Wildfire Season in Mount Hood.. during wedding season?!
Mount Hood National Forest is one of the most popular wedding and elopement locations in the PNW. If you're a photographer, you have likely shot photos for a couple there before at locations like Trillium Lake, Jonsrud Viewpoint, or Timberline Lodge. These backdrops are the perfect scenic views for an eloping couple, an adventurous proposal, or a PNW wedding day in the summer... unfortunately, that's also peak wildflower season here in the PNW. Many people outside of Washington/Oregon areas probably assume we don;t have much of a wildfire issue because we get sooooo much rain, however the PNW still has a massive wildfire issue, not enough prevention in our systems, and when flames hit.. it hits our forest communities really hard. This year in 2026, we have the Grasshopper fire roaming through the PNW and MT. HOOD areas and it has been devastating for all mountain and nature lovers in the PNW. As the days went on I saw more and more "what the heck do we do about our wedding day during fire season" posts on Facebook, so I figured I'd make a blog about it and share what I do know about getting through crisis during event-planning and how you can help during wildfire season in the PNW. If you're a couple planning to get married this year and your wedding is being affected by the Grasshopper fire or local PNW wildfires, please keep reading to find out what you can do. Mount Hood smoke levels and air quality can change drastically during wildfire season, so keeping up with the environmental air quality is important.
MOUNT HOOD TRAIL CLOSURES: CHECK YOUR ELOPEMENT LOCATION!
As the Grasshopper fire burns towards Mount Hood, The U.S Forest Service is shutting down trail and road access effective August 4 through December for over 50 trail spots within Mount Hood. The fire started July 23rd and has spread through thousands of acres of our beloved PNW. Here is the current list of closures in Mount Hood due to The Grasshopper fire:
#473 Forest Creek
#474 Knebal Springs
#475 Rocky Butte
#477 Badger Creek Cutoff
#478 Boulder Creek
#479 Badger Creek
#480 Gumjuwac
#600 Timberline Trail
#616 Lost Lake Butte
#643 Tilly Jane Ski
#643A Polallie Ridge
#644 Lamberson Spur
#645 Elk Meadows
#647 Bluegrass Ridge
#650 East Fork
#650A Tamanawas Falls
#667 Umbrella/Sahalie Falls
#675 Dog River
#678 Zig Zag
#680 Jean Lake
#683 Underhill
#685 Gunsight Butte
#685B Camp Windy
#688 Surveyor’s Ridge
Plus additional numbered trails #900, #901, #902, #903, #904, #907, #908, #909, #911, #913, #914, #916, #917, #919, #921, #923, and #925.
#450 Lookout Mountain
#455 Bottle Prairie
#456 Fifteenmile
#456A Fret Creek
#457 Cedar Creek
#458 Divide
#460 Tygh Creek
#460A Tygh Creek Cut Away
#462 Jordan Cutoff
#463 Boulder Lake
#463A Little Boulder
#463B Boulder Lake Shore
#464 Crane Prairie
#467 Post Camp
#468 School Canyon
#469 Little Badger
#471 Bonney Meadows
#472 Hidden Meadows
It is extremely important to follow all state laws, regulations, notices, and announcements when it comes to working your elopement or wedding day during a wildfire such as the Grasshopper Fire. Here's the links to stay in touch with the Forestry Service and stay updated:
CLICK HERE
Replacement locations for a Mount Hood Elopement:
If you are planning a bigger venue wedding in Mount Hood, you will have to contact your venue directly to see what their protections and contractual obligations are when it comes to "acts of god" or extreme weather situations. If you are an eloping couple in the PNW and you were planning a gorgeous mountainous elopement in Mount Hood and now you're scrambling to find new locations to do your ceremony, you're in luck! I'm a local PNW elopement expert planner and photographer and I happen to know some of the BEST replacement locations for your special day (and YES, they will give you the same moody and mountain/forest energy you are hoping for.)
Tillamook State Forest:
Tillamook State Forest is a great option for changing your elopement location to from Mount Hood. It has striking similarities such as the beautiful tree lines, scenic PNW landscapes, and mountainous backgrounds (just a little farther away) and you can even pair this with an adventure day near the coast. There are so many spots you can elope in the Tillamook Forest without a permit, so it's a great option when you are in a time crunch. There's also quite a few spots in the area that can fit a few guests for a ceremony if you're doing an elopement with a few guests by your side. This is about a 2.5 hour difference from Mount Hood, but if views are important to you... this would likely be a top choice for me.
Columbia River Gorge:
If you are looking for a backup elopement location that is super close to your original location. the gorge in the PNW is a wonderful and close-by option. There is gorgeous waterfall backdrops such as La Tourell Falls (great for a sunrise ceremony) and beautiful trails with scenic views along the way such as Rowena's Crest. This is a perfect option for a couple who still wants to explore that general area of Oregon and have a few different scenic views to choose from.
Old Salmon River:
If you want to just head lower down in the Mount Hood area, you will reach Old Salmon River area which has beautiful and enchanting forests for you to elope at. This is another quick option for couples in a time crunch and just needing to replace the location and make it simple for their guests.
Did you have to change your elopement date due to the fires and need an elopement expert to help you quickly plan?
