Oregon · Hiking · Bull of the Woods Wilderness

Welcome Lakes

8.2 mi
round trip
3,186 ft
climb
5,251 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Oct
best months

Caution at last check

Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 20 h ago

Is Welcome Lakes open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Clackamas River Ranger District. It doesn't name Welcome Lakes, 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.

Welcome Lakes is a hard hike in Oregon's Bull of the Woods Wilderness, part of the Clackamas River Ranger District of Mt. Hood National Forest. The route is an out-and-back of about 8 miles, with a total elevation gain of about 3,186 feet, and it reaches a high point of 5,251 feet. The trail is natural-surfaced, and the climb is front-loaded, with the steepest stretch at about 2.7 miles in, where the grade reaches 29 percent. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Santiam Junction, which sits about 1,500 feet lower, show July and August highs around 76°F with lows near 42°F. Winter is cold, with January highs around 38°F and lows near 24°F. The trip takes about 4.5 hours. Elk Lake Campground is about 5.8 miles away, and Gold Butte Lookout is about 5.4 miles away. West Lake Way and Elk Lake Creek Trail #559 are both within about 2 miles.

Local outfitters

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

  • Best time to go · May–Oct

    Best time to visit Welcome Lakes

    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

      38° / 24°

    2. Feb

      41° / 24°

    3. Mar

      44° / 26°

    4. Apr

      49° / 29°

    5. May

      58° / 35°

    6. Jun

      65° / 38°

    7. Jul

      76° / 42°

    8. Aug

      76° / 42°

    9. Sep

      69° / 39°

    10. Oct

      56° / 33°

    11. Nov

      42° / 28°

    12. Dec

      36° / 23°

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Santiam Junction, OR, 30.8 mi away at 3,750 ft. The station sits about 1,500 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

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

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

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Kopetski TrailPhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

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

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