Mount Hood is a majestic, snow-capped mountain in northern Oregon. The state’s highest peak, it rises 11,239 feet (3,426 meters) above sea level in the Cascade Range. Skiers use it the year around. Lifts go up to the 10,000-foot (3,050-meter) level. Mount Hood also draws many mountain climbers.
Scientists consider Mount Hood to be an active volcano. Its most recent period of eruptions took place from 1845 to 1865. The eruptions were minor. Through the years, glaciers and rivers have deeply eroded the slopes, adding to the mountain’s striking appearance. In 1792, William Broughton, a British naval officer, became the first European to see Mount Hood. He named it for Samuel Hood, a British admiral.