Oregon · Hiking · Sky Lakes Wilderness

Middle Fork

12.9 mi
round trip
3,169 ft
climb
6,230 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Is Middle Fork open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in High Cascades Ranger District. It doesn't name Middle Fork, so check the source for the area it covers.

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

Middle Fork is a hard hike in the Sky Lakes Wilderness, part of the High Cascades Ranger District of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forests in southern Oregon. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is a natural-surface out-and-back that starts at about 3,700 feet and climbs to about 6,200 feet, with a total gain of about 3,170 feet over roughly 13 miles. The steepest stretch comes at about 5.7 miles in, where the grade reaches 36 percent. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Crater Lake show July and August highs around 69°F with only about four wet days a month, while winter months bring highs in the low 30s and rain on most days. The trail is open to horses but not to bikes, and it is not accessible. Alta Lake lies about a mile away, and Halifax is about 2 miles off. Bessie Shelter and the Middle Fork Rogue River, a paddling route, are both within about 3 miles.

Local outfitters

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

  • Best time to go · Jun–Sep

    Best time to visit Middle Fork

    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

      33° / 20°

      18 wet

    2. Feb

      34° / 19°

      17 wet

    3. Mar

      36° / 20°

      18 wet

    4. Apr

      40° / 23°

      16 wet

    5. May

      49° / 29°

      12 wet

    6. Jun

      57° / 34°

      7 wet

    7. Jul

      69° / 41°

      4 wet

    8. Aug

      69° / 42°

      4 wet

    9. Sep

      63° / 37°

      6 wet

    10. Oct

      51° / 30°

      10 wet

    11. Nov

      38° / 23°

      16 wet

    12. Dec

      33° / 19°

      18 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Crater Lake Nps Hq, OR, 14.4 mi away at 6,485 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

    Closures we've recorded since August 2026

    • Stage 2 Public Use Fire Restrictions (Forest-wide)

      Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forests · Order dated September 4, 2026; seen Sep 3, 2026 → lifted Oct 28, 2026 · Forest Service

    • Stage 3 Public Use Fire Restrictions (Forest-wide)

      Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forests · Order dated July 17, 2026; seen Aug 23, 2026 → lifted Sep 3, 2026 · Forest Service

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Lake IvernPhoto: cm195902, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Lake Ivern

~9 min drive

3.69-mile out-and-back trail to Lake Ivern in Oregon with 292 ft gain.

Rogue Wolf LoopPhoto: cm195902, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Rogue Wolf Loop

~10 min drive

An 18-mile point-to-point Oregon trail through Rogue River wilderness.

Donna LakePhoto: cm195902, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Donna Lake

~15 min drive

1.60-mile out-and-back trail to Donna Lake in Oregon with 83 ft gain.

South Fork WildernessPhoto: Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

South Fork Wilderness

~17 min drive

9.77-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon's South Fork Wilderness with 1,223 ft gain.

Nannie Creek TrailPhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Nannie Creek Trail

~14 min drive

1.81-mile out-and-back hike in Oregon with 995 ft gain

HIKE

THREEMILE LOOP

~17 min drive

17.06-mile out-and-back out-and-back in Oregon with 3,545 ft elevation gain

SKY LAKES CUTOFFPhoto: cm195902, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

SKY LAKES CUTOFF

~16 min drive

3.54-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 702 ft gain and loss.

HIKE

Halifax

~3 min drive

6-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 2,219 ft gain.

DividePhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Divide

~16 min drive

5.80-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 1,337 ft elevation gain.

Sky Lakes Cutoff TrailPhoto: Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Sky Lakes Cutoff Trail

~18 min drive

3.62-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 727 ft elevation gain and loss.