Pencil Falls
Hood River County, Oregon
Your visit at a glance
- Waterfall height
- Not recorded
- Location
- Hood River County, Oregon
- Access status
- Ski-area and Timberline Trail loop; summer only
- The walk
- On an 8.6-mile loop; no separate distance to the falls is given
- Ground & access
- Ski-area trails, ski runs and the Timberline Trail with stream crossings and rock hops. The path down to the falls is a vague scramble.
Pencil Falls is a small, glacier-fed waterfall on a headstream of the East Fork Hood River, just below the Timberline Trail in the Mt. Hood Meadows ski area. Oregon Hikers describes a loop from the main lodge: the Bear Grass and Jack's Woods trails climb through the ski area to the Timberline Trail; turn left and follow the Timberline Trail across the ski area. After the Lower Wizard Way junction and several stream crossings, the trail passes just above Pencil Falls; a vague scramble path leads down for a good view. The loop continues across Mitchell Creek and returns to the lodge on the Umbrella Falls and Bear Grass trails.
Plan your visit
Mt. Hood Meadows Lodge Trailhead, ski-area trails to the Timberline Trail, then the Timberline Trail across the ski area past Pencil Falls
Oregon Hikers gives 8.6 miles with 905 feet of elevation gain for the Mount Hood Meadows Resort Loop, which passes just above Pencil Falls on the Timberline Trail. No separate distance to the falls is given.
Ski-area trails, ski runs and the Timberline Trail with stream crossings and rock hops. The path down to the falls is a vague scramble.
Where to start
Main lodge parking at Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort, 2.1 miles up the resort road from Highway 35. Hiker parking is open in summer only; on Tuesdays and Wednesdays the lot is closed and hikers park beside the road below it.
Timing & water
Oregon Hikers lists the loop for summer months only.
Before you go
Oregon Hikers lists a Northwest Forest Pass for the trailhead.
Visitor informationVisit sources
More waterfalls nearby
Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.
- Umbrella FallsShort route and trailhead parking verified59 ft (18 m) · Hood River County, OR0.7 miSE
- Lower Dryer FallsHood River County, OR0.7 miW
- Upper Dryer FallsHood River County, OR0.8 miW
- Upper Heather Canyon FallsTimberline Trail loop crossing above the fallsHood River County, OR1.1 miNE
- Middle Heather Canyon FallsPartial guide: middle falls in a series on Heather Creek is not named individually by the route sourceHood River County, OR1.2 miNE
- Lower Heather Canyon FallsHood River County, OR1.2 miNE
- Middle Mimie FallsClackamas County, OR1.3 miW
- Mimie FallsClackamas County, OR1.3 miW
- Clark Creek FallsHood River County, OR1.4 miN