Oregon · Hiking · Near Mount Hood Villages

Buck Lake

0.8 mi
round trip
273 ft
climb
4,060 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Is Buck Lake open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Clackamas River Ranger District. It doesn't name Buck Lake, so check the source for the area it covers.

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

Buck Lake is an easy hike of about 0.8 miles in the Clackamas River Ranger District of Mt. Hood National Forest in Oregon, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is natural-surfaced and shaped as an out-and-back, with a front-loaded climb that reaches about 4,060 feet before returning to the starting point near 3,836 feet. The steepest stretch comes at about 0.26 miles in, with a grade of about 23%. 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. Anvil Lake lies about 1.7 miles away, and the Southshore hike is about 2.8 miles off. Pine Point Campground is about 3 miles away, and the Timothy Lake hike is about 3.5 miles away.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Buck Lake camping

    Campground

    Campground · 0.5 mi from the trail
  • If it rains

    Underwater Viewing Chamber

    Attraction

    In town

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors

More in Mount Hood Villages

Local outfitters

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

  • Best time to go · Jun–Sep

    Best time to visit Buck 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, 14.2 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

SouthshorePhoto: Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Southshore

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MillerPhoto: LukeDetwiler, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Miller

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Timothy BikePhoto: Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Timothy Bike

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HeadwatersPhoto: Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

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RiversidePhoto: Forest Service, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Little Crater LakePhoto: Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

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HIKE

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Salmon ButtePhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Salmon Butte

~19 min drive

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Jackpot MeadowsPhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

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~12 min drive

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