Short and very steep, Elk Meadows Bluegrass Tie Trail #647B links two trails on the mountain’s east side, inside the Mount Hood Wilderness. It leaves Elk Meadows Trail #645 at the east edge of Elk Meadows, near 5,120 feet, and climbs east to Bluegrass Ridge Trail #647 at about 5,520 feet, with some scrambling on the way up.
It is handy for making a loop with the Elk Meadows and Bluegrass Ridge trails. Fire swept through this area in recent years. To get here, hike about 3 miles on Elk Meadows Trail from the Mt. Hood Meadows lower access road off Highway 35, or start from the Polallie Trailhead farther north on the same highway.
Trail map & elevation
- Trail class
- Class 1 of 5
- Typical grade
- 5-8%
- Surface
- Native material
- Ranger district
- Hood River
Connects to: Elk Meadows Trail #645, Bluegrass Ridge Trail #647
More about the Mount Hood Wilderness and its trails →
Line, length and trail class: U.S. Forest Service trail data. Elevation: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Difficulty is our estimate for hiking it out and back (once around for a loop), from distance and total climb. Lines can be off by a few hundred feet; carry a real map and check the official page for closures.
Getting there
- From Portland, OR travel approximately 31 miles east of Sandy on US Hwy 26 to the intersection with Oregon Hwy 35.
- Turn north onto Oregon Hwy 35 and travel 8.1 miles to the Mt. Hood Meadows Ski area lower access road.
- Follow Elk Meadows Trail #645 approximately 3 miles to the south end of this trail.
- Polallie Trailhead:
- From Portland, OR follow the above directions to Oregon Hwy 35.
- Travel 16.5 miles north on Oregon Hwy 35 to Polallie Trailhead, approximately 0.7 miles north of milepost 73.
From the Forest Service
Rules and restrictions
Wilderness restrictions apply
Season details
June
Trails nearby
Elk Meadows Trail #645
17.6 mi
3,439 ft
Very hard
Bluegrass Ridge Trail #647
12.2 mi
3,084 ft
Very hard
Gnarl Ridge Cut Off Trail #652A
1.2 mi
385 ft
Easy
Elk Mountain Vista Trail #647C
0.4 mi
47 ft
Easy
Gnarl Ridge Trail #652
2 mi
382 ft
Easy
Newton Creek Trail #646
3.6 mi
1,010 ft
Moderate
Timberline Trail #600
58.6 mi
16,475 ft
Very hard
East Fork Trail #650
14 mi
1,820 ft
Very hard
Sahalie Falls Trail #667C
4.2 mi
873 ft
Moderate
Umbrella/Sahalie Falls Trail #667
6.4 mi
1,420 ft
Hard
