Ramona Falls Loop

I'd been wanting to do this hike for quite a while, and when I found work taking me to Portland, I made my return trip through the Mt. Hood wilderness area. I started this Hike from the Ramona Falls trailhead, which is the most popular starting point. The easiest way to find the trailhead, is to type "Zig Zag Ranger Station" into a maps app. The turn off (Lolo Pass Road) is pretty much directly north from the ranger station, where you can stop to buy your wilderness pass...I believe it was $5.

Once on Lolo Pass Road, the trailhead is incredibly easy to find, with signs directing you at every turn. After you're parked, loaded up, and are on the trail, about a few hundred yards up, you'll have to stop and fill out a wilderness pass...there were actually two rangers there when I arrived, to assist anyone who had questions. Now for the fun part...this hike was arguably the most rewarding hike I've ever done. There are a few areas with no tree cover, you almost feel like you're in a desert, and you'll consume most of your water in these areas. As for the rest of the trail, you're in dense tree cover. The temperature cools off dramatically, and you're gifted a little stream that runs along a good portion of the trail. This stream has many small waterfalls...I'm not sure about you, but I love listening to water flow down a mountain. After about 3.5 miles, you'll reach the falls, and any grimacing that may be on your face will instantly disappear.

For Photographers: I almost didn't make it to the falls because I kept stopping to take pictures of all the mini falls, mossy rocks, green forests with spotted light, Hood, and the water soaked rock faces. I did this hike in harsh light, around noon, but that was a bonus in the tree cover. The light wasn't very optimal when I reached Ramona Falls, though. The top part of the falls super bright, while the bottom portion was in shadow...Nothing multiple exposures won't fix. All in all, very scenic!