McNeil Point Dispersed Camping

Ended up backpacking up here on a whim right before I headed back to Utah. I started at the Top Spur trailhead and hiked the clockwise route up to McNeil (a little longer but saved be the scramble through rocks). On my way I ended up going to Muddy Fork which added about 4 miles to my overall trek up. I ended up camping at the point rather than further down, which was a challenge to carry my pack up, but so worth it in my opinion. It’s dispersed camping so solitude is easily reachable considering not too many people stay the night. This was easily one of the top 5 most amazing sunsets I’ve ever seen. The mountain range is unbeatable and waking up to Mt. Hood as your veiw is incredible. It’s a challenge with the best reward.

Dispersed camping at McNeil point is a backpackers dream — you get to hike far into the clouds, far away from the people, yet this location is nearly as convenient as car camping. 

While McNeil point is a popular hike, most people visiting are day hikers, or backpackers taking a few days for circumnavigating the Timberline trail. Since we only had one day, we left Portland at 2 pm on a summer Friday, hiked in the four miles most of the way to McNeil, pitched the tent in time for dinner and sunset, then got up early and summited McNeil far before the summer crowds from town had time to make it to the trail head. 

There are quite a few dispersed, designated spots to camp. The most obvious ones are those along the Timberline trail—and they are also likely the busiest. There are also obvious sites well up near the McNeil summit. These aren't as busy, but you'll have to haul your packs up the whole way.  We chose a site that we found in a clearing that had a good view of the mountain. Note - You cannot camp in most of the meadows around the lakes. There are signs that designate this.

When we hiked up to the McNeil summit in the morning, we only took our day packs, and left our big packs in our tents. After summiting we hiked back down, cooked lunch at the campsite, and then packed out.  It's definitely a recommended trip if you have a short time, but still want to feel like you got far, far away.

We began this trek at the Lolo Pass Trailhead, which is part of the Pacific Crest Trail and lead to the Timberline Trail. We then followed the Timberline Trail to our destination, McNeil Point.

The trail to McNeil Point is mainly uphill with many switchbacks. As you hike you will travel through a variety of terrain and flora. On a clear day there is a portion of the hike with unbelievable views of Mt. Hood.

On a side note, we did not reach a water source until about 3/4 of the way there. 

We decided to set up camp under a group of trees about half a mile from McNeil Point to give us cover from the wind and it is also very close to a flowing water source. The temperature was about 30-40 degrees Fahrenheit overnight, so don't forget a hat!

We were fortunate to catch a beautiful sunset (check out the pics below!)

Overall, this hike provided a challenge with great views.

Went snowshoe backpacking up to McNeil Point this weekend and camped and showshoe-d around the area for a few days. This area is extremely popular in summer and is along the Timberline Trail, but  during our Late May excursion there was still tons of snow and only saw a few people in the 3 days we were up there.

Views of Hood, Rainier, and and Adams with plenty of nearby meadows and ridges to explore. What else could you ask for?