Cottonwood Creek
- 7.0 mi
- round trip
- 2,476 ft
- climb
- 6,135 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Jun, Sep
- best months
Is Cottonwood Creek open right now?
No closures listed
The Forest Service lists no closures for Fremont-Winema National Forest.
As of · Source: USFS · Fremont-Winema National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Cottonwood Creek is a 7-mile out-and-back hike in the Lakeview Ranger District of the Fremont-Winema National Forest in Oregon, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is rated hard, with a total elevation gain of 2,476 feet over the round trip, and the steepest stretch comes at about 2.8 miles in, where the grade reaches 18%. The route is on natural surface, and both horses and bikes are allowed. It is not an accessible trail. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Bly, which sits about 1,600 feet lower than the trail, show July and August highs around 86°F with only two or three wet days a month. Winter is cold, with January highs near 42°F and lows around 21°F. Cottonwood Complex campground and the Cottonwood Loop hike are both about 0.6 miles away. Cougar Peak is half a mile off. Drews Creek, a canoeing spot, is about 6 miles away.
Best time to go · May–Jun, Sep
Best time to visit Cottonwood Creek
Best months: May–June and 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.
Jan
42° / 21°
13 wet
Feb
46° / 23°
11 wet
Mar
51° / 26°
13 wet
Apr
57° / 29°
13 wet
May
66° / 37°
10 wet
Jun
76° / 41°
6 wet
Jul
86° / 49°
3 wet
Aug
86° / 45°
2 wet
Sep
78° / 38°
4 wet
Oct
64° / 30°
7 wet
Nov
48° / 25°
11 wet
Dec
41° / 20°
14 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Bly 4 Se, OR, 5.2 mi away at 4,560 ft. The station sits about 1,600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
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