Oregon · Hiking

Lava Cast Forest

1.9 mi
loop
44 ft
climb
5,792 ft
high point
Loop
route
May–Sep
best months

Is Lava Cast Forest open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Deschutes National Forest. It doesn't name Lava Cast Forest, so check the source for the area it covers (3 listed).

As of · Source: USFS · Deschutes National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Lava Cast Forest is a short, easy loop hike in the Bend/Fort Rock Ranger District of Oregon's Deschutes National Forest, about 1.9 miles long and roughly 44 feet of elevation gain. The trail is paved, and the Forest Service manages the land. The route starts at about 5,773 feet and reaches a high point of 5,792 feet before returning to a lower point of 5,718 feet. The steepest stretch comes at about 0.68 miles in, with a 7% grade. The trail is open from June 1 to October 31, and the trip takes about half an hour. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Sunriver run to highs around 84°F in July, while winter highs there sit in the 30s and 40s. That station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the route run cooler. Hoffman Island Trail #3959 is about 0.7 miles away, and Swamp Wells and Fuzztail Butte Trail are both within about 5 miles. Paulina Lake campground is about 7.4 miles off.

Local outfitters

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

  • Best time to go · May–Sep

    Best time to visit Lava Cast Forest

    Best months: May–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

      40° / 20°

    2. Feb

      43° / 21°

    3. Mar

      50° / 24°

    4. Apr

      57° / 25°

    5. May

      65° / 33°

    6. Jun

      72° / 37°

    7. Jul

      84° / 41°

    8. Aug

      83° / 40°

    9. Sep

      76° / 34°

    10. Oct

      62° / 28°

    11. Nov

      46° / 24°

    12. Dec

      37° / 19°

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Sunriver, OR, 8.1 mi away at 4,180 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.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

PAULINA LAKESHORE LOOPPhoto: Nwcamera1, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

PAULINA LAKESHORE LOOP

~11 min drive

5.64-mile out-and-back out-and-back around Paulina Lake in Oregon with 2,178 ft elevation gain.

Paulina Lakeshore LoopPhoto: Nwcamera1, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Paulina Lakeshore Loop

~12 min drive

1.60-mile out-and-back trail at Paulina Lakeshore Loop in Oregon.

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Paulina Lakeshore Trail #3955

~12 min drive

7.32-mile out-and-back hike in Oregon with 3,000 ft elevation gain/loss.

Lava Butte RimPhoto: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Lava Butte Rim

~13 min drive

0.34-mile loop trail at Lava Butte Rim in Oregon with 80 ft of elevation gain.

Crater Rim Trail 3957Photo: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Crater Rim Trail 3957

~16 min drive

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Black Rock #3935Photo: Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Black Rock #3935

~13 min drive

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Little Crater Trail #3953Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Little Crater Trail #3953

~12 min drive

1.34-mile out-and-back hike in Oregon with 332 ft of elevation gain

Sun-LavaPhoto: Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Sun-Lava

~12 min drive

7.20-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 102 ft elevation gain.

Crater Rim Trail #3957Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Crater Rim Trail #3957

~12 min drive

22.3-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 2,814 ft gain/loss.

Little Crater LoopPhoto: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Little Crater Loop

~13 min drive

3-mile loop trail in Oregon with 659 ft elevation gain.