Zigzag Ranger District

Facility · Oregon ·

Managed by the USDA Forest Service

Mt. Hood Park Division Recreation Area (Recreation Area) · Open Access

1,451 ft
Elevation

Zigzag Ranger District spans parts of the South and West side of Mt Hood.

The District is comprised of 250,000 acres and is located near a metropolitan area of over a million residents.  The district manages one of the largest recreation programs including 550 summer homes, 30 developed campgrounds, 3 ski areas including Timberline Lodge (Timberline Lodge has nearly 2 million visitors a year, and is one of only three National Historic Landmarks in the Forest Service System), many special use permits, over 300 miles of trails, and 2 wilderness areas.  The district also manages the Bull Run Watershed cooperatively with the City of Portland, which supplies drinking water to the Portland metropolitan area.  The compound of the Ranger District is historic, constructed in the 1930’s by the CCC. Many of the original buildings remain.

 

 

 

Getting there

45.34206, -121.94202 · 45°20'31.4"N 121°56'31.3"W

Directions (Google Maps) · Directions (Apple Maps)

Typical weather

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °F————————————
Low °F————————————
Precip in17.713.213.710.97.35.81.01.74.711.617.419.3

1991–2020 averages from the nearest NOAA station, 7.3 mi away — not measured at the facility itself, and elevation can make a real difference over that distance.

Map

Member photos

Common questions about Zigzag Ranger District

Can you reserve a site at Zigzag Ranger District?
No. Zigzag Ranger District is not reservable through Recreation.gov, so sites are first-come, first-served or booked elsewhere.

Camping near Zigzag Ranger District

Comments

Contact

Recreation.gov last updated this record on 2026-02-25.

Facility information and photographs from Recreation.gov (RIDB). SpotOpened is not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.