Payten
- 4.3 mi
- round trip
- 1,290 ft
- climb
- 4,373 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Jun, Sep
- best months
Is Payten open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Ochoco National Forest. It doesn't name Payten, so check the source for the area it covers.
Rowe Creek Complex Emergency Closure Order
Agency closure covering Ochoco National Forest · Order 06-07-26-04 · USFS · Ochoco National Forest
Blue-Green Algae Information
Agency alert covering Ochoco National Forest · USFS · Ochoco National Forest
Prescribed Fire information
Agency alert covering Ochoco National Forest · USFS · Ochoco National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Ochoco National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Payten is a 4.3-mile out-and-back hike in the Black Canyon Wilderness, part of the Paulina Ranger District of Ochoco National Forest in Oregon. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail lies within designated wilderness. The route starts at about 3,540 feet and climbs to roughly 4,370 feet, with a total gain of about 1,290 feet for the round trip. The steepest stretch comes early, around 0.8 miles in, where the grade reaches about 21%. Horses are allowed, and the trail surface is natural. For comfortable weather, aim for late spring or early fall. Typical averages from the nearby Paulina weather station, which sits a few hundred feet lower, show May highs around 69°F and September highs around 79°F. July is the warmest month, with highs near 89°F. Kelsey is about a mile away, and Black Canyon is about 2.8 miles off. South Prong Trail #281 and Coffee Pot Trail #820B are both within about 3.5 miles.
Best time to go · May–Jun, Sep
Best time to visit Payten
Best months: May–June and 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
41° / 21°
Feb
46° / 22°
Mar
54° / 25°
Apr
60° / 28°
May
69° / 35°
Jun
78° / 39°
Jul
89° / 45°
Aug
87° / 42°
Sep
79° / 35°
Oct
65° / 27°
Nov
50° / 22°
Dec
40° / 18°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Paulina, OR, 23.7 mi away at 3,684 ft. The station sits about 700 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
Photo: xtaxta, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Coffee Pot Trail #820B
~6 min drive
2.18-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 952 ft elevation gain
Photo: xtaxta, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)BLACK CANYON
~8 min drive
9.84-mile out-and-back in Oregon with 2,770 ft gain and 6,315 ft max elevation.
Photo: xtaxta, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Owl Creek Trail #820A
~9 min drive
1.1-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 449 ft gain
HIKE
Mcclellan Mountain Trail #216
~31 min drive
9.92-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 1,268 ft gain.
HIKE
Kelsey
~2 min drive
2.00-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 1,041 ft gain
Photo: AndreyZharkikh, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Independent Mine
~1h 3m drive
Historic 14.55-mile out-and-back mining trail in Oregon.
Photo: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Story in Stone Trail
~37 min drive
0.32-mile loop trail in Oregon with 72 ft of elevation gain.
HIKE
Field Trail
~34 min drive
16.44-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 3,128 ft elevation gain and loss.
HIKE
Mascall Corral
~14 min drive
4.00-mile out-and-back trail at Mascall Corral in Oregon with 850 ft gain.
HIKE
Black Canyon
~5 min drive
13.20-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 692 ft gain and 2,342 ft loss.
