A prominent feature is the extensive rock face visible on the upper half of the mountain as viewed from State Route 12.

Mount Hood affords overlooks of the Pacific Ocean, San Francisco Bay and "a spectacular view east to the Sierra Nevada Range.

Closest viewing areas of Mount Hood from the valley floor are from the village of Kenwood, from the intersection of State Route 12 with Pythian Road, and from the community of Oakmont, the easternmost neighborhood of Santa Rosa.

On clear days there are distant views westerly to the Pacific Ocean and easterly to the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

The base of Mount Hood consists of soils of the Goulding-Toomes-Guenoc association, which are well-drained gently to very steep loams and clay-loams situated upon upland formations.

Considering the steepness of much of the terrain there is a remarkable lack of erosion, primarily because human access has been historically low, and vegetative cover has been kept intact.

There is also a considerable abundance of poison oak and coyote brush present in these exposed rocky thin soil habitats.

Considerable bird life occurs in the Mount Hood environment, but particularly in the riparian zones scrub jay, woodpeckers and juncos are apparent.

Mountain lions, bobcats and rattlesnakes may be found throughout the area, with the snakes preferring west facing sun-exposed rocky slopes.

There is no potable water supplied within the Mount Hood area except at the parking lot at the Pythian Road trailhead.