregon. This snow-capped mountain, which is actually a stratovolcano, will be impossible to miss.
We visited at the start of the summer season and the trail was still snow-covered especially around the lake. If you visit when the trail has great snow coverage, both snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are allowed on the trail making this a great place for some winter recreation.
Final Thoughts
We hope you have the chance to one-day soon experience first-hand the pure magic of Mirror Lake!
– Justin and Alyssa
P.S. Mount Hood is called Wy’east by Native peoples. Wy’east also happens to be the name of a local pizza joint in Milwaukee that we are quite fond of!
Disclaimer: Parks and Planes is an informative resource for readers. Due to unforeseen conditions like National Park closures, policies, construction and other natural changes to the park and its trail, Parks and Planes, LLC does not assume liability for the accuracy of posts, trail conditions and directions. Parks and Planes strives to accurately describe and document details as experienced during the date and time of the visit. Please travel safely when hiking here and visiting recommended sites and places mentioned in this blog post. All photos, content and opinions are our own.
