Ramona Falls Loop

Ramona Falls is a 120-foot fan of water spreading across a wall of columnar basalt on Mount Hood's west flank, one of the most photographed waterfalls in the PNW. The loop begins at the Ramona Falls Trailhead, which was relocated 1.4 miles back up the road after a washout in the 1990s.

The trail's character changed after 2014, when a hiker drowned trying to cross the seasonal Sandy River footbridge during a flash flood. The Forest Service retired the bridge, so the Sandy is now a ford or a careful balance across logs that shift position year to year. You cross it both outbound and returning. Do NOT attempt the crossing if the Sandy is running high, fast, or deep with muddy glacial melt — wait for early morning when flows are lowest, or pick another trail.

When conditions cooperate, the loop is a gentle 7-mile circuit through old-growth Douglas-fir, briefly along the PCT, and up to the falls via a shady side canyon. In winter it doubles as a ski tour or snowshoe trip, but the access road is gated December 1 through April 1. Mt. Hood Wilderness rules apply — carry the essentials and be prepared to turn back.