Bryon Boyce said Clue: the trails in this location were not abandoned because of roading or budget cuts. The trail which formerly headed north from the destination of the trail in question, has suffered from a high erosion rate and I've yet to spot it. I've not looked for it since I found out that a trail was once there. You would have several miles of defacto wilderness on that trail once you found it.  

Bryon Boyce said Let me amplify a previous clue - Where in the Clackamas has a trail been dropped by the Forest Service because they no longer own the land part of the trail is on?  

Robert Koscik said Somewhere in Olallie Country?  Olallie Butte?

  We have a winner!  The McQuinn - Handley survey controversy took 101 years to resolve, and in 1972 all parties agreed that the McQuinn line was correct and the Warm Springs Reservation was expanded by 61,360 acres. The Indians had been right all along. At Olallie Butte the trail to the top shifted from 100% Forest Service Ownership (I'm approximating here) to about 1/3. The Warms Springs Tribe agreed in the settlement to allow free access by hikers to Olallie Butte, but not to all other areas shifted to their ownership. The trail has been deteriorating since 1972 - there are sections filling in with basalt ball bearings and with the beetle kill, trees are beginning to fall across the trail. The view from the top is easily one of the best in the Cascades, with dozens of lakes and the rimrock above the Deschutes visible. At 7215' Olallie Butte is the highest spot between Hood and Jeff. Read about the boundary shift here: http://pelton.warmsprings.com/.docs/pg/10208 And really guys that mossy shelf is very obvious as you hike up the Olallie Trail.

"The Indians had been right all along."   I believe that will always be subject to debate. Don2

Donovan said If there is a link to specific language that allows access to Olallie Butte Trail we should probably post it here somewhere. I could never get a clear answer on it. Don2

I did some googling and don't see any specific reference to hiking on the reservation.  There are some pages dealing with fishing, and some lakes are DEFINITELY closed to fishing by non tribal members, but I don't really see anything relating to access to hiking.  Maybe it is a "don't ask, don't tell" type of thing?  Or maybe since Olallie Butte is in the McQuinn strip (I'm pretty sure that is a true statement), that it is allowed?

I did find the following piece from a hunting/trapping regulations document:

http://www.warmsprings.com/images/Warmsprings/Tribal_Community/Tribal_Government/Current_Governing_Body/Tribal_Code_Book/Doc_Files/350_huntingtrapping.pdf

350.220 On–Reservation Hunting – Non–Members: No nonmember shall pursue, shoot at, or kill any wild animals or wild birds at any time within the Warm Springs Reservation except within the McQuinn Strip pursuant to the terms of a cooperative agreement between the Tribesand the Oregon State Game Commission (now the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission), dated May 30, 1973, and extending to September 21, 1982, and providing the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission with the option to extend the term of the agreement for an additional ten–year period. During the term of said agreement or any extension thereof, non–tribal members may hunt in the McQuinn Strip in conformance with Oregon State hunting regulations.

Bryon Boyce said I haven't looked into this for several years - at one point in time 3 to 5 years ago, they had a page including a map detailing open and closed areas. At that point basically the whole reservation was off limits with a few exceptions like Olallie Butte and the campground at Breitenbush Lake. At some spots on the Western edge of the reservation (near4220) there are still large keep out signs, like at Olallie Meadows and behind Breitenbush Lake and the road heading south to that lake. When I have more time I will see if anything was downloaded about this back then. The import of their website has changed drastically since my previous visits as well. Now its all about tourism. Earlier it was much more about asserting their authority over tribal lands and history. And who knows, maybe they've decided tourism is more important than keeping people out of their reservation. Except those signs are still up.  

Robert Koscik said I'm pretty sure it's not a wilderness area.  This is an abandoned trail.