Bennett Pass

Total Miles
4.1

Elevation

1,633.05 ft

Duration

--

Technical Rating

6

Moderate

Best Time

Summer, Fall

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Bennett Pass
10

Trail Overview

Bennett Pass is a popular seasonal Forest Service road off of Highway 35 on Mt Hood's Eastern flank. It is open to vehicles from late spring (dependent on snowpack) to December 1st. In the winter, it is used by hikers and snowmobilers and is closed to vehicles after 12.01. It meanders through the forest above to the East and is the main route to access Badger Lake. It is generally an easy forested route but can be muddy in sections. There is one section (named the Terrible Traverse) of narrow, off-camber shelf road with exposure over a steep scree field. This section is shaded by rock and often retains a thick snowbank into the early summer.

Photos of Bennett Pass

Bennett Pass
Bennett Pass

Difficulty

I rated this a 6 because of the short section with exposure.

Technical Rating

6

Status Reports

Chance O
Sep 15, 2024
2001 Toyota Tacoma
Open
Rough/Deteriorated
Washboard
Trail was open and generally easy to pass. High clearance is a must. I drove in with 4x4, but did the whole drive out in 2wd without any issues at all. Some folks on the road but there are occasional areas where passing is possible so wasn’t a big issue. Great views!
Tom Clark
Aug 06, 2024
2023 Jeep Gladiator
Open
Dusty
Rough/Deteriorated
Lots of loose rocks and narrow. We drove a stock gladiator Mojave with 35’s. Had no clearance issues and only put it in 4x4 so we could go slow on the shelf roads. There are some tight areas that would be challenging for a full size truck. We continued on to Bonney meadows.
Ric Lentz
Aug 04, 2024
4x4
Open
Trail is passable all the way to Badger Lake. Was able to complete it on 31’s. Be advised on 8/5/24 there was a lightning storm. One fire started on Barlow ridge and fire helicopters were pulling out of Badger Lake. The area was placed under a red flag warning. With the amount of lightning we saw while camping I wouldn’t be surprised if more fires are spotted.
Ethan Codiga
Jul 05, 2024
4x4
Open
Normal
Dusty
Rough/Deteriorated
Washboard
Definitely not beginner friendly at all we went up Bennett pass and was way to bad to turn around so we had to end up going to Bennett pass 2 still pretty narrow and normally I was able to complete it with 31 inch tires but would recommend 35s at least

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