Hike 54: Olallie Butte

Distance: 7.4 miles out and back

Elevation Gain: 2,600 feet

Trailhead elevation: 4,648 feet

Trail high point: 7,207 feet

Season: July - October

Best: July - October

Permit: None needed

On the traditional and current lands of: the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs


Directions from Portland:

  • From Estacada, drive southeast on OR 224 approximately 25 miles to the Ripplebrook Guard Station.

  • A short distance after Ripplebrook, OR 224 becomes FR 46 at a junction with FR 57. Continue straight (right) on FR 46.

  • Drive another 22.3 miles on FR 46 to a junction with the Olallie Lake Road (FR 4690) – you will notice that “Olallie” is painted on the road with an arrow to mark the direction.

  • Turn left here onto FR 4690 and drive 6.1 miles of narrow pavement and another 1.9 miles of rocky gravel to a junction with the Skyline Road, FR 4220.

  • Turn right here and drive 2.6 gravel miles to a clearing under some high-tension wires.

  • Park on either side of the road here. The trailhead is on the left side of the road, at a paper sign.

Directions from Salem:

  • From Salem, drive OR 22 east approximately 49 miles to Detroit.

  • Turn left at a sign for Breitenbush, Elk Lake and Olallie Lake onto FR 46.

  • Drive 16.6 miles on FR 46 to a pass where you enter the Mount Hood National Forest.

  • Continue another 6.6 miles (for a total of 23.2 miles from Detroit) to a junction with FR 4690 on your right, signed for Olallie Lake.

  • Turn right onto FR 4690 and drive 6.1 miles of narrow pavement and another 1.9 miles of rocky gravel to a junction with the Skyline Road, FR 4220.

  • Turn right here and drive 2.6 gravel miles to a clearing under some high-tension wires.

  • Park on either side of the road here. The trailhead is on the left side of the road, at a paper sign.

Disclaimer: This information is intended for public use; as this hike passes into the Warm Springs Reservation, access to this area can be revoked at any time. As of this writing it is unclear if hiking is allowed on the Olallie Butte Trail, but this seems to be a gray area that is tolerated as the trailhead is on Forest Service land. Please follow all tribal rules and regulations, and should this trail be closed, please respect the closure. If the Warm Springs wishes that I remove this description and hike, please contact me and I will be happy to remove it.

Hike: The view from the summit of Olallie Butte, the highest point between Mount Hood and Mount Jefferson, is among the best in the state – on a clear day you can see the entirety of northwest Oregon, with the star attraction being a face-to-face view of Mount Jefferson. The trail to the summit is a breeze despite its large elevation gain, and is never steep at any point as it switchbacks gradually up through ancient forest on its way to the summit crater. There is, however a monumental catch: at 1.5 miles the trail enters the Warm Springs Reservation, and it is unclear whether or not you are allowed to continue.

The view from the summit of Olallie Butte seems to stretch on forever.

Indeed, a sign at the trailhead reads “Warm Springs Reservation Ahead – Hike at Your Own Risk!” The trail is well-maintained as it climbs up the gradual slopes of Olallie Butte. After a short distance, cross the Pacific Crest Trail at an unsigned junction and continue hiking uphill. You will have occasional glimpses north to Mount Hood, but otherwise the trail stays in the forest almost the entire way to the summit. The 2020 fires passed over Olallie Butte, burning parts of this trail and leaving others as peaceful and beautiful as ever. At 1.5 miles, the trail enters the Warm Springs Reservation. As mentioned, it is not clear whether this trail is open to non-tribal members. In general, the Warm Springs do not allow access to their land anywhere other than a handful of lakes. That being said, the Warm Springs are usually very clear about not allowing access to places – if they do not want non-tribal members to go somewhere, they will put up yellow “No Trespassing” signs. I did not see any such sign and thus continued my hike; if you see a no-trespassing sign, turn around at the boundary and go somewhere else.

The remains of the old lookout tower on Olallie Butte’s summit.

From the reservation boundary, the trail continues its gradual uphill. The forest here is beautiful and the trail mostly very well-maintained even after the fires. At about 3 miles from the trailhead, at an elevation of about 6,500 feet of elevation, the trail begins to break out of the forest and the views become increasingly fantastic. Reach the summit at 3.7 miles and rejoice – the view is simply incredible! Mount Jefferson towers above the fire-scarred and lake-dotted Olallie plateau. This is the best place to see and take in the true extent of the devastation from the 2020 fires (and previous fires), as a once green landscape stretching out below is now mostly a sea of snags. The view is still stunning, though. To the left of Mount Jefferson are the Three Sisters and Broken Top. To the east is central Oregon, stretching out as far as the eyes can see. Keen eyes can even pick out Smith Rock if you know where to look. To the north is Mount Hood and Washington’s volcanoes. To the west lies the rumpled quilt of the Old Cascades, from Table Rock to Iron Mountain. This is, without a doubt, the most wide-reaching view found in this book.

Take some time to explore the summit. On the northern end of the summit is the collapsed remains of Olallie Butte’s lookout tower, abandoned in 1967. The summit is huge and offers a number of different perspectives, not just of the mountains but also the butte itself. Please remember though – you are on Warm Springs land. Do not start a fire, do not camp, and do not venture far off-trail. This trail can be closed at any time, for any reason the Warm Springs see fit. Return the way you came.