Top Backpacking Trails in Oregon
20 routes. Each page shows when we last checked it. Updated October 2026.
This site’s Oregon trips cover the Cascades from Mount Hood to Crater Lake, the Wallowa Mountains, eastern Oregon’s high country and desert, the river canyons of the southwest, and a short stretch of the coast. In the Cascades, the Timberline Trail around Mount Hood and the Three Sisters Loop cross volcanic terrain, meadows, and unbridged glacial streams, while Jefferson Park and Green Lakes are shorter, busy trips to lake basins. The Eagle Cap Wilderness in the Wallowas has granite lake basins such as the Lakes Basin and Ice Lake. Farther east, Big Indian Gorge on Steens Mountain follows a creek up a canyon, and the Elkhorn Crest has little water on the ridge. In the southwest, the Rogue River and Illinois River trails run through hot canyons with poison oak, ticks, and rattlesnakes, and on the coast, Tillamook Head’s Hikers’ Camp has three shelters and no water.
Rules vary by managing agency. The Mount Jefferson, Mount Washington, and Three Sisters wildernesses require Central Cascades Wilderness permits for overnight trips from June 15 to October 15, reserved on Recreation.gov. Mount Hood and Eagle Cap use free self-issued permits, and Crater Lake issues free permits in person.
Snow often lingers in the high country into July, and guides note mosquitoes into mid-August, so many favor late summer and early fall. Wildfire is the other big variable: in October 2026 the Elkhorn Crest Trail and the western end of the Rogue River Trail were closed, and several forests still had fire restrictions.
Quick picks
- Longest trip: Three Sisters Loop
- Easier lake overnight: Sisters Mirror Lake via Wickiup Plain
- Loop around a volcano: Timberline Trail Around Mount Hood
- Coastal shelter camp: Tillamook Head Trail to Hikers' Camp (Oregon Coast Trail)
- High-desert canyon: Big Indian Gorge (Steens Mountain Wilderness)
Central Cascades
- Green Lakes via Fall Creek Three Sisters Wilderness, Deschutes National Forest (Cascade Lakes Highway, west of Bend) 8.4 miles Moderate Designated campsites only (within 15 feet of a campsite post); Central Cascades Wilderness overnight permit
- Jefferson Park via Whitewater Trail Mount Jefferson Wilderness, Willamette National Forest (near Detroit) 11 miles Moderate Designated sites near the lakes; Central Cascades Wilderness overnight permit
- Obsidian Trail to Obsidian Falls Three Sisters Wilderness, Willamette National Forest (McKenzie Highway, OR 242) 10.6 miles Hard Limited-entry overnight permit for the Obsidian area; no camping within 100 feet of water
- Pamelia Lake and Hunts Cove Mount Jefferson Wilderness, Willamette National Forest (near Detroit) 11 miles Hard Backcountry camping; Central Cascades Wilderness overnight permit
- Sisters Mirror Lake via Wickiup Plain Three Sisters Wilderness, Deschutes National Forest (Cascade Lakes Highway, west of Bend) 8.5 miles Moderate Backcountry camping; Central Cascades Wilderness overnight permit
- Three Sisters Loop Three Sisters Wilderness, Willamette and Deschutes National Forests (between Sisters and Bend) 46 miles Hard Backcountry camping with designated-site and no-camping zones; Central Cascades Wilderness overnight permit
Eastern Oregon
- Big Indian Gorge (Steens Mountain Wilderness) Steens Mountain Wilderness, BLM Burns District (South Steens Campground, Steens Mountain Loop Road, near Frenchglen) 16 miles Moderate Dispersed wilderness camping at existing sites; no permit found
- Elkhorn Crest Trail (Marble Pass to Anthony Lakes) Elkhorn Mountains, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest and North Fork John Day Wilderness (west of Baker City) 24 miles Hard Dispersed camping, mostly at lakes below the crest
- Strawberry Mountain Wilderness Loop (Strawberry, High, and Slide Lakes) Strawberry Mountain Wilderness, Malheur National Forest (Strawberry Campground, south of Prairie City) 15 miles Hard Dispersed wilderness camping at lakes
Mount Hood
- Eagle Creek to Wahtum Lake Columbia River Gorge and Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness, Mt. Hood National Forest (near Cascade Locks) 26.1 miles Hard Backcountry camps above High Bridge; designated sites at Wahtum Lake
- Timberline Trail Around Mount Hood Mount Hood Wilderness, Mt. Hood National Forest (Timberline Lodge) 40 miles Hard Backcountry camping outside meadows; free self-issued wilderness permit
Oregon Coast
Southern Cascades
- Lightning Spring and Bybee Creek, Crater Lake Crater Lake National Park (West Rim Drive) 8.4 miles Moderate Designated backcountry sites assigned with a free permit, or dispersed camping by permit
- Sky Lakes Basin Loop from Cold Springs Sky Lakes Wilderness, Fremont-Winema and Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forests (west of Klamath Falls) 14.6 miles Moderate Dispersed backcountry camping; 100 feet from lakes, 50 feet from streams
Southwest Oregon
- Illinois River Trail (Kalmiopsis Wilderness) Kalmiopsis Wilderness, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest (Briggs Creek near Selma to Oak Flat near Agness) 29.8 miles Hard Dispersed wilderness camping
- Rogue River Trail: Grave Creek to Marial Wild and Scenic Rogue River, BLM Medford District (Grave Creek, west of Merlin and Galice, to Marial) 24 miles Hard Dispersed riverside and creekside camping (no permit for self-supported hikers); Tucker Flat Campground near the end; private lodges by reservation
Wallowa Mountains
- Eagle Cap Lakes Basin via the West Fork Wallowa River Eagle Cap Wilderness, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest (Wallowa Lake Trailhead, south of Joseph) 33 miles Hard Dispersed wilderness camping; free self-issued wilderness permit
- Ice Lake and the Matterhorn (Eagle Cap Wilderness) Eagle Cap Wilderness, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest (Wallowa Lake Trailhead, south of Joseph) 15.4 miles Hard Dispersed wilderness camping at the lake; free self-issued wilderness permit
- Main Eagle Creek to Eagle Lake (Eagle Cap Wilderness) Eagle Cap Wilderness, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest (Main Eagle Trailhead, near Boulder Park Campground) 13.4 miles Moderate Dispersed wilderness camping; free self-issued wilderness permit
- Two Pan Loop: Minam Lake, Ivan Carper Pass, and Mirror Lake Eagle Cap Wilderness, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest (Two Pan Trailhead, Lostine River Road south of Lostine) 21 miles Hard Dispersed wilderness camping; free self-issued wilderness permit
Backpacking in Oregon: common questions
Do you need a permit to backpack in Oregon?
Often, but rules vary by managing agency. From June 15 to October 15, overnight trips in the Mount Jefferson, Mount Washington, and Three Sisters wildernesses need a Central Cascades Wilderness permit from Recreation.gov (about 40% are released the first Tuesday in April and the rest seven days before each start date), and camping in the Obsidian area needs its own limited-entry permit. The Mount Hood and Eagle Cap wildernesses use free self-issued permits at trailheads, Crater Lake National Park requires a free backcountry permit picked up in person, and the BLM requires no permit for self-supported hikers on the Rogue River Trail. Check with the forest, park, or BLM office before you go.
Can you have a campfire while backpacking in Oregon?
Often not. The Forest Service bans campfires above 5,700 feet in the Mount Jefferson, Mount Washington, and Three Sisters wildernesses, the Park Service prohibits them in Crater Lake's backcountry, and the Eagle Cap Wilderness bans them within a quarter mile of many Lakes Basin lakes. Seasonal orders add more: as of mid-October 2026, the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest's Stage 2 restrictions (through November 30), the Fremont-Winema National Forest's Stage 1 restrictions (through November 1), and a BLM Stage 2 order for the Rogue's Wild Section (through November 30) limited fires outside listed developed sites to gas or liquid-fuel stoves. Carry a stove and check current restrictions with the managing agency.
Are any Oregon backpacking trails closed by wildfire?
Yes, as of October 17, 2026. A Wallowa-Whitman National Forest order for the McCully Fire closes the Elkhorn Crest National Recreation Trail and connecting trails from September 18 through December 31, 2026, unless rescinded sooner, and a Rogue River-Siskiyou order closes about 3.5 miles of the Rogue River National Recreation Trail, from its western trailhead to Flora Dell Creek, through December 31, 2026. On Mount Hood, a reduced Grasshopper Fire closure covers dozens of trails east of Highway 35 through December 31, 2026, though the Timberline Trail is not on its list. Closures change often, so check the forest's alerts page before you go.
When is the best time to backpack in Oregon?
For the Cascades and the Wallowas, most guides point to mid-July through September or early October, and the National Park Service recommends mid-July through September at Crater Lake. Snow can linger into July, the Forest Service says mosquitoes swarm in the Sky Lakes until mid-August, and Crater Lake's West Rim Drive and North Entrance Road close by November 1 or earlier. The southwest canyons are different: guides say the Rogue and Illinois River trails get very hot in summer, and the BLM says spring and fall are the popular seasons on the Rogue.
Can you camp anywhere on the Oregon coast?
No. Oregon State Parks says camping along the Oregon Coast Trail is prohibited in most major city limits and within or next to state parks, and Trailkeepers of Oregon lists only a few dispersed options. On this site's coast trip, Hikers' Camp on Tillamook Head has three first-come, first-served shelters and no water, and sources disagree on whether it's limited to Oregon Coast Trail hikers. Check with Oregon State Parks before planning a coastal overnight.
Do you need a bear canister in Oregon?
No statewide requirement was found for the trips on this site, but rules vary by managing agency. The Deschutes National Forest prohibits leaving food exposed in its wildernesses, and the BLM's Rogue River Trail guide asks hikers to secure food and lists electric bear fences at some camps from May 15 to October 15. Guides for the Three Sisters Loop and the Eagle Cap say canisters aren't required but recommend a canister, Ursack, or hang, partly because rodents and other small animals go after food.
Where this comes from
- U.S. Forest Service: Central Cascades Wilderness Permits
- U.S. Forest Service: Wilderness Permit, Camping and Fire Restrictions Order 06-01-24-01
- U.S. Forest Service: Deschutes National Forest wilderness rules
- U.S. Forest Service: Grasshopper Fire closure (Mt. Hood National Forest)
- U.S. Forest Service: McCully Fire closure (Wallowa-Whitman National Forest)
- U.S. Forest Service: Rogue River-Siskiyou Stage 2 fire restrictions, forest-wide
- U.S. Forest Service: Rogue River National Recreation Trail emergency closure
- Bureau of Land Management: Rogue Wild Section Stage 2 fire prevention order (Sept. 2026)
- U.S. Forest Service: Fremont-Winema Stage 1 public use restrictions
- National Park Service: Crater Lake summer backcountry camping