Exploring the Earth and Sky of the West

Mt. Hood, Oregon

The tallest peak in Oregon at over 11,000 feet, Mt. Hood sits in a chain of active stratovolcanoes stretching from California to British Columbia. Just a few dozen miles south of the Columbia River Gorge and the Washington border, Mt. Hood is one of the more accessible high peaks in the Cascade Range (though the climb to the summit is somewhat technical) given its close proximity to Portland. Like the other volcanoes of the Cascades, Mt. Hood and the surrounding national forest offer many opportunities for photography, especially if you can get away from the summer crowds!

  • A tall mountain with steep cliffs and ice, with blue sky and a half moon in the sky above it
    A 1st quarter moon hovers above glacier-clad Mt. Hood at sunset
  • A landscape of forests and hills turns various shades of orange and purple at sunset
    Looking northwest from the flanks of Mt. Hood toward Lost Lake at sunset
  • Jagged rocks in the foreground with a tall glacier-capped mountain and quarter moon in the sky
    A sunset view of Mt. Hood from near the Cloud Cap Inn, on the northeast flank of Mt. Hood
  • A tall cone-shaped peak with a large white glacier and green trees in the foreground
    The Eliot Glacier on the northeast face of Mt. Hood is the largest glacier by volume on the volcano.
  • A ridge of rocks and gravel framed a tall snow-capped peak in the background
    Sunrise from the lateral moraine of the Eliot Glacier on Mt. Hood in Oregon.
  • Lupine flowers on the lateral moraine of the Eliot Glacier, Mt. Hood, Oregon