Cloud Cap Saddle

It's a long drive up a very bumpy dirt road to get here, so make sure you have 4-wheel drive and a high clearance vehicle. The campsites are walk in and there is no water, so it's definitely roughing it. But the stars up there are incredible, and there are lots of great hiking trails nearby.

beautiful area. Do the timberline trail and this will be a stop! Lots of bugs around in August, but this little campground had running water, an outhouse, and a glimpse of civilization in the middle of the backcountry. It costs money which was a shock to us considering we had been backcountry camping, so if you’re planning on hiking in, bring some cash.

This “campground” is at the top of a mountain and there is also a beautiful old little lodge you can look at (but not sleep in). This was the smallest “campground” we’d ever been to, just 3 sites! The drive can be dangerous in bad weather, there’s a number you can call to hear about the conditions. We liked this because it felt almost like you had hiked up the whole mountain and were backpacking instead of sleeping a few feet from your car. You should be ok driving up in a sedan in the summer. It’s a nice place to park and do long day hikes, then come back to sleep, and drive back down in the mountain. Kind of strange as a “campground” but the views are amazing. Mt Hood views are great.

The road up is very rough. I would not recommend it for cars without four wheel or all wheel drive. The drive up is beautiful and the glimpses of Mount Hood on the way up are worth the ruts. The sites are close in. Despite this it seems open due to the tall trees scattered throughout and the views to the left and right. There's an old inn that is now used by the Forest Service that has an interesting history just a little way up the road that is cool to check out. Definitely worth it for the views alone but it leads to some wonderful hikes up Mount Hood. As a note, it takes over an hour for an ambulance to get there so bring a beefed up first aid kit and maybe a buddy with some training if you're a cautious person.