Oregon · Hiking

Paulina Lakeshore Loop

Paulina Lakeshore LoopPhoto: Nwcamera1, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
1.6 mi
round trip
273 ft
climb
6,365 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Oct
best months

Is Paulina Lakeshore Loop open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Deschutes National Forest. It doesn't name Paulina Lakeshore Loop, 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.

The Paulina Lakeshore Loop is an easy, 1.6-mile out-and-back hike in the Bend/Fort Rock Ranger District of Oregon's Deschutes National Forest. The route rises just 13 feet from its low point of about 6,341 feet to a high of about 6,365 feet, making it a gentle walk on a natural surface. The trail is open from June 1 to October 31, and summer and early fall are the most comfortable times to go. At a nearby weather station, typical July and August highs reach the low to mid 70s with only a few wet days a month. Winters there are cold and snowy, with typical January highs around 35°F and snow on about 10 days that month. That station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the loop run cooler. The loop starts close to several other trails and destinations. The Peter Skene Ogden Trail #3956, the Crater Rim Trail #3957 and the Newberry Crater Trail all lie within a tenth of a mile. Paulina Lake campground is about 0.3 miles away.

Local outfitters

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

  • Best time to go · May–Oct

    Best time to visit Paulina Lakeshore Loop

    Best months: May–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° / 20°

      14 wet · 10 snow

    2. Feb

      38° / 21°

      13 wet · 9 snow

    3. Mar

      42° / 24°

      14 wet · 8 snow

    4. Apr

      46° / 28°

      11 wet · 4 snow

    5. May

      55° / 34°

      9 wet · 1 snow

    6. Jun

      63° / 38°

      6 wet

    7. Jul

      73° / 44°

      3 wet

    8. Aug

      74° / 42°

      3 wet

    9. Sep

      68° / 36°

      5 wet

    10. Oct

      55° / 30°

      9 wet · 1 snow

    11. Nov

      41° / 26°

      14 wet · 6 snow

    12. Dec

      34° / 20°

      15 wet · 10 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Odell Lake-East, OR, 36.2 mi away at 4,800 ft. The station sits about 1,600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

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

Crater Rim Trail #3957

Next door

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

Newberry Crater TrailPhoto: Nwcamera1, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Newberry Crater Trail

Next door

13.46-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 1,502 ft elevation gain.

Paulina FallsPhoto: Bonnie Moreland (free images), Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Paulina Falls

Next door

0.66-mile out-and-back trail to Paulina Falls in Oregon with 103 ft of gain.

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

PAULINA LAKESHORE LOOP

~1 min drive

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

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

Crater Rim Trail 3957

~8 min drive

9.16-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 1,471 ft gain.

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

Sun-Lava

~24 min drive

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

Crater RimPhoto: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Crater Rim

~1 min drive

Crater Rim is a 1.96-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 6 ft of elevation gain.

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

Little Crater Loop

~3 min drive

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

BlackrockPhoto: Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Blackrock

~24 min drive

9.90-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 172 ft gain

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

Little Crater Trail #3953

~3 min drive

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