California · Trail 5416

Portuguese

Portuguese Trail is a 5.4-mile trail in Klamath National Forest, California. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking and horse and pack stock. It enters Marble Mountain Wilderness.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Klamath 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 end41.3631° N, 123.2654° W · Directions ↗
Other end41.3717° N, 123.3142° W · 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 is recorded as 3 segments.

The trail

Length5.4 miles
Trail class3, developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade10-12 percent, 12-20 percent
Typical tread width18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers5416, 5822
ForestKlamath National Forest (unit 0505)
StatesCalifornia
Detail publishedbasic characteristics, management level, with uses

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

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Portuguese Trail40°50°60°70°80°January: 9.39 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowFebruary: 6.93 inches of precipitation, 1.5 inches of snowMarch: 6.38 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowApril: 3.97 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowMay: 2.25 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 0.89 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 0.19 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.15 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 0.76 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 3.52 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowNovember: 6.81 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowDecember: 10.49 inches of precipitation, 1.0 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 43.4°F averageFebruary: 47.0°F averageMarch: 51.4°F averageApril: 55.8°F averageMay: 62.3°F averageJune: 67.6°F averageJuly: 74.4°F averageAugust: 73.4°F averageSeptember: 68.7°F averageOctober: 58.6°F averageNovember: 48.8°F averageDecember: 42.5°F average0 in5 in10 in15 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Orleans, 13 miles from the trail midpoint at 403 feet, station USC00046508 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 52 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 3 inches a year on the same inches scale. The station sits about 5,800 feet lower than the trail midpoint, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed year-round
Horse and pack stockAllowed 05/01 to 11/15 (month/day)

A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.

Wilderness

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.

Trails nearby

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

  • Prescribed
    Srf 2026 Rx Implementation

    14 mi from the trail midpoint · 500 acres

  • Prescribed
    Five-6 Understory Rx

    46 mi from the trail midpoint

  • Prescribed
    Ew 10 Rx

    46 mi from the trail midpoint

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.

Explore

Guidebooks for California

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Walkabout Northern California
    Tom Courtney, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Backpacking California
    Wilderness Press, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Coastal trails of Southern California
    Linda B. Mullally, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking northern California
    Bubba Suess, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California
    Shawnte Salabert, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Portuguese Trail?

The Forest Service records 5.4 miles under this name in Klamath National Forest, the sum of 3 segments.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Portuguese Trail?

Hiking and horse and pack stock are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Portuguese Trail start?

The line begins at 41.3631° N, 123.2654° W and ends at 41.3717° N, 123.3142° W. 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 Portuguese Trail in a wilderness area?

Yes. It enters Marble Mountain Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.

Source: Marble Mountain Wilderness

Where can I camp near the Portuguese Trail?

Oak Bottom Campground (1.6 mi) and Red Bank Campground (4.9 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 2 with site counts and booking links.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Portuguese 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 Portuguese Trail?

The typical grade is 10-12 percent on most segments and 12-20 percent on others. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Portuguese Trail?

Klamath National Forest, Forest Service unit 0505. The trail is in California.

Source: Klamath National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the Portuguese Trail?

The interagency feed shows 3 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Srf 2026 Rx Implementation at 14 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 3 segments named Portuguese in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0505. 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 November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.