McNeil Point Shelter via Timberline Trail #600
9.5 mi
Distance
4 hrs 23 min
Time
terrain
2,943 ft
Elev Gain
Overview
This is a difficult loop trail to Ho Rock in Mount Hood National Forest. This trail goes by Bald Mountain.
Starting at the trailhead, you'll head in and fairly quickly intersect with the Timberline Trail, expect to see a lot of foot traffic as this is a very popular hike and area. Head to the right to start climbing a ridge up the side of Mount Hood. It's a slow steady climb for a good bit. You'll eventually get to an area where you'll cut left, there is a scramble trail here that goes straight up to a hut, but unless you're fairly confident you're best to skip this. Once you climb around the trail and back to the right, you'll be at a hut, and from here you start climbing the ridge again all the way to Ho Rock.
Rate this Hike
★★★★★
Did the route counter clockwise to get steep section done first. Trail to steep section is unmarked and would be hard to follow without GPS. Encounter snow on steep section up to McNeil Point and halfway down going back to trailhead. Did not go to Ho rock because of snow. Saw a Bear track in snow on the down.Great views. This will definitely be one of my repeat hikes.
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The snow melted earlier than usual and our hike 7-22 was just after most of the snow was gone. The flowers were in full bloom with meadows filled with Alpine lilies, lupine, paint brush and at least 30 different types of flowers. Good patches of tiger lilies and Washington lilies. The trails were clear and with a sunny day the views were excellent.
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Public Tracks
McNeil Point, Mt Hood
An eleven-mile hike from the Top Spur trailhead to McNeil Point shelter and above on the north side of Mount Hood on a sunny, 80-degree late-August day, with no forest fires in the area sending up smoke. The Timberline Trail ascends gently mostly under a tree canopy from Top Spur to the McNeil Point junction, with two steep meadows offering spectacular views as McNeil Point comes into sight. The McNeil Point trail offers great views and varying terrain as it works its way across the mountain side and up.
Even this late in August, plenty of wildflowers are still in bloom: lousewort, paintbrush, giant mountain aster, bistort, monkey flower, lupine, western pasque flower, goldenrod and more, plus blue huckleberries for snacking and red berries on occasional devil's club, bunchberry, and mountain ash along the trail. No more avalanche lilies or heather blossoms.
The rock shelter at 6,100 feet on McNeil Point was built as one of a series of shelters on the Timberline Trail during its construction in the early 1930s. However, planners soon relocated the trail to a lower elevation, bypassing the shelter, apparently because the route to the shelter had snow too long into the summer and would be difficult to maintain--obvious enough at one section where the trail has crumbled away as it crosses a rock outcropping. The shelter had been completed before the trail realignment, so it's still there as a wonderful destination for hikers wanting to go well above the Timberline Trail.
The view from the shelter is excellent, but it was worth going up the trail above the shelter for even better views. Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams and even Mt. Rainier appeared on the horizon, with cloud covers obscuring the tops of Adams and Rainier as the afternoon progressed. Dozens and dozens of forested ridge lines stretched into the distance. Directly below and slightly to the east, the burned trees of the 2011 Dollar Lake fire have turned Vista Ridge an aged gray against the deep green of the other ridges. Lost Lake shimmered a deep blue.
McNiel Point
Hike up to McNiel Point on Mt. Hood along with Jordan. It was a great time and beautiful day!
