If you’re a goal-oriented hiker in Central Oregon, the Six Pack of Peaks Challenge may be on your to-do list this year. The official challenge is a fundraiser for Big City Mountaineers, but you can make the rules for your own challenge if you want. In this article I’ll share some useful tips for taking on each of these peaks, including seasonal considerations, logistical red tape, training strategies and Leave No Trace principles.
Central Oregon is a hiker’s dream. With well-maintained trails, easily accessible trailheads and mountains galore, you’ll never run out of places to go and ideas for adventures. Exploring the peaks on this list will provide you with a broad perspective of the challenges that can be had in this part of the state. The peaks on this list aren’t necessarily the best Central Oregon has to offer; in fact, I’m quite mystified why these six were chosen as “iconic” hikes in the area. It seems that someone in an office in another state sat down and Googled some things to create this list. Regardless, each of these peaks are worth doing at least once (or only once). But after you finish the list, I encourage you to expand your repertoire to other trails, peaks, and adventures that interest you and capture your curiosity. Some of the best summits can’t be found on any list…
General Tips
- It is important to note that at least five out of the six peaks will be snow-covered for most of late fall through early spring, and that half are not easily accessed in a single day when access roads are gated due to snow. It is up to you to gather recent trip reports, snow conditions and avalanche conditions if you plan to attempt these peaks between (approximately) January and May. Most list-baggers will seek these summits in the summer. Gray Butte is the exception; it will remain snow-free for most of the year. Here are a few websites that you should bookmark: TripCheck, Oregon Hikers, Central Oregon Avalanche Center, Instagram is also a surprisingly useful research tool for finding up-to-date trail conditions and for reaching out to fellow hikers to ask questions. Click here to learn more about trip planning!
- The peaks on this list may have multiple developed routes to the top. When you do your trip planning, be sure to gather information on the specific route you plan on taking. I am not going to hand you information on every little detail of each hike because that’s something YOU need to do on your own. I’m a firm believer that learning how to plan a trip and find relevant information from books and internet sources is a fundamental skill for hikers.
- While hiking seems pretty simple on the surface, it demands a number of skills in addition to physical fitness. You need to be able to deal with changing weather conditions, know what to pack, wear appropriate clothing and footwear, be able to fuel and hydrate yourself and navigate over various types of terrain. Central Oregon was formed by hundreds of thousands of years of volcanic activity; much of the landscape is covered in loose and unstable lava rock. Walking on a treadmill or on pavement will not be sufficient to prepare you for the demands of hiking Central Oregon’s peaks. Instead, you need to practice walking on volcanic rock! Get out on the trails. Or, if you live in Bend, take a class with me.
- Remember that the list is just a list. Think of it as a starting point to adventure. You might do a few and get inspired to hike some nearby peaks that you see along the way. You might get distracted by other goals and shift your focus. Completing the list just to complete the list can feel very underwhelming. Use the list to spark a summer (or year!) filled with hikes across Central Oregon and beyond. Now, let’s get hiking!
THE TEN ESSENTIALS
Heading out on an adventure? Be sure to carry the ten essentials and practice Leave No Trace (LNT). Remember that LNT starts at home with planning. Click on any of those links to learn more, and feel free to email me with any questions. I am passionate about helping people explore the outdoors mindfully and safely. Happy trails!
Gray Butte
Gray Butte is a prominent highpoint near Smith Rock. You’ve definitely noticed it before, probably while driving between Bend and Redmond on Highway 97. In my opinion, it is the least interesting destination on this list. I saved my summit of Gray Butte for a snowy day in winter in an effort to make it feel more interesting, and it still was kind of meh. Gray Butte is a check-the-box kind of hike, an unfortunate introduction to the challenge.
Season: Most of the year, except in heavy winter storms.
Red tape: If you start from Smith Rock, you’ll need a state park pass or you can pay the $5 day use fee in the parking area. If you start from Skull Hollow or another access point on BLM land there is no fee.
Training: No matter how you choose to approach Gray Butte, it’s going to be a long hike with a lot of climbing. So, it’s important that your body is in condition to walk uphill on gravelly trails for several miles. Some nearby warm-up routes include the Misery Ridge loop and the Summit loop at Smith Rock State Park.
Leave No Trace: Plan Ahead and Prepare. If this is your first hike on the list, consider going with someone who’s been there before or who you trust out on the trail. There is no standard route up Gray Butte, but you’ll probably hike between 8-12 miles round trip with at least 2000′ of vertical gain . I’ll leave you with this, a general map of the trails in the area. Note that none of them go to the summit (but you will find a road that goes right to the top!)
Parting notes: Do you hike with poles? I highly recommend it. Poles help distribute the weight of each step, sparing your knees from taking the brunt of the impact as you hike. Here’s a video I shot on Tumalo Mountain that will give you the basics. Speaking of Tumalo, how did it NOT make the list? That would be another great warm-up hike before hitting Gray Butte, although it will not be snow-free until spring. And remember, if you’re not thrilled with your experience on Gray Butte, don’t despair. The other peaks are prettier, more interesting, and provide better views (your mileage may vary 🙂 )
Black Butte
You know Black Butte. You’ve seen Black Butte. It’s a strikingly conical peak situated outside the town of Sisters. It features proudly on Deschutes Brewery’s Black Butte Porter label. Its popularity is partly due to how recognizable this Central Oregon feature is. If you’re starting this list this year, chances are you’ve already done this hike.
Season: Black Butte can be hiked year-round, but only with proper gear and skill in heavy winter snow years. I’ve done it in snowshoes, Yaktrax or regular hiking shoes. Luckily, you can get a good look at Black Butte from most anywhere in Central Oregon, so if you see snow up top, you know you’ll need some winter footwear and you might not be able to drive to the upper trailhead.
Red tape: None!
Training: The shortest route up Black Butte is just under 4 miles with 1500′ of elevation gain. This might be the easiest place to start on the list as long as the trail is snow-free. However, you can begin your hike at the base of Black Butte, either on or off trail (or the snowed-in road). I’ve hiked it from many different places and my favorite trips have all started from the bottom. If you’re in good hiking shape, I strongly recommend you start there. To prepare, make sure you’ve got lots of hill training in your regularly scheduled walks and hikes. Black Butte is up, up, up.
Leave No Trace: Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces. Due to its proximity to Sisters and Bend, its short trail length and its iconic profile, Black Butte sees a TON of hikers each year. It is therefore extremely important to stick to durable surfaces, like trails and packed snow on your Black Butte adventure. Imagine if everyone just walked wherever the heck they wanted up there. It would get ugly and trampled pretty fast. Also, the lookout tower is staffed in the summer, and some of the areas at the summit are signed no entry to the public. Respect those closures in order to give the staff their privacy. Don’t worry, there are plenty of amazing views to explore on trail there.
Parting notes: Black Butte is well-deserving of its spot on the list. Due to its popularity, it can be difficult to hike there without crowds of people. But if you go off-season, mid-week or early/late in the day you can have a quiet experience on this peak.
Black Crater
Despite the ho-hum description in William Sullivan’s hiking guide for the Central Oregon Cascades (which you should definitely have on your bookshelf), Black Crater remains one of my favorite hikes. The views from the top are among the best in Oregon; you’ll feel like you can reach out and touch North Sister. The trees along the trail were burned in the 2017 Milli Fire, giving the uphill walk a unique character. Black Crater is one of two peaks on this list located in the Three Sisters Wilderness. Wilderness areas are managed differently than BLM lands or other National Forest Lands. Be sure to read the signs at the trailhead to know what is and is not okay to do within wilderness boundaries.
Season: The trailhead for Black Crater is on Highway 242, which is closed from roughly November to May. Unless you are a strong and skilled skier/snowshoer, you will have to wait for the road to open in order to hike to the top. Snow may linger on the trail through spring.
Red tape: Beginning in summer 2020, you will need a limited entry permit in order to access Black Crater Trailhead. For more on how I feel about that, you’ll have to buy me a coffee.
Training: At roughly 7 miles round-trip and 2,200′ of elevation gain, Black Crater rates as a solidly moderate hike. You’ll be on a well-traveled trail from the car to the summit. The grade never gets terribly steep and it won’t take you all day long. That doesn’t mean you won’t huff and puff on your way up there, especially on a sunny, summer day. Prepare for this hike by accumulating lots of hill climbs around town. Hiking laps on Pilot Butte while carrying a pack is a great place to start.
Leave No Trace: Leave What You Find. Black Crater used to have a fire lookout at its summit. Traces of this structure, including glass, telegraph wire and nails, remains strewn about the mountaintop. Leave artifacts like these where you find them so that others can see the historical remains too.
Parting notes: You’ll get a good sense of the nature of Central Oregon’s volcanic landscape on Black Crater. Take note of the red cinder beneath your feet and the breathtaking mountain views from the barren summit. Look north to see the expansive lava flows surrounding McKenzie Pass. Do you see any other mountain summits that catch your fancy?
Maiden Peak
I used to hike Maiden Peak every winter as an overnight snowshoe backpacking trip. It’s a long trek as a dayhike, but you can shave some miles off the journey by hiking it after the snow has melted. Maiden Peak is a distinctive highpoint located near Willamette Pass that sneaked under most hikers’ radar until this list was developed. Now I hear about people taking this hike throughout the summer.
Season: Most hikers will enjoy a snow-free ascent between July and October, although it can be accessed “off season” with skis or snowshoes.
Red tape: None in the summer, Sno-Park permit required in winter.
Training: You’ll climb about 3000 vertical feet to the top of Maiden Peak, so hill training is a must.
Leave No Trace: Respect Wildlife. If you’re lucky, you’ll see some wildlife on your hike. But even if you don’t, remember that the forest is home to lots of animals; you’re just a visitor. Pack out your food waste, do not feed the animals and keep your dog under control. Off-leash dogs, while totally legal in this area, are still threatening and disruptive to wildlife (and possibly other hikers!). Be mindful that you share the forest with birds, mammals, insects, reptiles, plants and other humans.
Parting notes: Maiden Peak is gaining in popularity, but you’re not going to see a lot of people on this hike. It’s important to carry the ten essentials, know your route and be self-sufficient while recreating in more remote, less frequently traveled areas.
Mt. Bachelor
Mt. Bachelor is a 9,000′ volcano located in the heart of Central Oregon. While it buzzes with commercial activity year-round, the mountain is located on public land. The Mt. Bachelor Ski Area operates on a special use permit with the Deschutes National Forest. It is a mountain that changes personality dramatically throughout the seasons, and your preparation for this trip should take into account the time of year you plan to visit.
Season: Bachelor is open to hiking year-round, but during the long winter season you’ll need skis, snowshoes, avalanche awareness and winter safety skills in order to reach its summit. Remember, riding the Summit lift to the top doesn’t count for this challenge ;). Also, the actual highpoint is not the top of the Summit lift. Keep this in mind if you’re navigating in winter.
Red tape: You don’t need any lift passes or permits to access the mountain unless you are using the resort’s services or facilities. Be aware that the resort has an uphill policy for those attempting to reach the summit during the winter operating season.
Training: The hike to the top of Mt. Bachelor is relatively short, less than 6 miles for the longest route. But you’ll gain nearly a thousand feet per mile and travel over steep, rocky terrain (or VERY steep snowy terrain). Your cardiovascular conditioning is important for making this an enjoyable jaunt and not something to just get through. Hiking up Tumalo Mountain with a backpack is great warm-up training for this ascent. In summer, you can follow a marked trail to the top; in winter, the marked route ends halfway and you’re on your own after that. Either one takes you through sparsely treed alpine terrain. You’ll feel like you’re actually on a big mountain when you head up Mt. Bachelor, so be sure you are confident in your hiking skills before tackling this beast.
Leave No Trace: Be Considerate of Other Visitors. The first time I hiked up Mt. Bachelor, I had to listen to another group’s music blaring from their cell phone for half of the hike. Remember that you’re probably not the only one on the trail and it’s nice to be thoughtful of other people. A few etiquette guidelines and basic common sense makes this LNT principle one of the easiest to follow in theory (but in practice, the easiest to break). Here are a few tips:
- Let nature’s sounds prevail.
- Yield to uphill hikers.
- Mind your pet.
- Take breaks away from other visitors.
- For winter users: keep snowshoe tracks and ski tracks separate.
Parting notes: You won’t get a wilderness experience on the heavily developed Mt. Bachelor, but you will get some stunning views across the road to the actual wilderness, which will hopefully inspire some future outings.
South Sister
South Sister is arguably the most heavily visited mountain in the state of Oregon. At just over 10,000 feet tall, it is the easiest of the ten-thousand foot peaks in Oregon to get to. That being said, hiking to the top of South Sister is not “easy.” For mountaineers, it’s a training hike, but to most hikers, it’s the chance of a lifetime to stand atop its summit. I’ve written an entire page about training to hike South Sister, which you can read here. Continue below for some other tidbits and facts to know before you go.
Season: Most hikers visit South Sister during the summer and early fall, after most of the snow has melted.
Red tape: Beginning in summer 2020, you will need a limited entry permit in order to access trailheads at Devil’s Lake or Green Lakes. It pains me to write these words. Don’t even get me started about the permit system.
Training: See my Training to Hike South Sister post for all the nitty-gritty, as well as a list of hikes (including some of these!) that will help prepare you to get up safely. TL;DR: hike often, hike long days, hike on rocky terrain and for the love of God, hike UPHILL. The elevation gain is what destroys everyone on this hike. If you can hike 12 miles but you haven’t scrambled up steep scree fields, you’re going to hate this hike.
Leave No Trace: Dispose of Waste Properly. Here’s why this aggressive permit system has been put into place: people are not packing out their trash and poo. It’s that simple. When you enter the wilderness, you are taking on the responsibility to care for the land so that others may enjoy it on that day and in the future. If you do not take this responsibility seriously, we all pay the price. I implore you to get familiar with this and the other six principles of Leave No Trace and do your best to put them into practice. Hey, we all make mistakes. We’re all newbies once. But please take some time to reflect on your experiences and strive to do better each time. It takes very little effort to manage your waste and trash. If we all did that, we wouldn’t be looking at restricted access and onerous rules.
Parting notes: South Sister is truly a once in a lifetime hike. Everyone should be able to experience those majestic summit views after enduring the difficult hike to the top. However, it’s incredibly overcrowded much of the hiking season. If you’ve already done this hike, consider taking your backpack elsewhere. Leave it for all the people who have yet to cross South Sister off their bucket list. There’s no reason to hike South Sister 5 times a year. Give it a rest. There’s a whole world out there to explore, and you’ll learn much more by getting off the beaten path.
I love hiking in Central Oregon and I love helping others find their joy in hiking, too. What I learned last summer after volunteering as a trailhead host at Green Lakes is that there are a ton of people who crave exploration in the outdoors, but who have very little outdoor education and awareness. It has been my mission since then to spread the word about responsible outdoor recreation and giving back to public lands any chance I get. Please do get outside, but think beyond your own personal needs and experiences. These lands are for ALL of us to enjoy. Consider how your choices impact the future. Make it a priority to spend a little more time in the planning and research phase and aim to learn something new each time you go outdoors.
Happy trails! Got questions? Comments? Additions? Drop a comment below. See you in the outdoors…