Black Butte Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Start point: Black Butte Trailhead
- End point: Black Butte
- Hike type: Out and back
- Distance: 4.0 miles
- Elevation gain: 1545 feet
- High point: 6,436 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Seasons: Late spring into fall
- Family Friendly: Yes
- Backpackable: No
- Crowded: Yes
Contents |
Hike Description
Black Butte, a prominent landmark on the east side of the Cascade crest, is a small stratovolcano that offers substantial prominence above the ponderosa pine woodlands and the headwaters of the Metolius River below. A 62-foot fire lookout tower stands atop the butte along with a white cupola cabin that was put there in 1923. Note that the two-mile trail to the summit is pretty hot and dusty by mid-summer and may not be suitable for small children and pets on especially warm days.
The trail begins at the far end of the parking lot at a signboard and climbs uphill through the trees, mainly old-growth ponderosa pines. After a switchback, the path continues to climb. A mile from the trailhead, you leave the trees behind as the trail steeply traverses the shadeless open slope cloaked with snow brush. Fortunately, there are great views along this stretch to motivate you to keep going, and you can see the top of the fire lookout tower on the summit. This tower was built in 1995 and is staffed in the summer.
The trail curves to the left as it makes its final push to the summit. The fire lookout is visible on your left. The trail was re-routed in 2011 and you may see evidence of the old trail leading up to the tower, but you'll stay on the trail heading straight, which shortly brings you to the summit. You'll see the concrete footings from a previous lookout tower that was built in 1934 and collapsed in 2001. The white cupola cabin that was built in 1923 still stands. Volunteers started restoring it in 2019. Just beyond this lookout is where a cabin that served as living quarters once stood. It was built in 1979 but fell into disrepair and was burned down by the Forest Service in 2016. It was replaced with a viewing deck on which you can stand and see the sweeping views.
The impressive views stretch for many miles. To the north, you can see Mount Hood and Mount. Jefferson. You can also get good views to Three Fingered Jack and the Three Sisters. On clear days, views stretch from Mount Adams in the north to Diamond Peak in the south. The public cannot access the structures on the summit. Summer lookout staff live in a yurt at the base of the tower; please respect their privacy.
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
- Green Trails Maps: Sisters, OR #590
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Sisters Ranger District
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Deschutes National Forest
- Pacific Northwest Recreation Map Series: Willamette Cascades
- Pacific Northwest Recreation Map Series: Central Oregon Cascades
- National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map: Mount Jefferson, Mount Washington
- Adventure Maps: Mount Jefferson, Bull of the Woods & Opal Creek Wilderness Trail Map
Fees, Regulations, etc.
- $5/day or Northwest Forest Pass/America the Beautiful Pass required
- Mountain bikes and motorized use prohibited.
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Black Butte Hike
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Black Butte Hike
Guidebooks that cover this hike
- Day Hiking: Bend and Central Oregon by Brittany Manwill
- Best Hikes With Kids: Oregon by Bonnie Henderson & Zach Urness
- Best Hikes with Children: Western & Central Oregon by Bonnie Henderson
- Oregon Hiking by Matt Wastradowski
- Pacific Northwest Hiking by Craig Hill & Matt Wastradowski
- 100 Hikes: Central Oregon Cascades by William L. Sullivan
- Trips & Trails: Oregon by William L. Sullivan
- Hiking Oregon's History by William L. Sullivan
- Best Hikes Near Bend by Lizann Dunegan
- Hiking Oregon by Lizann Dunegan
- Hike America: Oregon by Lizann Dunegan
- Bend, Overall by Scott Cook
- Extraordinary Oregon! by Matt Reeder
- 101 Hikes in the Majestic Mount Jefferson Region by Matt Reeder
- Oregon: The Creaky Knees Guide by Seabury Blair, Jr.
- Hiking Central Oregon & Beyond by Virginia Meissner
- Hiking Oregon's Central Cascades by Bruce Grubbs
- Day Hikes in Central Oregon by Jan Siegrist
- 60 Hiking Trails: Central Oregon Cascades by Don & Roberta Lowe
- 100 Oregon Hiking Trails by Don & Roberta Lowe
- Oregon Hiking by Sean Patrick Hill
- Pacific Northwest Hiking by Scott Leonard & Sean Patrick Hill
- Oregon's Southern Cascades: Camping & Hiking by Tom Stienstra & Sean Patrick Hill
- A Walking Guide to Oregon's Ancient Forests by Wendell Wood
- Best Dog Hikes: Oregon by Adam Sawyer
- Canine Oregon by Lizann Dunegan
- Trail Running: Bend & Central Oregon by Lucas Alberg
- Trail Running: Oregon by Lizann Dunegan
- Snowshoe Routes - Oregon by Shea Anderson
- Fire Lookouts of Oregon by Cheryl Hill
More Links
- Black Butte Trail (USFS)
- Hike Black Butte (Oregon.com)
- Hiking Black Butte (SoCal Hiker)
- Black Butte in Deschutes National Forest (hikespeak)
- Black Butte Trail #26 (Hiking Project)
- Black Butte: A winter hike with mountain views, Oregon (Matt Cook)
- Black Butte (Oregon) (Wikipedia)
- Black Butte Lookout (Fire Lookouts)
- Volunteers Help Give Facelift to Historic Black Butte Fire Lookout (Central Oregon Daily)
- Black Butte (Northwest Wildflowers)
Contributors
- justpeachy (creator)