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Lookout Mountain Hike

From Oregon Hikers Field Guide

The summit cliffs of Lookout Mountain (romann)
Distant Cascade peaks from the Lookout summit (romann)
Dry meadows on the upper part of the trail (romann)
The snow shelter (romann)
A topo map showing the route (romann)

Contents

Hike Description

The Ochoco Mountains' highest peak, Lookout Mountain, features a wide, rolling summit plateau with high desert meadows and islands of forest. In June and July, the meadows have rich assortment of wildflowers. This area is pretty high (you start at 5,875 feet and go to almost 7,000 feet) and is good for getting used to elevation. It also melts out much earlier than the alpine areas of the Cascades. The Ochocos are also sunnier and drier than the Cascades - just watch for thunderstorm forecasts. There is a lot of wildlife, but the main draw of Lookout Mountain is the outstanding views - not only from the summit viewpoint, but for miles and miles along its trails. This page describes the short, steeper access to the summit, but if you have time and energy, it's highly recommended to do a popular loop or even a long loop to see more of this outstanding area.

Begin at the Mother Lode Mine Trailhead (old topo maps show it as the Independence Mine Trailhead). There are three signed trails starting from this trailhead, so look for the Mother Lode Mine Trail #808A. It follows a steep, long abandoned road bed through young forest with occasional meadows, and before long you start seeing good views on your right. In about 1.3 miles, the trail comes out of the trees on the summit plateau meadows, and you come to a three-way junction with the Lookout Mountain Trail #804.

Fork left and continue uphill. The trail is much less steep from this point. In about 200 yards from the junction, you'll reach another trail on your left, signed for a snow shelter. This historical, three-wall structure with a stove and wooden roof is just a short way from the main trail and is worth a visit. There are good places to camp under the trees around the shelter (and of course, in the shelter itself, but expect some company), but if you camp, you'll need to bring water - there are no reliable springs for at least a couple of miles around. (In addition, because of the former mining activity in the area, you and your dog should probably avoid taking water from any of the streams lower down the mountain due to toxic waste.)

Back on the main trail, you will come to another junction in less than a third of a mile. The junction is in the middle of a huge sagebrush meadow (look for yellow balsamroot, blue larkspur and lupine, and red scarlet gilia - a hummingbird's favorite - among the sagebrush). For the summit, keep straight on an unsigned trail and, in less than 100 yards the trail will abruptly end at the top of a cliff, with incredible views to the west, north, and south. There are the old foundations of the former lookout building and corral on the windswept lava bed. On a good day, you'll see most of central Cascades' snow-capped volcanoes, including Mount Bachelor, the Three Sisters, Mount Jefferson, Mount Hood, and Mount Adams, and all the smaller summits in between. Looking back, you'll get a glimpse of Big Summit Prairie through the trees to the east.

Unless you want to extend your trip and make a loop (a counter-clockwise loop via trails #807A and #808 is a great one), return the same way you came.


Regulations or restrictions, etc

  • No pass needed
  • No facilities at the trailhead

Maps

Trip Reports

Related Discussions / Q&A

Guidebooks

  • Day Hiking: Bend & Central Oregon by Brittany Manwill
  • 100 Hikes: Eastern Oregon by William L. Sullivan
  • Hiking Central Oregon & Beyond by Virginia Meissner
  • Hiking Oregon's Geology by Ellen Morris Bishop
  • Best Hikes With Dogs: Oregon by Ellen Morris Bishop

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Oregon Hikers Field Guide is built as a collaborative effort by its user community. While we make every effort to fact-check, information found here should be considered anecdotal. You should cross-check against other references before planning a hike. Trail routing and conditions are subject to change. Please contact us if you notice errors on this page.

Hiking is a potentially risky activity, and the entire risk for users of this field guide is assumed by the user, and in no event shall Trailkeepers of Oregon be liable for any injury or damages suffered as a result of relying on content in this field guide. All content posted on the field guide becomes the property of Trailkeepers of Oregon, and may not be used without permission.