Ramona Falls Loop Hike Oregon

Ramona Falls Loop Hike - Mount Hood Wilderness Oregon

The Ramona Falls Hike is a favorite summer destination for outdoor enthusiasts due to the gradual elevation gain, relative proximity to Portland, and its beautiful waterfalls.

Ramona Falls drops 120 feet, cascading and splitting into ever smaller fingers of water broken up by the hexagonal columns of basalt at the base of the cliff.  The trail is relatively easy for this region, but the 1100 feet of elevation gain could require plenty of rest stops for those not used to hiking in the mountains.

A road washout in the mid-1990s caused the trail head to be located 1.4 miles farther away at the Old Maid Sand Pit. The permanent bridge at the Sandy River Crossing was destroyed a few years later and, in 2014, a hiker was swept off the seasonal bridge and drowned by rapidly rising waters after a sudden storm.

·        Start point: Ramona Falls Trail head

·        End point: Ramona Falls

·        Distance: 7.1 miles round trip

·        Hike Type: Loop

·        Elevation gain: 1035 feet

·        High point: 3,470 feet

·        Difficulty: Moderate

·        Trail Location: Mount Hood Wilderness, Oregon.

Warning:  No Bridge to cross the Sandy River - use caution when crossing the logs.

The Forest Service has decided not to replace the bridge, so the crossing of the river, which you have to do going and coming, is now a ford or a careful balancing act on logs that change their position annually. Also, Ramona Falls became part of the Mt. Hood Wilderness in 2009, so consider this a hike into the back-country with all the attendant precautions. Wear proper footwear, carry emergency essentials in your pack, and turn back if there is a heavy rain. Do NOT attempt a crossing of the Sandy if the river is running fast, deep, and furiously.

Hike Description

Hike onward to the steep eroding bank of the Sandy River. The trail joins an alder-lined old road bed. Reach the bank of the river again, and then descend to the Sandy River Crossing. A bridge is no longer provided here, so you’ll need to pick one of the logs strewn across the spate or attempt a ford.

The trail picks up on the opposite bank and head up parallel to the river in shady woods. Come to the Pacific Crest - Sandy River Trail Junction, and go left. The trail soon reaches a footbridge over Ramona Creek and heads up the bank of the creek. At the well-signed Ramona Falls - Pacific Crest Trail PCT Junction, keep right and Continue, once reach the junction with the Timberline Trail, and stay right to admire Ramona Falls' splashing veil from the footbridge that spans the creek here.

How to Reach: From Portland, OR - turn north on Lolo Pass Road (Forest Road 18). Follow it four miles. Turn east (right) onto Forest Road 1825 and continue 0.6 miles, cross a bridge and then continue 1.7 miles to a road junction. Bear left at the junction onto Forest Road 1825-100 and drive 0.3 mile. Take a left onto Forest Road 1825-024 to a large open parking lot (0.2 mile) at the Ramona Falls trail-head.