The Mount Hood National Forest is accepting comments on a U.S. Geological Survey–Cascades Volcano Observatory proposal to install four volcano monitoring stations on the upper flanks of Mount Hood. The unmanned remote monitoring stations would be located in the Wilderness area, occupying a total of 105 square feet of land. These proposed stations would be constructed with minimal impact on the environment, located away from trails, and painted to blend in with the surroundings.

While not erupting, Mount Hood shows signs that it is a functioning, active volcano. Mount Hood produces frequent earthquakes, and steam and volcanic gases are emitted in the area around Crater Rock near the summit. These proposed stations greatly enhance the ability of USGS–CVO to detect subtle signals beneath the volcano and determine with greater confidence whether or not the volcano poses any imminent threat of eruption.