Oregon · Trail 3490

Turpentine

Turpentine Trail is a 5.6-mile trail in Willamette National Forest, Oregon. The Forest Service rates it trail class 2, moderately developed. It is open to hiking and horse and pack stock. It enters Mount Jefferson Wilderness.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Willamette 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 end44.5549° N, 121.9296° W · Directions ↗
Other end44.4952° N, 121.9252° 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

Length5.6 miles
Trail class2, moderately developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade12-20 percent
Typical tread width18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers3490
ForestWillamette National Forest (unit 0618)
StatesOregon
Detail publishedmanagement 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 Turpentine Trail20°30°40°50°60°January: 10.84 inches of precipitationFebruary: 7.79 inches of precipitationMarch: 7.76 inches of precipitationApril: 6.03 inches of precipitationMay: 4.01 inches of precipitationJune: 2.81 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.66 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.77 inches of precipitationSeptember: 2.28 inches of precipitationOctober: 5.88 inches of precipitationNovember: 9.98 inches of precipitationDecember: 11.58 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 30.6°F averageFebruary: 32.1°F averageMarch: 34.7°F averageApril: 38.8°F averageMay: 46.2°F averageJune: 51.5°F averageJuly: 59.2°F averageAugust: 59.1°F averageSeptember: 53.8°F averageOctober: 44.3°F averageNovember: 35.0°F averageDecember: 29.8°F average0 in5 in10 in15 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Santiam Junction, 6 miles from the trail midpoint at 3,750 feet, station USC00357554 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 70 inches a year.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed year-round
Horse and pack stockAllowed 06/01 to 10/31 (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

Pine Ridge Trailhead
No season published
Wilderness Regulations Weed Free Feed Required
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.

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
    Triple Butte Rx

    27 mi from the trail midpoint · 40 acres

  • Prescribed
    Slow Dxp/Lemiti Piles Rx - West

    28 mi from the trail midpoint

  • Prescribed
    Spike Timber Sale Piles Rx - West

    30 mi from the trail midpoint

  • Wildfire
    Austin

    35 mi from the trail midpoint · 12,888 acres · 98% contained

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

Explore

Guidebooks for Oregon

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

  • Pacific Crest Trail: Oregon and Washington
    Andy Selters, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Oregon's Ancient Forests
    Chandra LeGue, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Backpacking Oregon
    Douglas Lorain, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best dog hikes Oregon
    FalconGuides (Publisher), 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best hikes near Portland, Oregon
    Fred Barstad, 2016
    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 Turpentine Trail?

The Forest Service records 5.6 miles under this name in Willamette National Forest, the sum of 1 segment.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Turpentine 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 Turpentine Trail start?

The line begins at 44.5549° N, 121.9296° W and ends at 44.4952° N, 121.9252° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Pine Ridge 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 Turpentine Trail in a wilderness area?

Yes. It enters Mount Jefferson Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.

Source: Mount Jefferson Wilderness

Where can I camp near the Turpentine Trail?

Big Pool (2.8 mi), Big Meadows Horse Camp (2.8 mi) and Marion Forks Campground and Day Use Area (4 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 4 with site counts and booking links.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Turpentine Trail?

Trail class 2, which the Forest Service describes as moderately 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 Turpentine Trail?

The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Turpentine Trail?

Willamette National Forest, Forest Service unit 0618. The trail is in Oregon.

Source: Willamette National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the Turpentine Trail?

The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Triple Butte Rx at 27 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named Turpentine in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0618. 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.