South & East of Mt. Hood, OR

El Gato

I'll be in and around the Mount Hood (OR) area during early Sept. and I am looking for a few recommendations of not-to-miss photo locations, East and South of Government Camp area, as well as any recommendations for a short (.5 -1 mile) hike-in, wide open sky view, dark sky site, to set up for an evening of astro photography.

Would be great if I could drive to the dark sky site, then I'd have the car to sit in all night while the camera fires away as well as possibly being to get further into a site and farther away from any ambient light.

Any recommendations/suggestions would be appreciated & welcomed.

Thanks in advanced.

ZBlack

I don't think you're going to find a great dark sky area by those standards. There are far to many lights on the mountain itself and smaller cities, including light pollution from Portland itself. Some of the more popular and easy to access places are Trillium Lake and Mirror Lake. Trillium Lake you can drive to within 50 feet of where most people shoot. Mirror lake is a bit more of a hike and uphill, but it's a beautiful place. Both have great views of the mountain, but both are directly in line with facing Timberline lodge which is lit up at night.

If you want to hike quite a bit further, there are other options. I am definitely not really familiar with the area so hopefully more people will chime in with ideas. Lookout Mountain is one place to consider as well - http://www.portlandhikersfieldguide.org/wiki/Lookout_Mountain_Loop_Hike

DonFischer

Ya might want to drive US 30 scenic route. Number of nice waterfalls in there and Multnomah Falls there.

El Gato

South & East of Mt. Hood, OR
ZBlack & Don....

Thank you both for your suggestions. I will look into these options further.

Finding "good" dark sky locations, these days, is 90 percent of the challenge, almost more so than actually getting to the spot.

In Dec. I'll be in Death Valley NP, I hope to find some darker sky options out on the lake bed and off the main road in some of the side canyons and possibly out on the Dunes.

Thanks again for your suggestions and input. much appreciated.

Wiren

Ok... be sure to drive hwy 35. You can start in Hood River and drive south, puts you out just below Trillium Lake.... you must go there and that might be the best spot to try night photography, google images of Trillium lake and you will see why.

The drive from Hood River to hwy 26 is quite stunning for the mountain views... Adams behind you and Hood in front of you. There is even a viewpoint on Hwy 35 by Hood River that may be worth checking out.

Also, if you have time, I might suggest driving up Lolo Pass and taking the hike to Ramona falls. It is a hike of a few miles in, but the waterfall is a basalt curtain of water and quite wide, so bring the UWA lens. Beatiful hike in and out, just don't fall in the Sandy River.

Another spot for a great shot is Jonsrud Viewpoint in Sandy... drive down from Gov't camp into Sandy, turn right on Bluff Road, go about 2 miles (just past the High School) and you'll see it on the right... beautiful view.

I have been meaning to try startrail shots at Trillium lake, with the lake and the view of Mt Hood, you can't miss getting something decent!

Good luck and great traveling.

Lee

El Gato

South & East of Mt. Hood, OR
Lee:

Many thanks for your insights and for taking time to send me info via email. I appreciate it very much.

Looking forward to being in the Hood area in about a week. Your information will be very useful!!

Thanks once again.

Wiren

Well, did you ever get any good shots...... care to share what you were able to capture? I'd be interested to know if you made it to Trillium Lake and were able to get your night shot.