Mt. Hood National Forest Cast Lake Hike Hike 15 Length: 9 mi round trip Elevation Change: 2800' gain Season: Summer thru Fall Difficulty:   Difficult Permit:   NW Forest Pass Required Features: This challenging hike begins with a very steep climb through dense forest for about a mile. Then the trail levels off for about a mile before it begins its upward climb to an open ridge that offer spectacular views of Mt Hood, Mt Adams, and Mt Rainier. At 3.5 miles the trail intersects trail #775 and follows this trail for about a quarter mile. Then trail #796 takes you to Cast Lake. As you near the lake, the trail divides. Going to the right takes you to the far north end of the lake and decent camping areas. The trail to the left brings you to the south end of the lake with no appropriate places to camp. A Virtual Hike in the Mt Hood National Forest All for the love of hiking!