Freezeout Saddle

  • Moderate (to Freezeout Saddle)
  • 5.6 miles round trip
  • 1950 feet elevation gain
  • Open early May through November
  • Use: hikers, horses


  • Difficult (to Summit Ridge)
  • 11.9-mile loop
  • 3470 feet elevation gain

The lowest point on the Oregon rim of Hells Canyon, this surprisingly balmy saddle is usually free of snow a month before Hat Point (Hike #45). As a result, equestrians and backpackers prefer the Saddle Creek Trail through Freezeout Saddle as a more reliable, and better graded, route to the Snake River. For a day hike here, climb to the views at Freezeout Saddle or continue on a difficult loop through the wildflower meadows of Summit Ridge.

Begin at …

This chapter taken from the book 100 Hikes/Travel Guide: Eastern Oregon.