There are plenty of beautiful parks and natural areas on Mount Hood, but how many boast an underwater viewing area?
That’s one of several attractions at Wildwood Recreation Site, a natural getaway on the mountain that’s packed with accessible, family-friendly amenities.
Found just off U.S. 26 next to Mt. Hood Village, the 550-acre park features several miles of trails that run along the Salmon River and through an evergreen forest, as well as a boardwalk trail, educational outdoor exhibits, picnic areas and the beloved underwater viewing chamber.
The paved and boardwalk trails make it an accessible spot for many hikers with mobility issues, according to accessible hiking organization Access Recreation, though there are some areas with moderately steep grading as well as patches of gravel and dirt paths. The Bureau of Land Management, which manages the park, notes which paths are paved in park maps, and posts alerts about trail conditions that may make access more challenging.
Hikers can explore the entirety of Wildwood with a 4.4-mile hike that contains many loops and spurs, beginning and ending at the main trailhead parking lot. With easy trails that all link back up together, it’s a great place to wander and explore in all seasons.
Here’s how to explore the beautiful little recreation site.
The Wetlands Trail follows a boardwalk at the Wildwood Recreation Site, a family-friendly outdoor getaway managed by the Bureau of Land Management on Mount Hood. Jamie Hale/The Oregonian
WETLANDS TRAIL
The Wetlands Trail is a .75-mile interpretive trail that follows a boardwalk to several points looking into the wetlands on the southern banks of the Salmon River. Educational installations teach about the wildlife and ecosystem, and a dirt path offers a loop back to the start. To find it, look for a paved pathway just beyond the restroom at the trailhead parking area, which leads to a beautiful foot bridge over the river.
A salmon statue greets visitors at the start of the Cascade Streamwatch Trail, which runs beside the Salmon River at Wildwood Recreation Site, a family-friendly outdoor getaway managed by the Bureau of Land Management on Mount Hood. Jamie Hale/The Oregonian
CASCADE STREAMWATCH TRAIL
Perhaps the main attraction at Wildwood, the Cascade Streamwatch Trail is a .75-mile loop hike along paved pathways on the northern banks of the Salmon River. The trail leads to the underwater viewing area, where visitors may spot salmon or other creatures in the river. It also leads to a number of picnic sites available on a first-come, first-served basis, with access to the river. The trail begins at the trailhead parking area, but can also be accessed by trails that connect to the group picnic area and Mt. Hood Village.
The Old Mill Nature Loop is a forested hiking trail at Wildwood Recreation Site, a family-friendly outdoor getaway managed by the Bureau of Land Management on Mount Hood. Jamie Hale/The Oregonian
WOODED TRAILS
Go beyond the paved pathways and picnic sites of the Cascade Streamwatch Trail to find dirt trails leading into the forest that makes up the bulk of the recreation area. A connector trail leads to the Mt. Hood Village Campground, and if you keep walking you’ll end up on the Old Mill Nature Trail, a half-mile loop beside the reservable group picnic area. Follow signs back to the trailhead parking lot, finishing out an easy loop.
The Wetlands Trail runs through the forest at Wildwood Recreation Site, a family-friendly outdoor getaway managed by the Bureau of Land Management on Mount Hood. Jamie Hale/The Oregonian
BOULDER RIDGE TRAIL
Hikers looking for a more intense adventure can take the Wetlands Trail to the Boulder Ridge Trail, a difficult hike which leaves Wildwood and heads into the Mt. Hood National Forest. The trail leads up to Huckleberry Mountain and points beyond in the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness.
— Jamie Hale
503-294-4077; jhale@oregonian.com; @HaleJamesB
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