For a direct route to Big Slide Lake, a popular Bull of the Woods Wilderness destination, take Dickey Creek Trail #553. The first three miles stay in deep woods along Dickey Creek, by a large meadow with a pond, before the trail crosses the creek and climbs to the ridge above the lake.
From the trailhead at the end of Forest Road 6340-140, you follow an old decommissioned road, then drop steeply on unstable ground, so take care with a heavy pack. After the creek, the climb up Big Slide Mountain’s northwest slope leads to the Big Slide Lake spur (Trail #553A) and, half a mile on, to Schreiner Peak Trail #555 at the trail’s end.
Trail map & elevation
- Trail class
- Class 3 of 5
- Typical grade
- 12-20%
- Surface
- Native material
- Tread width
- 18-24 inches
- Ranger district
- Clackamas River
Connects to: Schreiner Peak Trail #555
More about the Bull of the Woods Wilderness and its trails →
Line, length and trail class: U.S. Forest Service trail data. Elevation: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Difficulty is our estimate for hiking it out and back (once around for a loop), from distance and total climb. Lines can be off by a few hundred feet; carry a real map and check the official page for closures.
Getting there
From Portland, OR
- travel east on US Hwy 26 to Sandy.
- Turn right (southwest) on OR Hwy 211 and travel 6.1 miles to OR Hwy 224.
- Turn left (southeast) on OR Hwy 224 and travel 30.6 miles to Clackamas River Hwy (Forest Road 46) (approximately at milepost 50).
- Take the right fork onto Clackamas River Hwy and travel 3.7 miles to Collowash Road (Forest Road 63).
- Travel 5.7 miles on Forest Road 63 and turn right onto Forest Road 6340.
- Travel approximately 2.8 miles on Forest Road 6340 to Forest Road 6340-140.
- Follow Forest Road 6340-140 1.6 miles to the trailhead parking area at the end of the road.
From the Forest Service
Rules and restrictions
Wilderness restrictions apply in Bull of the Woods Wilderness.
Ranger office
Clackamas River Ranger District
Address: 16400 Champion Way Sandy, OR 97055
Phone: 971-333-4100
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed 12 to 1 for lunch. (Closed on federal holidays)
Trails nearby
Schreiner Peak Trail #555
4.2 mi round trip
1,833 ft
Hard
West Lake Way Trail #556
2 mi round trip
503 ft
Easy
Welcome Lakes Trail #554
8.2 mi round trip
3,002 ft
Very hard
Mother Lode Trail #558
11.4 mi round trip
3,215 ft
Very hard
Bull of the Woods Trail #550
7.8 mi round trip
2,145 ft
Hard
Dickey Lake Trail #549
1.8 mi round trip
943 ft
Moderate
Pansy Lake Trail #551
3.8 mi round trip
1,420 ft
Hard
Twin Lakes Trail #573
8 mi round trip
3,289 ft
Very hard
Elk Lake Creek Trail #559
17.4 mi round trip
3,551 ft
Very hard
Bagby Hot Springs Trail #544
23 mi round trip
5,997 ft
Very hard