Jul 06

Ramona Falls Trail in Mount Hood National Forest

Welcome to Travel Tuesday! If you’re up in Oregon and want a waterfall hike that features a river crossing and gorgeous forest/mountain views, I’d recommend the Ramona Falls Trail in Mount Hood National Forest!

Are you a fan of waterfall #hikes? Check out #RamonaFalls in @MtHoodNF! #oregon #visitoregon #hikingadventures

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We usually like to have “return to civilization meals” but since Pine State Biscuits would be closed by the time we came back, we grabbed “Thee Essential” + “The Reggie” along with a stack of blueberry cornmeal pancakes + biscuit beignets before we left! *-*

Ramona Falls Trail in Mount Hood National Forest
Ramona Falls in Mount Hood National Forest, OR | fairyburger.com

I included myself for scale! :P

Distance: 7.1 miles (loop)
Elevation: 1046 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Duration: ~3 hours
Trailhead Address: 45.38680, -121.83200
Parking: Lot available*

*A recreation pass is required if you’re parked in the actual lot — they honor Northwest Forest Passes and all Interagency Passes!

Word of warning on the parking lot–you may want a higher clearance vehicle! There were a lot of potholes on the way that our SUV really did not appreciate, so we parked to the side with a couple other vehicles off to the side of the road and walked the rest of the way to the trailhead.

There are bathrooms at the trailhead, so be sure to do your business before you head out!

It’s a pretty popular hike and does require you to do a river crossing by walking across some logs, so be careful!
Ramona Falls in Mount Hood National Forest, OR | fairyburger.com
The logs can be slippery and I definitely wouldn’t recommend this if it’s raining due to that + the river in general. Don’t pull an Oregon Trail tactic and try to ford the river when the river is super high/fast.
Ramona Falls in Mount Hood National Forest, OR | fairyburger.com
There actually used to be a footbridge to help hikers cross the Sandy River but there was a flash flood back in 2014 that destroyed it and the U.S. Forest Service ultimately decided not to replace it due to the likelihood of recurrence.

Late summer/early fall would be the best time to go since the river is at its lowest!

After you cross the river, the hike is pretty easy with a gradual incline + a trail shaded by Douglas firs.
Ramona Falls itself is a ~120 foot cascade and fans out to a bunch of smaller falls–it’s a beautiful sight to see and definitely worth the hike out!
Ramona Falls in Mount Hood National Forest, OR | fairyburger.com
We hung out by the waterfall for a while (I’d recommend packing a lunch and eating it here!) — very shaded + nice and cool!
There’s access to a number of other trails (including the Pacific Crest Trail!) from the Ramona Falls Trail. We also saw a number of campers/backpackers on the trail while we were there. I’d love to come back to do the same someday!
Ramona Falls in Mount Hood National Forest, OR | fairyburger.com
Since we knew there’d be river crossings, we wore hiking sandals so it’d be fine even if we were to get them wet. Originally we planned to just wear them for the river crossings, but in the interest of carrying less, we wore them for the whole hike!
Ramona Falls in Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon | fairyburger.com
Ramona Falls in Mount Hood National Forest, OR | fairyburger.com
  • Have you ever been to Oregon?
  • Do you have a favorite waterfall hike? Waterfall hikes = some of my favorites, so I’m always up for more ideas/inspiration!

Permanent link to this article: https://www.fairyburger.com/ramona-falls-trail-in-mount-hood-national-forest/

22 comments

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  1. This is such a lovely hike! I especially love trails that lead to waterfalls…gorgeous!

    1. Me too! Definitely one of my favorite things to see when hiking! :D
      Farrah recently posted…Ramona Falls Trail in Mount Hood National ForestMy Profile

  2. It looks really beautiful. The video of you crossing on that log looks scary with the rushing water below! Kudos to going through with it! :)

    1. I was slightly worried about what’d happen if I lost my balance, but thankfullyyy, we didn’t have to worry about that! :P
      Farrah recently posted…Ramona Falls Trail in Mount Hood National ForestMy Profile

  3. I have been to Oregon, but not to Ramona Falls. Next time though!

    1. Ahh, I hope you get to go next time! :]

  4. I absolutely love hiking, it gives the best sense of freedom. This trail sounds awesome

    1. Agreed! :] I haven’t hiked in a couple weeks–hoping to get back into doing it soon!
      Farrah recently posted…Ramona Falls Trail in Mount Hood National ForestMy Profile

  5. I’ve only been to OR once. It was supposed to be our big trip in 2020 . . . well you knw what happened to that.

    I’m pretty sure we would both balk at crossing the log though! Good for you! Otherwise it looks like a lovely hike.

    1. Aww, darn! :[ 2020 definitely derailed all sorts of plans. :[ I hope you get to go sometime!

      hehe, I was vaguely worried about tripping and falling in but thankfully it all worked out!
      Farrah recently posted…Ramona Falls Trail in Mount Hood National ForestMy Profile

    • Nikki on July 10, 2021 at 1:30 pm
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    Wow this looks like quite an adventure! I love the idea of hiking sandals when crossing streams like these. I can’t wait to make it out to Oregon and hike gorgeous trails like these :)

    1. Yay! Hope you have lots of fun adventures when you go! :]

  7. That food at the start of your post looks great to start the day off with before hiking! This is such a nice trail with some beautiful scenery. Thanks for sharing!

    1. It was definitely a fun + beautiful one! :D (And yay for good fuel! :P)

  8. Wow, that waterfall looks epic! What a wonderful trail to discover it too! I’m not sure I’d manage to edge my way across the fallen tree mind you, that looks a bit precarious! Thanks for the great guide!

    1. It was definitely an awesome find! If the water had been any higher/the current had been a lot faster, we might not have, but thankfully it worked out! :D

  9. that waterful is so pretty! definitely didn’t know about this place.

    1. It was a glorious find! *-*
      Farrah recently posted…Trail of Ten Falls in Silver Falls State ParkMy Profile

  10. Wow, Ramona fall is gorgeous, it really highlights the beauty of the Cascades! You are brave (and balanced!) to have crossed on that log, it looks like it was worth it! Thanks for the post!
    Erica recently posted…Planning A Trip to YellowstoneMy Profile

    1. hehe, I’m super glad I didn’t fall in (thankfully)! It was definitely worth it! :D
      Farrah recently posted…Trail of Ten Falls in Silver Falls State ParkMy Profile

  11. This waterfall hike is practically in my backyard but I’ve never done Ramona Falls! Thanks for the reminder I need to go this summer.

    1. Ahh, that’s awesome that it’s so close to you! Hope you have fun when you go! :]
      Farrah recently posted…Trail of Ten Falls in Silver Falls State ParkMy Profile

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