Mt. Hood and the outdoors in Hood River
Hood River sits between two large public landscapes. The Forest Service and the Gorge Commission keep the current details on both.
Mt. Hood National Forest
The Forest Service says Mt. Hood National Forest covers 1.1 million acres, about 50 miles east of Portland, and that Mt. Hood is the tallest mountain in Oregon. Roughly one third of the forest is designated wilderness. The forest has about 80 campgrounds, 20 sno-parks and several commercial ski resorts, and Timberline Lodge is a National Historic Landmark. The forest has four ranger districts, one of which is the Hood River Ranger District. Passes, permits and closures change, so check the Forest Service page before you go.
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
Congress created the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area when President Reagan signed the Act on November 17, 1986, according to the Forest Service. The Act set boundaries for about 292,500 acres of public and private land. Its stated purposes are to protect and enhance the scenic, cultural, recreational and natural resources of the Gorge, and to support the regional economy by directing growth into existing urban areas. The Forest Service manages the national forest lands and recreation facilities inside the Scenic Area, and the Columbia River Gorge Commission, a bi-state planning agency created by Oregon and Washington, handles planning and the management plan. Wikipedia notes the Act made the Gorge the second U.S. National Scenic Area.
State parks
Oregon State Parks posts current closures and conditions for the state parks along the Gorge.