Oregon · Hiking

Bear Lake

1.4 mi
round trip
452 ft
climb
4,112 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Is Bear Lake open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 4 alerts for Hood River Ranger District.

As of · Source: USFS · Hood River Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Bear Lake is an easy out-and-back hike of about 1.4 miles in the Hood River Ranger District of Mt. Hood National Forest in Oregon, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is natural-surfaced and sits at roughly 4,000 feet, with a one-way climb of about 186 feet and a total round-trip gain of about 450 feet. The steepest stretch comes at about 0.57 miles in, with a grade of about 17%. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Government Camp weather station show July and August highs around 70°F with only about four wet days a month, while winter months bring highs in the mid-30s and rain on most days. Mt. Defiance and North Lake are both about 0.9 miles away. Black Lake campground is about 2.1 miles off, and Wyeth Campground is about 3.7 miles away.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Jun–Sep

    Best time to visit Bear Lake

    Best months: June–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      37° / 26°

      20 wet

    2. Feb

      38° / 26°

      17 wet

    3. Mar

      41° / 28°

      20 wet

    4. Apr

      45° / 31°

      18 wet

    5. May

      54° / 36°

      15 wet

    6. Jun

      59° / 41°

      10 wet

    7. Jul

      69° / 48°

      4 wet

    8. Aug

      70° / 48°

      4 wet

    9. Sep

      64° / 45°

      8 wet

    10. Oct

      53° / 37°

      13 wet

    11. Nov

      42° / 30°

      18 wet

    12. Dec

      35° / 26°

      21 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Government Camp, OR, 23.6 mi away at 3,980 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Mt. DefiancePhoto: Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Mt. Defiance

~1 min drive

3.20-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 138 ft gain.

Mt. Defiance TiePhoto: Joe Omundson, CC BY-SA 1.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Mt. Defiance Tie

~2 min drive

1.26-mile out-and-back trail with 539 ft gain in Oregon.

WyethPhoto: Robert Ashworth from Bellingham, WA., USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Wyeth

~6 min drive

12.20-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 4,272 ft elevation gain

AugspurgerPhoto: mjfmjfmjf, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Augspurger

~7 min drive

15.78-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 5,124 ft elevation gain.

Mitchell PointPhoto: Joe Omundson, CC BY-SA 1.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Mitchell Point

~2 min drive

Mitchell Point is a 1.32-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 71 feet of elevation gain.

Warren Lake Trail #417APhoto: Joe Omundson, CC BY-SA 1.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Warren Lake Trail #417A

~4 min drive

0.78-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 90 ft of elevation gain.

STARVATION RIDGEPhoto: mjfmjfmjf, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

STARVATION RIDGE

~6 min drive

2.36-mile out-and-back trail with 2,808 ft gain in Oregon

Starvation Ridge Trail #414Photo: mjfmjfmjf, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Starvation Ridge Trail #414

~6 min drive

6.28-mile out-and-back hike in Oregon with 5,004 ft elevation gain

Mt DefiancePhoto: mjfmjfmjf, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Mt Defiance

~5 min drive

4.40-mile out-and-back trail to Mt Defiance in Oregon with 2,985 ft gain.

Starvation Ridge Cutoff Trail #414BPhoto: theslowlane, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Starvation Ridge Cutoff Trail #414B

~6 min drive

0.68-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 692 ft elevation gain.