Oregon · Hiking

North Fork Catherine Creek Trail

5.4 mi
round trip
2,183 ft
climb
5,683 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Oct
best months

Is North Fork Catherine Creek Trail open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. It doesn't name North Fork Catherine Creek Trail, so check the source for the area it covers.

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

The North Fork Catherine Creek Trail is a 10.8-mile out-and-back hike in the La Grande Ranger District of Oregon's Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. The Forest Service manages the land. It gains 2,183 feet over the course of the trip, with the high point at 5,683 feet and the low at 4,217 feet. The route is rated hard, and the steepest stretch comes at about mile 0.96, where the grade reaches 18 percent. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Joseph, Oregon, put July and August highs around 80°F, with only five or six wet days a month, while winter highs sit near 35°F. That station sits roughly 1,500 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the route run cooler. The trail starts close to No. Fork Catherine Group Camp, about 0.4 miles away, and NF Catherine Creek Campground is 1.7 miles off. North Fork Catherine Creek, a canoeing spot, lies 1.8 miles away. Lodgepole Trail is 2.2 miles from the route.

Local outfitters

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

  • Best time to go · Jun–Oct

    Best time to visit North Fork Catherine Creek Trail

    Best months: June–October. 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

      35° / 19°

      12 wet

    2. Feb

      39° / 19°

      11 wet

    3. Mar

      46° / 26°

      13 wet

    4. Apr

      52° / 30°

      14 wet

    5. May

      61° / 39°

      14 wet

    6. Jun

      68° / 44°

      11 wet

    7. Jul

      79° / 49°

      6 wet

    8. Aug

      80° / 49°

      5 wet

    9. Sep

      71° / 43°

      7 wet

    10. Oct

      56° / 34°

      10 wet

    11. Nov

      43° / 25°

      12 wet

    12. Dec

      35° / 18°

      13 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Joseph, OR, 23.4 mi away at 4,184 ft. The station sits about 1,500 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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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors