Oregon · Hiking

Round Lake

1.6 mi
loop
67 ft
climb
3,613 ft
high point
Loop
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Is Round Lake open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Clackamas River Ranger District. It doesn't name Round Lake, so check the source for the area it covers.

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

Round Lake is an easy hike of about 1.6 miles in the Clackamas River Ranger District of Mt. Hood National Forest in Oregon, managed by the Forest Service. The nearest town is Breitenbush Hot Springs, about 6.4 miles away. The trail is natural-surfaced and rises about 67 feet from a low point of 3,536 feet to a high of 3,613 feet. It's a short, low-effort outing, and the climb is gentle enough to fit easily into a day of exploring the surrounding area. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July and August highs around 82°F with only about four wet days a month, while winter brings frequent snow and highs in the upper 30s. The East Fork Collawash River, a canoeing route, lies about a mile away, and Hawk Mountain Lookout and Elk Lake Creek Trail #559 are both within about 2 miles. Breitenbush Campground is roughly 6.6 miles off.

Local outfitters

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

  • Best time to go · Jun–Sep

    Best time to visit Round Lake

    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

      40° / 27°

      19 wet · 6 snow

    2. Feb

      44° / 27°

      16 wet · 5 snow

    3. Mar

      49° / 29°

      19 wet · 5 snow

    4. Apr

      56° / 33°

      18 wet · 2 snow

    5. May

      64° / 38°

      15 wet

    6. Jun

      71° / 43°

      10 wet

    7. Jul

      82° / 47°

      4 wet

    8. Aug

      82° / 46°

      4 wet

    9. Sep

      74° / 41°

      7 wet

    10. Oct

      60° / 35°

      14 wet

    11. Nov

      46° / 31°

      18 wet · 3 snow

    12. Dec

      38° / 27°

      19 wet · 6 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Marion Forks Fish Hatchery, OR, 18.3 mi away at 2,475 ft. The station sits about 1,100 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

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

Rapidan

~10 min drive

1.60-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 214 ft gain.

South Breitenbush GorgePhoto: oregondave, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

South Breitenbush Gorge

~12 min drive

3.00-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 769 ft gain.

Red Lake Trail #719Photo: Infinite Dust, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Red Lake Trail #719

~16 min drive

5.32-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 1,512 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

Elk Lake Creek Trail #559

~3 min drive

17.3-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 3,751 ft elevation gain.

Ann Arbor Hot Springs​ trailPhoto: oregondave, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Ann Arbor Hot Springs​ trail

~12 min drive

0.96-mile out-and-back hike to Ann Arbor Hot Springs in Oregon with 408 ft gain.

Devil's Peak TrailPhoto: oregondave, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Devil's Peak Trail

~13 min drive

2.92-mile out-and-back hike in Oregon with 1,996 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

Rhododendron Ridge Trail #564

~5 min drive

6.36-mile out-and-back trail on a ridge in Oregon with 1,178 ft of gain

HIKE

ELK LAKE CREEK

~3 min drive

16.72-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 3,762 ft elevation gain/loss

Double PeaksPhoto: BHunsaker, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Double Peaks

~16 min drive

0.70-mile out-and-back trail at Double Peaks in Oregon with 338 ft of elevation gain.

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

Gold Butte Lookout

~12 min drive

2.50-mile out-and-back trail to Gold Butte Lookout in Oregon with 1,145 ft gain.