Maxwell Lake Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Start point: Maxwell Lake Trailhead
- End point: Maxwell Lake
- Hike type: Out and back
- Distance: 7.8 miles
- Elevation gain: 2,400 feet
- High point: 7,800 feet
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Seasons: Mid-summer through early fall
- Family Friendly: Only for older kids
- Backpackable: Yes
- Crowded: On weekends
Contents |
Hike Description
The Maxwell Lake Trail climbs high up the west side of the Lostine River canyon and ends at beautiful Maxwell Lake, nestled in a granite alpine cirque. This is one of the most popular day hikes in the Eagle Cap Wilderness, so you can expect a fair amount of company in the summer!
From the trailhead cross the road into the Shady Campground. A short distance down the campground road, you will see the trail and a signboard on the right side. Here, you'll fill out your self-issued wilderness permit. The trail crosses the Lostine River on a sturdy footbridge. It then crosses Maxwell Creek, where there is no bridge. In late summer or fall, it shouldn't be too difficult to rock hop across.
For 2 1/2 miles the well-graded trail climbs up the canyon wall via a series of switchbacks. The trail passes in and out of trees, and views of the surrounding scenery open up the more you climb. The long profile of Hurricane Ridge shows itself across the Lostine valley. Then the trail abandons the switchback method and abruptly starts climbing straight up. This section is steep, and in many places the loose rock on the trail makes for uneasy footing, especially when you're hiking back down.
From a small saddle, the trail drops 400 yards to the north shore of Maxwell Lake. A boot path follows the shoreline to the eastern end of the lake where there is a little grassy meadow. Mosquitoes are bad here in July. You can scan the slopes above for the mountain goats that live in this area. If you're camped here a couple of nights, you can scramble up to the peaks north of the lake to get views into the Bowman (north) and North Minam drainages (east).
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
- Maxwell Lake Trail #1674 (USFS)
- Green Trails Maps: Wallowa Mountains: Eagle Cap Wilderness #475SX
- Adventure Maps: Eagle Cap Wilderness Trail Map
- Imus Geographics: Wallowa Mountains: Eagle Cap Wilderness
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Eagle Cap Wilderness
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Wallowa-Whitman National Forest
Regulations or Restrictions, etc.
- Northwest Forest Pass (or America the Beautiful Pass) required to park at the trailhead.
- Self-issued wilderness permit
- Campground with restrooms and picnic tables
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Maxwell Lake Hike
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Maxwell Lake Hike
Guidebooks that cover this hike
- 100 Hikes: Eastern Oregon by William L. Sullivan
- Hiking Oregon's Eagle Cap Wilderness by Fred Barstad
- 50 Hikes in Hells Canyon & Oregon's Wallowas by Rhonda & George Ostertag
- Oregon Hiking by Sean Patrick Hill
- Pacific Northwest Hiking by Scott Leonard & Sean Patrick Hill
- Oregon's Wilderness Areas by George Wuerthner
- Hiking Oregon's Geology by Ellen Morris Bishop
- Best Hikes With Dogs: Oregon by Ellen Morris Bishop
- Best Dog Hikes: Oregon by Adam Sawyer
More Links
- Maxwell Lake Trail #1674 (USFS)
- Maxwell Lake Trailhead (USFS)
- Shady Campground (USFS)
- Maxwell Lake (Oregon Wild)
- Maxwell Lake Trail #1674 (Hiking Project)
- Maxwell Lake (Hiking From Here)
- Hike to Maxwell Lake in Wallowa-Whitman National Forest (33 and Free)
- Maxwell lake points (Summit Post)
- Working on Trails in the Eagle Cap Wilderness (Trailkeepers of Oregon)
Contributors
- justpeachy (creator)