Oregon · Hiking

South Ridge Trail

South Ridge TrailPhoto: lexly87 aka Duc N. Ly, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
4.4 mi
round trip
1,477 ft
climb
5,741 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Jun, Sep
best months

South Ridge Trail is a moderate out-and-back hike in Oregon, about 4.9 miles from the Running Y Ranch. The route is roughly 8.9 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 1,477 feet, and it reaches a high point of 5,741 feet. The climb is front-loaded, with the steepest stretch at about 2.1 miles in, where the grade reaches 14 percent. The most comfortable months for a visit are typically June and September. At the Keno weather station, 16 miles away, June averages highs near 77°F and September near 79°F, with lows around 43°F and 39°F. That station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the ridge run cooler. The trip takes about 3.5 hours. Lower Hooligan and Queen of the Lake both start about 0.1 mile away, and Spence Mountain Bouldering is about 0.3 mile off. Winema is about 1.4 miles away.

Local outfitters

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

  • Best time to go · May–Jun, Sep

    Best time to visit South Ridge Trail

    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.

    1. Jan

      41° / 21°

      12 wet

    2. Feb

      46° / 23°

      10 wet

    3. Mar

      52° / 26°

      11 wet

    4. Apr

      58° / 30°

      10 wet

    5. May

      68° / 37°

      8 wet

    6. Jun

      77° / 43°

      5 wet

    7. Jul

      88° / 49°

      3 wet

    8. Aug

      87° / 47°

      2 wet

    9. Sep

      79° / 39°

      3 wet

    10. Oct

      64° / 31°

      6 wet

    11. Nov

      49° / 25°

      10 wet

    12. Dec

      40° / 21°

      12 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Keno, OR, 16.3 mi away at 4,128 ft. The station sits about 1,600 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

ChinquapinPhoto: Jesse Wagstaff, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Chinquapin

~6 min drive

Chinquapin is a 2.11-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon.

Chain SlapperPhoto: ex_magician, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Chain Slapper

~14 min drive

0.50-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 100 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

Spence Peak Trail

~4 min drive

5.78-mile out-and-back hike to Spence Peak in Oregon with 1,683 ft gain.

South Pass LakePhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

South Pass Lake

~12 min drive

3.80-mile out-and-back trail to South Pass Lake in Oregon with 59 feet of elevation gain.

EndoPhoto: ex_magician, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Endo

~16 min drive

0.57-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 542 ft gain.

HIKE

North Ridge

~5 min drive

North Ridge is a 2.42-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 266 ft gain.

VARNEY CREEKPhoto: ex_magician, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

VARNEY CREEK

~15 min drive

6.4-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 1,214 ft elevation gain and loss.

Use the ForcePhoto: ex_magician, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Use the Force

~17 min drive

0.32-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 79 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

Mountain Lakes Loop

~15 min drive

8.20-mile loop trail in Oregon with 1,998 ft elevation gain.

TankPhoto: ex_magician, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Tank

~16 min drive

0.88-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 691 ft gain and 619 ft loss.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors