Elkhorn Crest National Recreation Trail
Hard · IvyWallowa-Whitman National Forest, Oregon
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Add the first36.7 km22.8 mi
Distance
843 m2766 ft
Elevation gain
9h 35m
Est. time
Route
Route type
- No bicycles
- 7 parking areas
What to expect on this trail
- Natural surface
- Moderate climbs
- Rolling
- Hiking
- Running
How these were worked out
- Natural surfacerecorded
- OpenStreetMap records the surface of this trail as "ground". Source: OpenStreetMap, high confidence.
- Moderate climbsestimated
- Nine tenths of this trail is at or below a 14.1% grade, which is steady work rather than scrambling. Source: DEM terrain profile, high confidence.
- Rollingestimated
- The grade varies by 8.8 percentage points along the route rather than climbing steadily. Source: DEM terrain profile, moderate confidence.
Biking is not listed. That means no explicit permission is recorded, which is not the same as a prohibition — see the bike section below.
Ivy's Peak Challenge Steep, long, or rough. Experienced hikers will love it.
About this trail
Elkhorn Crest National Recreation Trail is a 36.7 km trail in Oregon. Route imported from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL); community descriptions, photos, and condition reports welcome.
Play the route
Fly the trail end to end, with the climb as it comes.
Conditions
Loading forecast…
Elevation profile
Terrain sampled every 35 m from public elevation data.
- Descent
- 962 m
- High point
- 2558 m
- 90th percentile grade
- 14.1%
Bike access & suitability
Legal permission and physical difficulty are evaluated separately.
Legal access
prohibited
OpenStreetMap marks bicycle access as prohibited on part of this route, while other sections are marked open. A closure anywhere on a route closes the whole route here, so treat it as closed until the restricted section is identified.
Sections of this route are mapped as open to bicycles and at least one is not. Identify the closed section before planning to ride any of it.
Estimated MTB suitability
Difficult
73% confidence - score 54/100
- - Terrain: 14.1% 90th-percentile grade and 23 m climbing per km.
- - Surface: ground.
- - Mapped MTB technical scale: 3.
Source: Explicit OpenStreetMap access tags - OpenStreetMap contributors - checked Aug 2, 2026 - rules v2
View access evidencePosted signs and current land-manager closures always override OpenTrail.
Report incorrect bike access
Connecting trails
Trails whose path meets this one — plan a longer route or a loop.
- Elkhorn Crest Trail23.2 km · 14.4 mi · Wallowa-Whitman National ForestHard · Ivy
- Forest Road 651016.0 km · 9.9 mi · Wallowa-Whitman National ForestHard · Ivy
- Dutch Flat Creek Trail13.2 km · 8.2 mi · Wallowa-Whitman National ForestHard · Ivy
- Elkhorn Crest Trail9.2 km · 5.7 mi · Wallowa-Whitman National ForestHard · Ivy
- Twin Lakes Trail7.9 km · 4.9 mi · Wallowa-Whitman National ForestModerate · Ace
- Forest Road 55056.5 km · 4.0 mi · Wallowa-Whitman National ForestModerate · Ace
- Peavy Trail5.9 km · 3.6 mi · North Fork John Day Wilderness - Baldy UnitModerate · Ace
- Lost Lake Trail4.8 km · 3.0 mi · Wallowa-Whitman National ForestModerate · Ace
- Crawfish Basin Trail4.2 km · 2.6 mi · North Fork John Day Wilderness - Baldy UnitModerate · Ace
- Cunningham Cove Trail4.1 km · 2.6 mi · North Fork John Day Wilderness - Baldy UnitModerate · Ace
- Summit Lake Trail4.1 km · 2.6 mi · Wallowa-Whitman National ForestModerate · Ace
- North Powder River Trail4.0 km · 2.5 mi · Wallowa-Whitman National ForestModerate · Ace
- Pole Creek Ridge Trail3.8 km · 2.4 mi · Wallowa-Whitman National ForestModerate · Ace
- Elkhorn Crest Trail3.6 km · 2.2 mi · Wallowa-Whitman National ForestModerate · Ace
- Black Lake Trail1.7 km · 1.1 mi · Wallowa-Whitman National ForestEasy · Fern
- Lower Francy's Loop1.3 km · 0.8 mi · Wallowa-Whitman National ForestEasy · Fern
- Upper Francy's Loop1.1 km · 0.7 mi · Wallowa-Whitman National ForestEasy · Fern
- Black Lake Trail0.9 km · 0.6 mi · Wallowa-Whitman National ForestEasy · Fern
Trails nearby
Other routes within about 15 km.
- 6.9 km away
Old Auburn Lane
Moderate · AceWallowa-Whitman National Forest, Oregon
4.41 km · 1h 0m · ↑ 0 m
- 7.7 km away
Rock Creek Lake Trail
Moderate · AceWallowa-Whitman National Forest, Oregon
5.47 km · 2h 15m · ↑ 641 m
- 9.1 km away
Phillips Lake North Shoreline Trail
Hard · IvyWallowa-Whitman National Forest, Oregon
10.67 km · 2h 25m · ↑ 38 m
- 9.7 km away
Bear Lane
Easy · FernWallowa-Whitman National Forest, Oregon
1.75 km · 25m · ↑ 22 m
- 9.9 km away
Elk Creek Lane
Hard · IvyOregon
8.44 km · 2h 25m · ↑ 305 m
- 10.7 km away
South Shore Trail
Hard · IvyWallowa-Whitman National Forest, Oregon
10.63 km · 2h 25m · ↑ 18 m
- 10.9 km away
Deer Lick Trail
Easy · FernWallowa-Whitman National Forest, Oregon
1.18 km · 20m · ↑ 25 m
- 11.0 km away
Jeep Ride Trail
Moderate · AceWallowa-Whitman National Forest, Oregon
6.73 km · 1h 55m · ↑ 231 m
- 11.5 km away
RIm Rock Trail
Moderate · AceWallowa-Whitman National Forest, Oregon
5.13 km · 1h 25m · ↑ 164 m
- 11.9 km away
Powder River Recreation Dirt Trail
Easy · FernWallowa-Whitman National Forest, Oregon
1.05 km · 15m · ↑ 12 m
- 11.9 km away
Powder River Recreation Area Paved Trail
Easy · FernWallowa-Whitman National Forest, Oregon
1.11 km · 15m · ↑ 0 m
- 13.5 km away
Killamacue Lake Trail
Moderate · AceWallowa-Whitman National Forest, Oregon
4.66 km · 1h 55m · ↑ 550 m
Photos
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Frequently asked
How long is Elkhorn Crest National Recreation Trail?
Elkhorn Crest National Recreation Trail is 36.7 km (22.8 miles) as a route. Allow roughly 9h 35m at a steady walking pace, not counting stops.
How hard is Elkhorn Crest National Recreation Trail?
OpenTrail rates it hard. It climbs about 843 m overall, and its steepest sustained stretches run around 14%.
Where is Elkhorn Crest National Recreation Trail?
Elkhorn Crest National Recreation Trail is in Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, Oregon. The map on this page shows the full route, where it starts, and any mapped parking nearby.
Is there parking at Elkhorn Crest National Recreation Trail?
7 mapped parking areas sit within 1.5 km of the route, the nearest being Elkhorn Crest Trailhead. Parking comes from OpenStreetMap, so check the signage when you arrive.
Can you bike Elkhorn Crest National Recreation Trail?
Bicycles are not permitted, according to OpenStreetMap contributors. Legal access and how rideable the surface actually is are tracked separately on this page.