Mount Defiance - NF 2821000

Total Miles 3.8
Technical Rating
3 Easy
Best Time Summer, Fall
Trail Type Full-Width Road
Accessible By
Open Trail Map

Trail Overview

Mount Defiance road scrambles 1600'+ out of the hills West of Hood River, Oregon to the summit of Mount Defiance and the edge of the Mark O Hatfield Wilderness. The summit tops out at just under 5,000'. Once the gravel forest service road passes 4,000', the road bed quickly turns to a loose shale and the ascent gets steep. Use of 4Lo is recommended to control traction on the climb and control speed on the descent. The views of Mount Hood, Mount Saint Helens, Mount Adams and Mount Rainier from the summit are spectacular. The summit can be busy with hikers in the summer months. This road is snowbound and not maintained in the winter months.

Photos of Mount Defiance - NF 2821000

Difficulty

steep climb / descent on loose rock

Technical Rating

3

Status Reports

Add Status Report
Jesse T
Nov 08, 2025
Open
The gates at Kingsley were locked so we had to take 3117 to 3111 to 3010 to get to Dead Point Rd. There was some standing water on the trail, but nothing too serious and traction was good overall. The last quarter mile or so is the most exciting, with inclines up to 15° on a surface of broken rock. No issues for our mostly-stock Jeep and 4runner.
Joshua Kraner
Nov 16, 2024
Open
Gate was open at the beginning of the trail. Pretty easy until we got to the top where we encountered some deep snow. Beautiful trail and very scenic with the snow dusted trail and trees.
Tom Kloss
Aug 09, 2023
Open

Mount Defiance - NF 2821000 Trail can be accessed by the following ride types:

  • Single Track
  • 50 Inch
  • 60 Inch
  • High Clearance
  • Full Width

Mount Defiance - NF 2821000 Map

The onX Offroad Difference

onX Offroad combines trail photos, descriptions, difficulty ratings, width restrictions, seasonality, and more in a user-friendly interface. Available on all devices, with offline access and full compatibility with CarPlay and Android Auto. Discover what you're missing today!

Open Trail Map