Revision as of 04:50, 31 July 2013

View of Mt. Hood from viewpoint south of Barlow Butte (Cheryl Hill)

View of Mt. Jefferson from viewpoint south of Barlow Butte (Cheryl Hill)

• Start point: Barlow Pass Trailhead
• End point: Barlow Butte
• Trail Log: Trail Log
• Hike Type: Out-and-back
• Distance: 4 miles
• Elevation gain: 1,100 feet
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Seasons: June-October
• Family Friendly: No
• Backpackable: No
• Crowded: No

Hike Description

Barlow Butte Trail #670 climbs up to the summit of Barlow Butte. There are no views from the summit itself, but a short detour south along Barlow Ridge will give you nice views of Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Hood

From the trailhead walk south past a big old signboard. The path is wide here because this is the route of the old Barlow Road (Road 3530, the vehicle road a little bit to your left, deviated slightly from the Barlow Road when it was built.) The trail soon connects with that road. Across the road the trail continues, dropping downhill (this junction was signed in July 2013, but the sign is falling down and may be gone by the time you visit).

You'll reach a junction where Barlow Creek Trail #485 goes straight. You'll turn left and walk through a small meadow before re-entering the trees. The trail crosses a sturdy footbridge over Barlow Creek, which dries up to a trickle in the summer. The trail starts to gradually climb and then reaches another junction where a ski trail goes straight. You'll turn right and continue climbing.

The trail stops it's gradual ascent and suddenly gets very steep. It tops out at an unsigned junction. The main trail goes to the right along Barlow Ridge. This is where the viewpoint is. But if you're curious and want to see the viewless summit of Barlow Butte go straight at the junction. The trail immediately reaches a ridge with views to the east, then makes a sharp turn to left to climb up to the rocky summit. Sedum bloom here in summertime. But the tall trees prevent any views at all, so if you want to see some mountains go back to the junction and follow the main trail south.

The trail loses elevation and then breaks out of the trees into a big rocky area. There are nice views to the south here and on a clear day you can see Mt. Jefferson. At the far end of the rocky area you can see the top of Mt. Hood, but for better views of that mountain you'll need to keep hiking. The trail keeps descending and re-enters the trees for awhile. The trail breaks out of the trees into a small open area with a large rock outcropping on the right (N 45 16.380 W 121 39.691). To the left are views of Mt. Hood. The trees are starting to grow up and obscure the view, but you can still see most of the mountain. If you hit the right gap in the trees you can also see the Highway 35 bridge over the White River far below.

The trail continues along Barlow Ridge but the views don't get any better. To get back to the trailhead return the way you came.

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Guidebooks that cover this destination

• 100 Classic Hikes in Oregon 2nd edition, by Douglas Lorain

More Links

• See more information at the Mt. Hood Information Center
• See more information at the Mt. Hood National Forest website

Contributors

• justpeachy (creator)