Bull of the Woods Lookout Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Start point: Bull of the Woods Trailhead
- End point: Bull of the Woods Lookout
- Hike type: In and out
- Distance: 6.4 miles
- High Point: 5,523 feet
- Elevation gain: 1250 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Seasons: Summer - mid-Fall
- Family Friendly: Yes
- Backpackable: Yes
- Crowded: No
Contents |
Hike Description
NOTICE: Trails in this area were affected by the 2021 Bull Complex Fire, and the Bull of the Woods Lookout was destroyed in September 2021.
The Bull of the Woods Lookout perched at the end of a ridge overlooking three basins: Pansy, Mother Lode, and Dickey Creek. The views from the site are wide-ranging, and the knoll where the lookout stood supports blooming rock gardens in the summer. The knoll can be accessed from many directions, but the Bull of the Woods Trail along the ridge between the Pansy and Dickey Creek drainages is the most direct and least strenuous. You will bypass North and South Dickey Peaks and the montane ridge forest opens up at talus slopes and lush meadows to offer views east and west.
The Bull of the Woods Trail #550 starts up from the parking area. Pass through a thicket of willow and Sitka alder. The trail switchbacks twice in an old clearcut, passing a permit sign-in box, and there are views across to Thunder Mountain and Baty Butte. Looking back, there’s also a great view of Mount Hood. Enter shady woods with a huckleberry/bear-grass understory. This is a ridge forest of silver fir, noble fir, mountain hemlock and some Douglas-fir. Pass the old wilderness box and then a lush meadow with a tarn to the left. The trail rises past some large noble firs. Enter the Bull of the Woods Wilderness and switchback up, then head along the ridge crest. The trail drops, then heads up, traverses and drops. Rhododendrons bloom here in July and Washington lilies brighten the trail. The trail levels rises and drops, then rises again above verdant Terrace Spring. There are more undulations before you reach the Bull of the Woods-Dickey Lake Trail Junction.
Keep straight and rise to get a view west to Big Slide Mountain from a talus slope blooming with fireweed and lupine. Cross a more open scree slope and reach the ridge crest. Then cross a talus slope below a rock outcrop and reach a small meadow on the crest blooming with little sunflowers, creamy stonecrop and Gorman’s aster. A short spur leads left to a viewpoint looking east. The trail rises from here and switchbacks twice to a view of Mount Hood and South Dickey Peak from a small meadow. Head up along the grassy crest and get a view east down to a small lake, Big Slide Mountain and Schreiner Peak’s fire-scarred slopes. Switchback up twice and get another open ridge view to Big Slide Mountain, Olallie Butte, Mount Jefferson and back to Mount Hood. The trail heads along the ridge crest and you gain more views. Big Slide Lake nestles below. Ascend more steeply and arrive at the Bull of the Woods Lookout site. From here, take in expansive views from Mount Rainier to the Three Sisters.
The lookout cabin was burned to the ground in the 2021 Bull Complex Fire. Eat your lunch perched in one of the rock gardens and return the way you came. Alternatively, you can make a loop via Pansy Lake and Dickey Lake, a route described in reverse in the Bull of the Woods via Pansy Lake Loop Hike.
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
- Green Trails Maps: Bull of the Woods, OR #524SX
- Green Trails Maps: Battle Ax, OR #524
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness, Bull of the Woods Wilderness, Opal Creek Wilderness, Opal Creek Scenic Recreation Area
- Geo-Graphics: Bull of the Woods and Opal Creek Wilderness Map
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Clackamas River Ranger District
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Mt. Hood National Forest
- Adventure Maps: Mount Jefferson, Bull of the Woods & Opal Creek Wilderness Trail Map
- National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map: Mount Hood
Regulations or Restrictions, etc.
- Self-issued wilderness permit
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Bull of the Woods Lookout
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Bull of the Woods Lookout
Guidebooks that cover this hike
- 101 Hikes in the Majestic Mount Jefferson Region by Matt Reeder
- Off the Beaten Trail by Matt Reeder
- Portland Hikes by Art Bernstein and Andrew Jackman
- Hiking Mount Hood National Forest by Marcia Sinclair
- Hiking Oregon's Central Cascades by Bruce Grubbs
- Hiking Oregon's Three Sisters Country by Bruce Grubbs
- Oregon's Wilderness Areas by George Wuerthner
- 50 Hiking Trails: Portland & Northwest Oregon by Don & Roberta Lowe
- 100 Oregon Hiking Trails by Don & Roberta Lowe
- Hiking Hot Springs in the Pacific Northwest by Evie Litton
- Oregon Hiking by Sean Patrick Hill
- Pacific Northwest Hiking by Scott Leonard & Megan McMorris
- A Hiker's Guide to Oregon's Hidden Wilderness (Central Cascades Conservation Council)
More Links
- Bull Of The Woods Trail #550 (USFS)
- Bull of the Woods 550 (Mt. Hood National Forest)
- Bull of the Woods Trail 550 (Trail Advocates)
- Bull of the Woods (Mountain Plants of the Western Cascades)
Page Contributors
- bobcat (creator)