Deschutes National Forest · Oregon

Green Lakes

21 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 17 · trail class 3 · typical grade trail_grade · tread 12-18 inches wide · hiking, horse

Begins at the forest's mile 0, 44.0313, -121.7360 - no trailhead mapped Drive to where the trail begins

Green Lakes/Soda Creek Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

<strong>Recreation Fee Area</strong>: $5/vehicle/day &nbsp;&ndash; On-site payment&nbsp;available

This is a heavily used trailhead that is an access point to the Three Sisters Wilderness via the Green Lakes Trail and Soda Creek Trail . The parking lot has a small area for horse trailers.

The Green Lakes Trail #17 and Soda Creek Trail #11 enters the Three Sisters Wilderness shortly after leaving the trailhead. Wilderness permits are required for both day use and overnight stays from this trailhead. See "Permit Info" below for more details.

Recreation Fee Site: Parking at this site requires a recreation pass. Passes are available at this site, but can also be purchased from Forest Service offices or vendors. See "Passes" below for more information.

You can find Green Lakes Basin area restrictions and a map of designated campsites here .

Restrictions <ul><li><a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/centraloregon/specialplaces/?cid=stelprdb5391781">Wilderness restrictions apply</a> in the Three Sisters Wilderness</li><li><strong>Maps of areas where special restrictions apply:</strong> <ul><li><a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MEDIA/stelprdb5393945.jpg" target="_blank">Dog leash restrictions</a> </li><li><a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1060067.pdf">Green Lakes</a></li><li><a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1060068.pdf">Matthieu Lakes</a></li><li><a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1060069.pdf">Moraine Lakes</a></li></ul></li><li>Motorized and mechanical equipment (including bicycles and drones) are prohibited in the Wilderness</li><li>Groups must be under 12 people and 12 head of stock</li><li>Build campfires at least 100 feet away from water</li><li>Pack in / Pack out!</li><li>“Take only pictures, leave only footprints” — please refrain from cutting, damaging, or gathering vegetation or other forest items (e.g. rocks, artifacts, etc.)</li><li>Please bury human waste 6-8 inches deep and at least 200 feet away from water</li></ul>

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Every trail in Deschutes National Forest

All 432 trails in Deschutes National ForestFind a trailForest on fs.usda.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the US Forest Service's National Forest System trails layer (public domain), read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end, and the class, surface, grade and tread width are the forest's own entries where it publishes them - a forest that publishes the centreline alone has none. The trailheads and the points along the way are the Service's recreation points, and the write-ups its own recarea text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the forest's own site before you go.