Oregon trails › Santiam / Mount Jefferson

Elk Lake Creek Trail

Mapped as Elk Lake Creek Trail #559

Hiking trail · Santiam / Mount Jefferson

17.3 mi27.8 kmRound trip

≈2,129 ft≈649 mElevation gain

3,835 ft1,169 mHigh point

8 hr 6 minEstimated time

Hard8.6 mi / 13.9 km one way. Length and elevation gain are calculated from map data, so they're approximate.

High-clearance vehicle recommended: last about 9.1 mi (14.6 km) on FR 6300 and FR 6380

Pass: Northwest Forest Pass (based on the land the trailhead is on)

Official listing: U.S. Forest Service, Elk Lake Creek (#559)

Trailhead: Elk Lake Creek Trailhead

Coordinates: 44.89389, -122.00800

Directions

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Overview

Elk Lake Creek Trail is a round-trip hike of 17.3 mi / 27.8 km in Santiam / Mount Jefferson. Expect about 2,129 ft / 649 m of elevation gain, with a high point of 3,835 ft / 1,169 m. Difficulty: Hard. At an average pace, plan on about 8 hr 6 min. Upper sections can be snowy from November through May.

Elevation profile

Along the route: low 2,448 ft / 746 m · high 3,812 ft / 1,162 m

Nearby

Elk LakeLake · 0.3 mi / 0.4 km
Elk Lake CampgroundCampground · 0.3 mi / 0.4 km
Battle Ax MountainPeak · 0.7 mi / 1.2 km
Battle Ax Mountain Trail #3340Hiking trail · 1.2 mi / 1.9 km
Twin Lakes Trail #573Hiking trail · 2.2 mi / 3.5 km
Lower Twin LakeLake · 2.2 mi / 3.6 km
Beachie Trail #3341Hiking trail · 2.6 mi / 4.2 km
Whetstone Trail #546Hiking trail · 3 mi / 4.8 km

Sources

Route and map: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Elevation: AWS Terrain Tiles.
Official trail listing: U.S. Forest Service.
Pass: based on the protected area that contains the trailhead.