The Forest encompasses some 1,067,043 acres (4,318.17km2).[4] Forest headquarters are located in Sandy, Oregon.
A 1993 Forest Service study estimated that the extent of old growth in the Forest was 345,300 acres (139,700ha).[5] The Forest is divided into four separate districts – Barlow (with offices in Dufur), Clackamas River (Sandy), Hood River (Mount Hood-Parkdale), and Zigzag (Zigzag).
In 1940 it was under consideration to become Mount Hood National Park, but this proposal did not materialize.[10] A modern campaign opposed to logging in the national forest revived the push for national park status along with the Columbia River Gorge.[11]
The Mount Hood National Forest is one of the most-visited National Forests in the United States, with over four million visitors annually. Less than five percent of the visitors camp in the forest. The forest contains 170 developed recreation sites, including:[3][4][14]
Several nonprofits lead free hikes into the National Forest to build support for further protection from logging and off-road vehicle use, including BARK[15] and Oregon Wild.[16]
Mount Hood National Recreation Area was established within Mount Hood National Forest on March 30, 2009. The recreation area comprises three separate units.[17]
Davis, Richard C. (September 29, 2005). National Forests of the United States(PDF) (Report). The Forest History Society. Archived from the original(PDF) on October 28, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2009.