South Fork Mountain Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
This page is marked as a Lost Hike. The "trail" may be dangerous and hard to follow and is not recommended for beginning hikers without an experienced leader. Carry detailed maps of the whole area and/or a GPS unit and compass. |
- Start point: Memaloose Lake Trailhead
- End point: South Fork Mountain
- Trail log: Trail Log
- Hike type: Out and Back
- Distance: 4.6 miles round trip
- Elevation gain: 1400 feet
- High point: 4,850 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Seasons: June-November
- Family Friendly: Yes
- Backpackable: No
- Crowded: No
Contents |
Hike Description
The South Fork Mountain Hike is a foray into the Clackamas Wilderness, established in 2009 under the Omnibus Public Land Management Act. You'll begin at the Memaloose Lake Trailhead and hike up Memaloose Creek in cool lush old-growth forest to secluded Memaloose Lake. From there it's a steep - 700 feet in about a mile - jaunt up an unmaintained trail to the old lookout site on South Fork Mountain. Note that most of this area, and especially South Fork Mountain, was severely burned during the 2020 Riverside Fire.
Your hike begins in a cool, majestic forest of old-growth Douglas-fir. You will also notice massive specimens of western red-cedar, western hemlock, and noble fir. Sign in at the wilderness permit box, and continue up alongside Memaloose Creek in a carpet of oxalis and vanilla leaf. Many of the giant trees have fallen and taken nature’s course. The trail drops slightly to cross a stream lush with spiny wood fern. Rise over a hump and keep up along another creek and then cross it to head up more steeply. Damage from the 2020 burn increases in intensity as you continue. The trail crosses a creek among more large noble firs. Then, switchback three times and make a long traverse up to cross Memaloose Creek. The understory changes to bear-grass and rhododendron, and in this area, you will see Clackamas white irises blooming in late June/early July. At a trail junction (the fork right leads up to the north end of the lake), the path switchbacks and rises. On the left, Memaloose Creek pours down a small waterfall. Reach the lake shore among rhododendrons that bloom brightly in early summer. This is a shallow swimmable lake, ideal for cooling off in the heat of the summer.
To head up to South Fork Mountain, proceed left over Memaloose Creek. A trail through former campsites to the right also leads to the swampy area at the south end of the lake. Flagging currently marks the route to South Fork Mountain through the fire zone. The rooty trail winds up and switchbacks: be prepared to step over or detour around lots of downed trees as this trail is unmaintained. Make several more short switchbacks up in dry forest and hit the ridge, which the trail ascends up to the right. White irises will be blooming along the trail here in early July. The trail switchbacks and rises along the crest. Finally, there are two short switchbacks to the summit, where there is a dusty road turn-around. Trees have grown up around the former lookout site, but you can still see a fair slice of the Cascades. There’s a view south to Olallie Butte, Mount Jefferson, Three Fingered Jack, Mount Washington, and the Three Sisters. Walking through the mountain hemlocks and chinquapin takes you to a view north of Mount Hood, Mount Saint Helens, Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, and also west to the Willamette Valley.
Fees, Regulations, etc.
- Self-issued wilderness permit
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
- Green Trails Maps: Fish Creek Mtn, OR #492
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Clackamas River Ranger District
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Mt. Hood National Forest
- National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map: Mount Hood
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for South Fork Mountain Hike
- Memaloose Lake and South Fork Mountain 061718
- Snow at Memaloose Lake and South Fork Mountain - 10/11/08
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for South Fork Mountain Hike
Guidebooks that cover this hike
- Hiking Mount Hood National Forest by Marcia Sinclair
- 105 Virtual Hikes of the Mt. Hood National Forest by Northwest Hiker
- 100 Hikes in Northwest Oregon & Southwest Washington by William L. Sullivan
- Afoot & Afield: Portland/Vancouver by Douglas Lorain
- Best Old-Growth Forest Hikes: Washington & Oregon by John & Diane Cissel
- 50 Hiking Trails: Portland & Northwest Oregon by Don & Roberta Lowe
- A Walking Guide to Oregon's Ancient Forests by Wendell Wood
- Oregon's Columbia River Gorge: Camping & Hiking by Tom Stienstra & Sean Patrick Hill
- Oregon Hiking by Sean Patrick Hill
- Pacific Northwest Hiking by Scott Leonard & Sean Patrick Hill
More Links
- Memaloose Lake Trail #515 (USFS)
- Memaloose Lake Trail 515 (Trail Advocates)
- Memaloose Lake and South Fork Mountain Hike (Northwest Hiker)
- Memaloose Lake Hike (Linda's Lens)
- Trek #31: South Fork Mountain (52 Treks)
- Memaloose Lake and South Fork Mountain (JkbWorld)
- South Fork Mountain Hike (Cascade Ramblings)
- South Fork Mtn (I Am Who)
Contributors
- ChubbyFM (creator)