Mother Lode
Mother Lode Trail is a 5.7 miles trail in Mt. Hood National Forest, Oregon. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. The forest has not published allowed uses for it. It enters Bull of the Woods Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Mt. Hood National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 44.8827, -122.0913 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 44.8484, -122.0640 · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start.
The trail
| Length | 5.7 miles |
| Trail class | 3, developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 558 |
| Forest | Mt. Hood National Forest (unit 0606) |
| States | Oregon |
| Detail published | basic characteristics |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Weather by month
Wilderness
- Bull of the Woods Wilderness WildernessFS · the whole line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.
Trailheads
The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Fire nearby
- WildfireAustin
13 mi from the trail midpoint · 12,866 acres · 98% contained
- WildfireThe Narrows
19 mi from the trail midpoint · 305 acres · 98% contained
- WildfireGrasshopper
39 mi from the trail midpoint · 93,996 acres · 98% contained
- WildfireBench
40 mi from the trail midpoint · 67,071 acres · 90% contained
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Historic places nearby
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Mother Lode Trail?
5.7 miles, the sum of the 1 segment the Forest Service records under this name in Mt. Hood National Forest.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Mother Lode Trail?
Mt. Hood National Forest has not published allowed uses for this trail. The forest office can say what is open.
Where does the Mother Lode Trail start?
The line begins at 44.8827, -122.0913 and ends at 44.8484, -122.0640. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Mother Lode Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Bull of the Woods Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Where can I camp near the Mother Lode Trail?
Gold Butte Lookout (3.1 mi), Elk Lake (3.4 mi) and Elk Lake Campground (3.4 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Mother Lode Trail?
Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Mother Lode Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Mother Lode Trail?
Mt. Hood National Forest, Forest Service unit 0606. The trail is in Oregon.
Is there a fire near the Mother Lode Trail?
4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Austin at 13 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 1 segment named MOTHER LODE in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0606. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.