Swamp Wells
Swamp Wells Trail is a 24.2 miles trail in Deschutes National Forest, Oregon. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Deschutes 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 | 43.9776, -121.2341 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 43.7432, -121.2381 · 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
| Length | 24.2 miles |
| Trail class | 3, developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical tread width | 12-18 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Special management area | NM - NATIONAL MONUMENT |
| Trail numbers | 3961 |
| Forest | Deschutes National Forest (unit 0601) |
| States | Oregon |
| Detail published | 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.
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed 06/01 to 10/31 (month/day) |
| Mountain biking | Allowed year-round |
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.
Trailheads
No season published · listed none | 0.2 mi |
Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date. The recreation page link goes to the Forest Service site, which may redirect to the forest's recreation index.
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
- WildfireCoyote
39 mi from the trail midpoint · 17,460 acres · 99% contained
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Swamp Wells Trail?
24.2 miles, the sum of the 3 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Deschutes National Forest.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Swamp Wells Trail?
hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. 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 Swamp Wells Trail start?
The line begins at 43.9776, -121.2341 and ends at 43.7432, -121.2381. The nearest recorded trailhead is Horse Butte Trailhead, 0.2 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Swamp Wells Trail in a wilderness area?
No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Where can I camp near the Swamp Wells Trail?
Swamp Wells Horse Camp (0.1 mi), Cinder Hill Campground (1.8 mi) and Little Crater Campground (2.2 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.
How developed is the Swamp Wells 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 Swamp Wells Trail?
The typical tread is 12-18 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Swamp Wells Trail?
Deschutes National Forest, Forest Service unit 0601. The trail is in Oregon.
Is there a fire near the Swamp Wells Trail?
1 active incident within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Coyote at 39 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 3 segments named SWAMP WELLS in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0601. 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.