Los Alamos Trail

Getting There

Los Alamos Trailhead is at the end of Los Alamos Rd. California Highway 12 connects Santa Rosa and Sonoma. Los Alamos Road heads north from Hwy 12 within the city limits of Santa Rosa. This intersection is signed and has a signal. Turn north on Los Alamos Road and follow this crooked little road 4.5 miles to a gate and parking area. The parking area is about .5 mile past another gate that is closed at sunset every night to restrict access to the Hood Mountain Regional County Park. The trailhead is on the top of a grassy ridge and the elevation here is about 1,410ft. At the trailhead, pay the $5.00 fee and complete the information on the envelope.

Route Description

This route to Mt. Hood is easy to follow, but is longer and has more elevation gain than the route from Adobe Canyon Road. There is a sign at the trailhead that says it is 5.5 miles to Mt. Hood. From the trailhead, walk down the paved road. Walk past a washed out area on the road and follow it all the way down to an old parking lot where the pavement ends. You will lose about 400ft in elevation in about 1.0mile to get to the parking area. There is an information sign and a gate where the road continues down into the canyon for Mt. Hood. Follow the road and the signs.

You lose another 250ft in elevation when you reach Santa Rosa Creek. Cross the creek the best way you can. I found a little log and some rocks to balance on so I didn’t get me feet wet. Continue on the road on the other side of the creek. Follow the signs at all intersections to Mt. Hood. Ignore the Summit Trail branches unless you want to add some distance and adventure to your hike. The Summit Trail eventually gets you to the summit, but the road is shorter and has better footing.

The trail is well marked all the way to the summit. The summit has a small round clearing with at least 3 trails entering from various directions. The actual highpoint is hidden in the bushes on the southeast side of the clearing. There is a register hidden in the rocks if you want to leave your mark on the historic occasion of your visit to the summit of Mt. Hood.

The overall hike is about 11 miles and took me about 4 hours. There is about 2,800ft of elevation gain including what you lose and regain from the trailhead down to the creek.

Essential Gear

The 10 essentials are always necessary. Bring your lunch and enough water. There are a few creeks along the way, but the water should be filtered if you want to drink it. Rattlesnakes and cougars have been seen in the area, but I only saw a few lizards.

Images

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