Oregon · Hiking

Lofton to Heart Lake

3.6 mi
round trip
1,049 ft
climb
6,276 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Jun, Aug–Sep
best months

Is Lofton to Heart Lake 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 to Heart Lake is a 3.6-mile out-and-back hike in Oregon's Fremont-Winema National Forest, on the Bly Ranger District. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is natural-surfaced, with a total climb of about 1,050 feet up to a high point of 6,276 feet. The most comfortable stretch is typically late spring through early fall, when typical averages from the Gerber Dam weather station, about 16 miles away and roughly 1,400 feet lower, run from highs around 64°F in May to 78°F in September. At that station, July is the warmest month with highs near 86°F. Temperatures on the trail run cooler than those figures. The route begins and ends at Lofton, which makes it easy to pair with other outings in the area. Lofton Reservoir campground sits just 0.2 miles away, and Lofton Loop and Lofton Big Swamp are both within a mile. Holbrook Reservoir campground is about 1.8 miles off.

Local outfitters

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

  • Best time to go · May–Jun, Aug–Sep

    Best time to visit Lofton to Heart Lake

    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.

    1. Jan

      43° / 21°

    2. Feb

      45° / 24°

    3. Mar

      49° / 25°

    4. Apr

      56° / 29°

    5. May

      64° / 37°

    6. Jun

      75° / 40°

    7. Jul

      86° / 48°

    8. Aug

      84° / 47°

    9. Sep

      78° / 39°

    10. Oct

      64° / 31°

    11. Nov

      49° / 25°

    12. 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 1,400 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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