Proposal 4: Expand Lodging Opportunities

Issue: Mount Hood is already blessed with two great lodges, at Multnomah Falls and Timberline, the stately Vista House at Crown Point, and the historic Cloud Cap Inn (which is no longer open to the public).  These fine structures are will suited to serving national park patrons, but additional park lodging will be needed to fully serve Mount Hood National Park.

Proposal: Complement the two existing lodges, which are located in heavily traveled areas, with five smaller lodges designed to make use of existing roads, and be part of rehabilitating impacted areas. The new facilities would be rustic structures operated by live-in hosts, following the European model of a gasthaus.

These are the proposed new lodges:

Last Chance Lodge (30 rooms) - taking advantage of paved logging road, this lodge would bring visitors to the less-visited West side of the mountain.  The lodge site is a logged area on the shoulder of Last Chance Mountain that provides spectacular views up the Muddy Fork to Mount Hood.  The lodge would be connected to the nearby trail system, and would have stables to allow visitors to arrive on horseback from nearby Riley Horse Camp.  In winter, the lodge would provide a rare, close-up view of the west face of the mountain under heavy snow, and access to snowshoeing and nordic ski trails.

Lookout Mountain Lodge (30 rooms) - located near Blue Bucket Springs on Lookout Mountain Road, this lodge would provide wide-open views of the lesser-known east face of Mount Hood.  The lodge site is on an old logging spur.  The lodge would be closely affiliated with a new horse camp at Blue Bucket Springs, and provided visitors with the chance to experience horse and alpaca travel on the nearby trail and primitive road network.  The lodge would also feature a nature trail to adjacent viewpoints that profiles the unique mixture of alpine and desert species found on the “dry side” of the Cascades.  In winter, the lodge would become a base destination for snowshoeing and nordic skiing on the gentle slopes of Lookout Mountain.

High Rock Lodge (20 rooms) - together, the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness and Roaring River backcountry comprise a 120,000 acres refuge from the more active recreation that dominates areas along the Mount Hood loop highway. The lodge site is an old turnaround at the base of High Rock, with a view of Mount Hood across Linney Creek canyon. The lodge would be the starting point for hikes into the surrounding backcountry in summer, and ski and snowshoe trips in winter. The lodge would also be affiliated with a restored lookout on the summit of High Rock.

Lost Lake Lodge (30 rooms) - this is already one of the most photographed places in the United States, and a popular destination for camping, fishing, boating and hiking. The lodge would allow for winter visits to the area, and would replace the large, paved parking area now located across the outlet creek from the camp store and cabins. There is already a need to move day-use parking areas away from the lake shore, and the lodge proposal would build on that idea, using a shuttle to bring visitors from a new parking area near the current pay station.

Panorama Point Day Lodge - the historic Cloud Cap Road and Cloud Cap Saddle Campground is one of those areas in the Mount Hood area that can no longer sustain the amount of use that it receives.  The reasons are obvious: a short hike from the campground leads you to some of the most spectacular alpine scenery in the country.  The lodge at Panorama Point would allow visitors to take in the view of the mountain from the brink of the Eliot Branch canyon, and vintage shuttle vehicles would take passengers to Cloud Cap Inn and trailheads at Cloud Cap saddle. The lodge would also include parking for hiking visitors destined for Cloud Cap saddle.

Lolo Pass Day Lodge- though Lolo Pass has been marred by heavy logging and multiple transmission lines, it remains as one of the most spectacular - and least visited - places on the mountain.  The day lodge here would allow visitors to take in the stately northwest face of Mount Hood, and would be a starting point for a number of trails.