The Little Zigzag River is a tributary, about 5 miles (8 km) long, of the Zigzag River

Zigzag River

The Zigzag River is a tributary, about long, of the Sandy River in the U.S. state of Oregon. The Zigzag and one of its major tributaries, the Little Zigzag River, drain the Zigzag Glacier on Mount Hood, a high volcanic peak in the Cascade Range. Their waters flow westward to meet the Sandy River...

 in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

. The Zigzag and Little Zigzag drain the Zigzag Glacier

Zigzag Glacier

The Zigzag Glacier is an alpine glacier located on the upper southwest slopes of Mount Hood in the U.S. state of Oregon.It ranges in elevation from 7,200 to 10,200 ft with fingers in canyons extending to about 6,400 ft , and lies almost entirely within Mount Hood Wilderness. The upper...

 on Mount Hood

Mount Hood

Mount Hood, called Wy'east by the Multnomah tribe, is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc of northern Oregon. It was formed by a subduction zone and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States...

, a high volcanic peak in the Cascade Range

Cascade Range

The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...

. Their combined waters flow westward to meet the Sandy River near the community of Zigzag

Zigzag, Oregon

Zigzag is an unincorporated community in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. It is located within the Mount Hood Corridor, between Rhododendron and Welches on U.S. Route 26...

. Little Zigzag Falls, a popular hiking destination, is on the river near U.S. Route 26

U.S. Route 26 in Oregon

In the U.S. state of Oregon, U.S. Route 26 is a major cross-state state highway, connecting U.S. Route 101 on the Oregon Coast near Seaside with the Idaho state line east of Nyssa. Local highway names include the Sunset Highway No. 47, Mount Hood Highway No. 26, and John Day Highway No...

 east of Zigzag.

Course

The river begins at the head of Little Zigzag Canyon at the southern end of the Zigzag Glacier on Mount Hood. The upper stretches of the river lie within the Mount Hood Wilderness

Mount Hood Wilderness

The Mount Hood Wilderness is a protected wilderness area inside the Mount Hood National Forest which is located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The area, covering , includes the peak of Mount Hood and its upper slopes, and ranges from temperate rain forests at the lower elevations, to glaciers and...

, which is part of the Mount Hood National Forest

Mount Hood National Forest

The Mount Hood National Forest is located east of the city of Portland, Oregon, and the northern Willamette River valley. The Forest extends south from the Columbia River Gorge across more than of forested mountains, lakes and streams to the Olallie Scenic Area, a high lake basin under the slopes...

. To the river's right are the Mississippi Head escarpment

Escarpment

An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...

, the head of Zigzag Canyon, and the source of the Zigzag River, which also drains Zigzag Glacier. To the Little Zigzag's left is the Palmer Glacier

Palmer Glacier

The Palmer Glacier is a glacier located on the upper slopes of Mount Hood in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is on the south side of the mountain ranging in elevation from about 6,200 to 9,300 ft , and was named for Joel Palmer, an Oregon pioneer...

. From its source, the river flows southwest and crosses the Timberline Trail

Timberline Trail

Timberline Trail is a hiking trail around Mount Hood in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is in mostly wilderness but also goes near Timberline Lodge and Mount Hood Meadows ski area.- History :...

 and the Pacific Crest Trail

Pacific Crest Trail

The Pacific Crest Trail is a long-distance mountain hiking and equestrian trail on the Western Seaboard of the United States. The southern terminus is at the California border with Mexico...

 (PCT) slightly west of Timberline Lodge.

Downstream of the PCT, the river runs roughly parallel to the Hidden Lake Trail, which follows a ridge to the right of the canyon. Sand Canyon and its stream, to the left, enter the Little Zigzag as it passes near Hidden Lake, which is on the right. Shortly thereafter, the river leaves the wilderness, turns west, and passes near U.S. Route 26

U.S. Route 26 in Oregon

In the U.S. state of Oregon, U.S. Route 26 is a major cross-state state highway, connecting U.S. Route 101 on the Oregon Coast near Seaside with the Idaho state line east of Nyssa. Local highway names include the Sunset Highway No. 47, Mount Hood Highway No. 26, and John Day Highway No...

, which is on the river's left. Over its last stretch, the river flows by Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp, which is on the left, passes under Kiwanis Camp Road (Forest Road 39), and enters the Zigzag River.

Falling 3918 feet (1,194.2 m) between source and mouth, the stream has an average gradient of about 800 ft/mi. Little Zigzag Falls, a popular hiking destination, lies 0.3 mile (0.482802 km) east of a parking lot at the end of Forest Road 39.