Lofton Loop
- 5.4 mi
- round trip
- 731 ft
- climb
- 6,442 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Jun, Aug–Sep
- best months
Is Lofton Loop 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.
Lofton Loop is a 5.4-mile out-and-back hike in Oregon's Fremont-Winema National Forest, within the Bly Ranger District. The trail gains about 370 feet in elevation on the way out, with the high point at 6,442 feet and the low at 6,139 feet. The steepest stretch comes at about 0.9 miles in, where the grade reaches 14 percent. The trail is natural-surfaced and rated moderate. It is not an accessible route, and horses are allowed. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trip is estimated to take about two hours. Summer is the most comfortable season. Typical averages from the Gerber Dam weather station, about 16 miles away, put July highs near 86°F with lows around 48°F, while winter highs stay in the low 40s. Lofton Reservoir campground sits just 0.1 mile away, and the Lofton to Heart Lake hike is 0.3 mile off. Holbrook Reservoir campground is about 1.7 miles away, and Fishhole Creek, a canoeing spot, is roughly 7 miles from the trail.
Local outfitters
- Yamsi Fly Fishing49 mi away
- Crater Lake Zipline and Kayak Tours49 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · May–Jun, Aug–Sep
Best time to visit Lofton Loop
Best months: May–June and August–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
43° / 21°
Feb
45° / 24°
Mar
49° / 25°
Apr
56° / 29°
May
64° / 37°
Jun
75° / 40°
Jul
86° / 48°
Aug
84° / 47°
Sep
78° / 39°
Oct
64° / 31°
Nov
49° / 25°
Dec
40° / 19°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Gerber Dam, OR, 16.5 mi away at 4,870 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
MAIN TRAIL SOUTH
~7 min drive
27.33-mile point-to-point trail in Oregon with 1,658 ft gain and 6,029 ft max elevation.
QUARTZ VALLEY NORDIC LOOP
~9 min drive
3.35-mile loop in Oregon with 467 ft gain and 540 ft loss.
Dead Cow Trail
~35 min drive
3.80-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 13 ft gain and 666 ft loss
HIKE
SOUTH TRAIL SIDE LOOP
~5 min drive
31.1-mile out-and-back out-and-back in Oregon with 2,650 ft elevation gain and loss.
QUARTZ NORDIC EAST LOOP
~8 min drive
17.4-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 2,275 ft elevation gain/loss.
Photo: ex_magician, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Sprague River Spur A
~18 min drive
0.96-mile out-and-back trail at Sprague River Spur A in Oregon with 58 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: OSU Special Collections & Archives : Commons, No known copyright restrictions (via Flickr)Bullard Canyon Trail
~43 min drive
3.33-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 1,315 ft gain.
HIKE
QUARTZ MTN. NORDIC TRAIL
~7 min drive
19.96-mile out-and-back trail with 2,635 ft elevation gain and loss in Oregon.
Lakes Loop
~35 min drive
14-mile loop trail in Oregon with 1,412 ft elevation gain.
Photo: ex_magician, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Sprague River Trail
~18 min drive
0.86-mile out-and-back hike along the Sprague River in Oregon.