Lot fits 20+ cars, there are no bathrooms, not handicap accessible, nor any handicap parking. Great for children, but keep an eye out for Rattlers and make sure they are covered with tick repellent. (I pretreat my outer layers every tick season and apply sawyer picardin lotion to any exposed skin before a hike). Information kiosk by the gate with a faded map of the area. Make sure to lock the gate upon entering and exiting as cattle still graze here, although we did not see any while we were here. The communications tower and building are fairly close to the TH. Trails are for non- motorized use.
Beautiful location for a sunrise on a partly cloudy day. Great isolation and silence (only sounds from wind, birds and crickets). We were the only ones on the trail all day and when we got back to the TH (12pm), the only cars in the lot.
Make sure you bring maps of the area. There is cell service throughout the trail. Several options for hiking or bushwacking for wherever you want to explore. The trails are all old, faint or non-existent road beds.
Lots of different flowers in bloom. Saw birds, butterfly's, stink bugs, heard crickets. Saw multiple varieties of different scat. Beautiful junipers.
We hiked North on the trail from the South TH, followed the main roadbed (going North) and then bushwacked to a little hill with a tree and a lonely telephone? Pole. Beautiful adjacent views of the mine, Aubrey Mountain, Shaniko Butte, Mt Hood and Mt. Adams and curves in the Deschutes river here. We also bushwacked to the outcropping of rocks just south east of the telephone pole.
Bring layers. The wind chill can be finger numbing. Also bring sun screen as there is little to no shade here.
No parking fee is required here as it is on BLM land.
10.45 miles with 615ft elevation gain.
- Deschutes River
- Pre sunrise colors
- Communication are by South TH
- Aubrey Mountain and the Deschutes River
- Shaniko Butte
- Wildflower
- Wildflower
- Wildflower and Mt. Hood in the background.
- Wildflower
- Wildflower
- Wildflower
- Stink bug
