Oregon

Choose Your Pace: Hiking Mt. Hood and Cascade Mountain Lakes

Program No. 4895RJ
With experts, hike the scenic trails of Mt. Hood and the Cascade Mountains at your pace, discovering hidden waterfalls and lakes and the National Historic Landmark Timberline Lodge.

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At a Glance

Hike along sparkling lakes with majestic Mount Hood towering over the landscape, to vistas overlooking the forested Cascade Mountains and to hidden gems like Little Crater Lake. Each day, pick a trail option based on your pace preference and set out with a small group and a nature expert to learn about the history, geology, birds and plants of the area. Enjoy the summer flowers or fall color of vine maples as you hike through old growth, mountain meadows and timberline scenery.
Activity Level
Outdoor: Choose Your Pace
Each day, choose from multiple hiking options based on your desired level of challenge and pace, ranging from 3-8 miles on varied terrain. Elevations of 3,000-6,500 feet.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

What You'll Learn

  • Visit Timberline Lodge — a National Historic Landmark located at the slopes of Mount Hood — and explore the grounds of this local treasure.
  • Hike to the exquisite Tamanawas Falls, a 100-foot waterfall that stems from Cold Spring Creek.
  • Experience the beauty of the lakes nestled into this beautiful region, including Mirror, Timothy, Trillium and Little Crater.

General Notes

Due to the nature of this program, listening devices are not available.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
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7 days
6 nights
17 meals
6 B 5 L 6 D
DAY
1
Check-in, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Eagle Creek
D
Alton L. Collins Conference & Retreat Center

Activity note: Check-in from 3:30 p.m.

Afternoon: Program Registration: 3:30-5:30 p.m. After you have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table in the lobby to pick up your welcome packet containing the group roster and up-to-date schedule that reflects any changes, other important information, and to confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please ask for your packet when you check in. Remember to bring your name-tag (sent previously). Take some time to unpack, freshen up, and relax. We will gather at 5:30 p.m. to meet our fellow Road Scholars and enjoy some group socializing activities.

Dinner: In the Dining Room at 6:30 p.m., we will have a family-style meal featuring fresh local produce with beverage choices of coffee, tea, water included.

Evening: Orientation: 7:30 p.m. The Group Leader will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Participants in this physically demanding and challenging program can “Choose Your Pace” between two daily routes. Hiking distances will range from 2 to 8 miles at elevations up to 8,000 feet. Specific day hikes will be discussed each morning at breakfast and daily maps will be distributed. Hikes and presentations will be conducted by Group Leaders and local experts. For each route, participants will need to keep up with the group’s hiking pace; most hikes can be shortened according to personal needs. Groups typically start at the same location. Transportation will be via private 15-person vans. We strongly encourage participants to bring and refill personal water bottles each day. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

DAY
2
Old Growth Forest Hike
Eagle Creek
B,L,D
Alton L. Collins Conference & Retreat Center

Activity note: Getting in/out of a van; driving about 48 miles, approximately 1 hour roundtrip. “Choose Your Pace” from routes varying in distance from 3 to 7 miles and up to 300 feet elevation gain; well-maintained forest paths.

Breakfast: At 8:00 a.m. in the Dining Room, the family-style breakfast offers choices such as eggs, pancakes, hot and cold cereals, potatoes, bread, juice, coffee, tea, water. After breakfast, we will make our own sack lunches with sandwich, snack, and fruit choices. Remember to bring and fill your personal water bottle to take along.

Morning: We will hop aboard our vans and ride to the trailhead where today’s hikes will begin. This morning, it will be along the pristine and clear Salmon River through old growth forest from 2 to 4 miles with elevation gains up to 100 feet. Our instructor and Group Leader will point out plants and animals we see along the way while walking beneath old growth forests next to the rushing Salmon River. There will be opportunities to rest along the way.

Lunch: Along the trail, we’ll have the sack lunches we assembled this morning.

Afternoon: We will continue hiking on a soft carpeted trail along the central Salmon River beneath majestic old growth trees for an additional 4.6 miles roundtrip with 200 feet of elevation gain. Those who choose the shorter route can sit by the trail and enjoy the natural beauty until the longer route group returns and all hike back to the van. We will return to the retreat center with time to freshen up and relax before dinner.

Dinner: Dining Room family-style meal.

Evening: We will gather for a presentation on aspects of local geology and natural history that is expected to end by 9:00 p.m.

DAY
3
Timothy Lake Hike, Little Crater Lake Hike
Eagle Creek
B,L,D
Alton L. Collins Conference & Retreat Center

Activity note: Getting in/out of a van; driving about 118 miles, approximately 3 hours roundtrip. “Choose Your Pace” from 2 one-way routes (vans will be shuttled between trailheads) varying in distance from 3 to 7.2 miles with 100 foot elevation gain; well-maintained trails.

Breakfast: At 7:15 a.m. in the Dining Room, family-style meal. After breakfast, we will make our own sack lunches with sandwich, snack, and fruit choices. Remember to bring and fill your personal water bottle to take along.

Morning: We will hop aboard our vans and ride to the trailhead where today’s hikes will begin. This morning, it will be along the edge of Timothy Lake with its beautiful views of Mt. Hood. Everyone will hike the same route adjacent to Timothy Lake to our lunch spot, up to 3 miles with elevation gain of 50 feet.

Lunch: Along the trail, we’ll have our sack lunches.

Afternoon: Next, the shorter route will take participants in vans to Little Crater Lake, a deep, crystal clear, artesian spring-fed lake. The longer route will take participants 4.2 miles (50 feet elevation gain) to Little Crater Lake. The instructor and Group Leader will point out plants and animals we see along the way. We will return to the retreat center with time to freshen up and relax before dinner.

Dinner: Dining Room family-style meal.

Evening: We will gather for a presentation on aspects of local geology and natural history that is expected to end by 9:00 p.m.

DAY
4
Mirror Lake Hike, Tom-Dick-Harry Mountain, Timberline Lodge
Eagle Creek
B,L,D
Alton L. Collins Conference & Retreat Center

Activity note: Getting in/out of a van; driving about 62 miles, approximately 1.5 hours round trip. “Choose Your Pace” from routes varying in distance up to 7.2 miles with up to 1,400 feet elevation gain.

Breakfast: At 7:15 a.m. in the Dining Room. After breakfast, we will make our own sack lunches with sandwich, snack, and fruit choices. Remember to bring and fill your personal water bottle to take along.

Morning: We will hop aboard our vans and ride to the trailhead where today’s hikes will begin. This morning, we will hike to Mirror Lake in the mountains surrounding Mt. Hood. Everyone will hike 4.0 miles roundtrip (elevation gain of 700 feet) to Mirror Lake.

Lunch: Along the trail, we’ll have our sack lunches.

Afternoon: Shorter route participants will pause to enjoy the natural beauty of Mirror Lake before returning to the vans at the trailhead. Longer route participants will continue hiking from Mirror Lake up to the top of Tom, Dick and Harry Mountain in the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness. After returning to the trailhead, we will ride (about 30 minutes) to Timberline Lodge. Considered a masterpiece of “Cascadian” architecture, it was built in 1937 under auspices of the WPA, one of President Franklin Roosevelt’s “alphabet” programs to stimulate economic recovery during the Great Depression. It continues as an iconic ski lodge and mountain retreat that has been designated a National Historic Landmark. One of our instructors will provide a brief introduction to lodge highlights. We’ll then have an opportunity to relax and have drinks and appetizers on our own. We will return to the retreat center with time to freshen up and relax before dinner.

Dinner: Dining Room family-style meal.

Evening: We will play a video on Timberline Lodge to see more of this historic place we visited today. The wood and stone exterior resembles the outline of the mountain, while the interior boasts fine examples of the era’s iron work, painting, and wood carving — all under the gaze of the mountain.

DAY
5
Silver Falls State Park, Trail of Ten Falls Hike
Eagle Creek
B,L,D
Alton L. Collins Conference & Retreat Center

Activity note: Getting in/out of a van; driving about 116 miles, approximately 3 hours roundtrip. “Choose Your Pace” from 2 routes varying in distance up to 8.7 miles roundtrip with up to 1,600 feet elevation gain.

Breakfast: At 7:15 a.m. in the Dining Room. After breakfast, we will make our own sack lunches with sandwich, snack, and fruit choices. Remember to bring and fill your personal water bottle to take along.

Morning: We will hop aboard our vans and ride to Silver Falls State Park — renowned as the “crown jewel” of Oregon’s state park system — and begin hiking The Trail of Ten Falls, one of America's most impressive waterfall day hikes through forests of Douglas fir, hemlock, and cedar.

Lunch: Along the trail, we’ll have our sack lunches.

Afternoon: We will finish hiking the Trail of Ten Falls. North Falls, a 136-foot beauty, is one of the most spectacular falls experiences in the Northwest. We will return to the retreat center with time to freshen up and relax before dinner.

Dinner: Dining Room family-style meal.

Evening: We will gather for a presentation on aspects of local history that is expected to end by 9:00 p.m.

DAY
6
Tamanawas Falls, Trillium Lake
Eagle Creek
B,L,D
Alton L. Collins Conference & Retreat Center

Activity note: Getting in/out of a van; driving about 100 miles, approximately 2 hours roundtrip. “Choose Your Pace” from routes varying in distance up to 5.6 miles roundtrip; well-maintained trails, areas with rocks to step over.

Breakfast: At 7:15 a.m. in the Dining Room. After breakfast, we will make our own sack lunches with sandwich, snack, and fruit choices. Remember to bring and fill your personal water bottle to take along.

Morning: We will hop aboard our vans, ride to the trailhead, and begin our hike to Tamanawas Falls along a clear, cascading river amid the drier pine habitat of the eastern side of Mt. Hood. The Tamanawas Falls shorter route will take participants 3.8 miles roundtrip (500 feet elevation gain), while the longer route is 5.6 miles (900 feet elevation gain); both are on well-maintained trails with a few rocks to step over.

Lunch: Along the trail, we’ll have our sack lunches.

Afternoon: We will hike at Trillium Lake with beautiful views of Mt. Hood. Participants can hike at their own pace on this out and back trail, a maximum of 2 miles roundtrip (minimal elevation gain) and return to the parked vans. We will then return to the retreat center with time to freshen up and relax before dinner.

Dinner: Dining Room family-style meal. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

Evening: We will gather for a closing session, watch a slideshow featuring photographs taken by members of the group during the program, and learn about other Road Scholar programs. We expect to finish by 9:00 p.m. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

DAY
7
Program Concludes
Eagle Creek
B

Activity note: Check-out 10:00 a.m.

Breakfast: At 7:15 a.m. in the Dining Room. This concludes our program.

Morning: If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!






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