Oregon · Hiking · Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness · Near Mount Hood Villages

Kinzel Lake

0.2 mi
round trip
20 ft
climb
4,278 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Is Kinzel Lake open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 4 alerts for Zigzag Ranger District.

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

Kinzel Lake is an easy, short out-and-back hike in Oregon's Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness, within the Zigzag Ranger District of Mt. Hood National Forest. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is less than a quarter mile long, with a total elevation gain of about 20 feet. The hike starts and ends at nearly the same point, with the high point at 4,278 feet and the low point at 4,251 feet. It makes an easy addition to a day in the wilderness, and the trip takes about half an hour to complete. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. 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 brings highs in the mid-30s and frequent rain. Cool Creek Trail #794 and Kinzel Lake Trail #665 both lie about a mile away. Still Creek Campground is about 3.5 miles off, and paddlers can reach the Salmon River at a similar distance.

Around this trail

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

    Goat Creek Camp

    Campground

    Campground · 1.2 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 Kinzel 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, 6.7 mi away at 3,980 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

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