Snow Lakes
Photo: ex_magician, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 13.0 mi
- round trip
- 1,743 ft
- climb
- 6,757 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Sep
- best months
Is Snow Lakes open right now?
No closures listed
The Forest Service lists no closures for Fremont-Winema National Forest.
As of · Source: USFS · Fremont-Winema National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Snow Lakes is a 13-mile out-and-back hike in the Sky Lakes Wilderness, part of the Klamath Ranger District of the Fremont-Winema National Forest in southern Oregon. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is rated hard, with a total climb of about 1,740 feet and a steepest stretch of about 22% at roughly 5 miles in. The route starts at about 6,000 feet and reaches a high point of about 6,750 feet. Horses are allowed, and the trail is natural-surface, not accessible. Bikes are not. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at a similar elevation 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. Several other trails sit close by, including South Rock Creek Trail and Isherwood Trail, and Fourmile Lake Campground is about 7 miles away.
Local outfitters
- Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures17 mi away
- The Fishin Hole Fly Shop32 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Jun–Sep
Best time to visit Snow Lakes
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.
Jan
33° / 20°
18 wet
Feb
34° / 19°
17 wet
Mar
36° / 20°
18 wet
Apr
40° / 23°
16 wet
May
49° / 29°
12 wet
Jun
57° / 34°
7 wet
Jul
69° / 41°
4 wet
Aug
69° / 42°
4 wet
Sep
63° / 37°
6 wet
Oct
51° / 30°
10 wet
Nov
38° / 23°
16 wet
Dec
33° / 19°
18 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Crater Lake Nps Hq, OR, 22.9 mi away at 6,485 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: ex_magician, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Isherwood Trail
Next door
1.37-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 171 ft elevation gain.
Photo: ex_magician, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Cold Spring Trail
Next door
2.54-mile out-and-back hike in Oregon with 539 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)South Fork Wilderness
~8 min drive
9.77-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon's South Fork Wilderness with 1,223 ft gain.
Photo: 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.
Isherwood
Next door
2.80-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 189 ft gain.
Photo: ex_magician, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Sky Lakes
~2 min drive
3.00-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 129 ft gain.
HIKE
Red Lake
~4 min drive
6-mile out-and-back trail to Red Lake in Oregon with 339 ft gain
HIKE
DIAMOND LAKE SNOMO
~4 min drive
27.98-mile point-to-point trail in Oregon with 3,109 ft gain and 6,098 ft max elevation.
Photo: Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Sky Lakes Cutoff Trail
~2 min drive
3.62-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 727 ft elevation gain and loss.
Divide
~4 min drive
5.80-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 1,337 ft elevation gain.