Starting at Lost Lake Horse Camp on Road 1340, Old Skyline Trail runs 2.5 miles to Forest Road 13 at Lake Branch. It meets Lost Lake Butte Trail, the Lake Branch of the Cascades Trail and the Lost Lake Horse Camp Trail along the way. For its first 1.5 miles it’s an easy walk through timber and huckleberry.
Past the Lake Branch of the Cascades junction, things get harder. The trail drops to Lake Branch Creek, which has no bridge and can be tricky to cross, then climbs back up to Forest Road 13. To get to the horse camp, take Highway 281 south from Hood River, then Lost Lake Road for about 12 miles.
Trail map & elevation
- Trail class
- Class 2 of 5
- Typical grade
- 12-20%
- Surface
- Native material
- Tread width
- 18-24 inches
- Ranger district
- Hood River
Connects to: Lost Lake Butte Trail #616, Lake Branch Cascades Trail
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 Hood River, OR
- Head south on OR-281 S for 4.3 miles.
- Turn right to stay on OR-281 S and continue on for 6.3 miles.
- Take a slight right towards the Lost Lake Rd. and then turn left onto Lost Lake Rd. Take Lost Lake Rd. for about 12 miles.
Trails nearby
Lost Lake Butte Trail #616
3.8 mi round trip
1,255 ft
Moderate
Lake Branch Cascades Trail
1.2 mi round trip
218 ft
Easy
Lakeshore Express Trail
0.2 mi round trip
42 ft
Easy
Old Growth Trail #657
2 mi round trip
58 ft
Easy
Lakeshore Trail #656
3.1 mi loop
110 ft
Easy
Huckleberry Mountain Trail #617
4 mi round trip
894 ft
Moderate
Buck Peak Trail #615
0.8 mi round trip
274 ft
Easy
Pacific Crest Trail (Zigzag RD)
85.4 mi round trip
16,324 ft
Very hard
Pacific Crest Trail (Hood River RD)
40.4 mi round trip
6,003 ft
Very hard