Elk Cove
Elk Cove Trail is a 5-mile trail in Mt. Hood National Forest, Oregon. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. The forest has not published allowed uses for it. It enters Mount Hood Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Mt. Hood National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 45.4474° N, 121.6780° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 45.4099° N, 121.6972° W · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start. The trail is recorded as 2 segments.
The trail
| Length | 5 miles |
| Trail class | 3, developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 631 |
| Forest | Mt. Hood National Forest (unit 0606) |
| States | Oregon |
| Detail published | basic characteristics |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Weather by month
Wilderness
- Mount Hood WildernessFS · about 42% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.
Trailheads
Elk Cove Trailhead Open June Wilderness restrictions apply. | under 0.1 mi |
Pinnacle Ridge Trailhead Open May | 0.3 mi |
Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date.
Trails nearby
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedBronco Piles Rx East
6 mi from the trail midpoint
- PrescribedBull Piles Rx East
7 mi from the trail midpoint
- PrescribedWard Pile Rx - East
7 mi from the trail midpoint · 29 acres
- WildfireGrasshopper
15 mi from the trail midpoint · 93,972 acres · 98% contained
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Historic places nearby
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Elk Cove Trail?
The Forest Service records 5 miles under this name in Mt. Hood National Forest, the sum of 2 segments.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Elk Cove Trail?
Mt. Hood National Forest has not published allowed uses for this trail. The forest office can say what is open.
Where does the Elk Cove Trail start?
The line begins at 45.4474° N, 121.6780° W and ends at 45.4099° N, 121.6972° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Elk Cove Trailhead, under 0.1 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Elk Cove Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Mount Hood Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Source: Mount Hood Wilderness
Where can I camp near the Elk Cove Trail?
Kinnikinnick Campground (0.5 mi), Cloud Cap Saddle Campground/Day Use (2 mi) and Tilly Jane Campground/Day Use (2.4 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 4 with site counts and booking links.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Elk Cove Trail?
Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Elk Cove Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Elk Cove Trail?
Mt. Hood National Forest, Forest Service unit 0606. The trail is in Oregon.
Is there a fire near the Elk Cove Trail?
The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Bronco Piles Rx East at 6 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 2 segments named Elk Cove in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0606. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.