It’s easy to find the trailhead for the popular Mirror Lake Trail—it’s right on U.S. 26, and it’s usually marked by a fleet of parked cars. There’s good reason for the crowd: The 1.5-mile trail gains 700 feet in elevation and passes wild rhododendrons and a passel of other wildflowers on the way up to the lake that, as its name suggests, forms a perfect reflecting mirror for Mount Hood [1].
A trail circumnavigates the lake, and ambitious hikers can continue another 2 miles to the top of Tom, Dick, and Harry Mountain.
Find the trailhead at the footbridge 1 mile west of Government Camp on U.S. 26. Because of its popularity, try to do this hike on a weekday.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/oregon/columbia-river-gorge/mount-hood