3.7 hr
Overview
This is the easiest trailhead to access for any outing that ascends Zigzag Mountain. The West Zigzag Mountain Hike makes numerous switchbacks up the west side of the Zigzag Mountain ridge, taking you to the site of an old fire lookout with great views along the way of Devils Peak, Flag Mountain, Mount Hood and the Sandy and Zigzag river valleys. The Zigzag Mountain Trail continues past here to East Zigzag Mountain and eventually the Paradise Park Trail, but getting that far might require an overnight. Start on the Zigzag Mountain Trail (#775) which goes directly uphill from the trailhead. Don't take the other trail that continues on the (closed) road. In a few yards, there’s a map kiosk and a wilderness permit station (only needed from May 15th to October 15th). The trail rises, crossing a small gully in an understory of vine maple, cascara, lady fern, salal, sword fern and Oregon grape. You'll make seven switchbacks in salal/ Douglas-fir woods, traverse up, and then make six larger switchbacks. Vine maples light up the understory. Make three more long switchbacks and reach the ridge crest, where rhododendrons appear. The trail keeps up the spine of the ridge, where you'll be wading through salal and then alternately traversing below the crest and along it. Eight more switchbacks take you higher in Douglas-fir, hemlock, vine maple, rhododendron, salal woods (prepare to get soaked if the overhanging salal is wet!). Head up the wooded crest for quite a while, and then switchback at a square-shaped rock before crossing over the crest to make a short traverse up the dark west side of the ridge through a carpet of oxalis. Three more switchbacks take you over to the east side of the ridge. As you're heading up along the ridge crest, you'll get a view of Devils Peak through the trees. Western white pine and silver fir begin to appear in the forest mix. You're now in the bear-grass zone, with chinquapin, mountain ash, boxwood, juniper, and pine mat manzanita growing in rocky openings. Pass some contorted rocks where t
Trail Stats
0.0 km
1107 m
1380 m
0 m
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Photos
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