Oregon Butte

Hike to a restored lookout with sweeping views of ridges and canyons, meadows, wildflowers, and wildlife along Oregon Butte Trail in Washington's Blue Mountains and the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness.

getting there

Drive west on US 12 from Pomeroy 4.5 miles to Tatman Mountain Road. Turn left and drive 9 miles to Tucannon River Road. Turn left (south) and drive 11 miles on Tucannon River Road which becomes Forest Road 47. Turn right onto Forest Road 4620 (Patrick Grade Road) and continue 4.1 miles to its junction with Country Road 1424 (Kendall Skyline Road). Drive south on Country Road 1424 which becomes Forest Road 46 for 11.6 miles. Tun left onto Forest Road 4608 and follow it for 5.8 miles to the road's end ad the Teepee Campground (5,500 ft).

on the trail

day hiking

Hike from the Teepee Campground via West Butte to the Oregon Butte Lookout. It's 6.1 miles round trip with 800 feet of elevation gain.

Side trips

  • From Oregon Butte hike the Smooth Ridge Trail south to Danger Point (5,461 ft) and enjoy views of the canyon. This adds 3.8 miles ad 1,000 feet of elevation gain.
  • Hike north along Mount Misery Trail's high ridges to Indian Corral (5,700 ft). It adds 6.6 miles and 700 feet of elevation gain.  

backpacking

There are excellent campsites and reliable springs near Oregon Butte and Indian Corral that make for  good in-and-out backpacking options.  Also consider backpacking the loop from west from Indian Coral along Panjab Creek to Turkey Creek and then south back to Teepee Campground. It's 17.4 miles with 3,400 feet of elevation gain.

Map:  USGS Oregon Butte

notes

  • Enjoy spectacular flower displays  and views of lingering snowfields in June.
  • It's usually best to avoid July and August, because of the heat. Temperatures during the day are often 90°F and hotter.
  • Enjoy golden larches in the fall, but beware of he many hunters that will be in the area.
  • Suitable Activities: Backpacking, Day Hiking
  • Seasons: June, July, August, September, October, November
  • Weather: View weather forecast
  • Difficulty: Moderate
  • Length: 17.4 mi
  • Elevation Gain: 3,400 ft
  • 6,387 ft
  • Land Manager: Umatilla National Forest
    Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness, Pomeroy Ranger District (UNF)
  • Parking Permit Required: Northwest Forest Pass
  • Recommended Party Size: 6
  • Maximum Party Size: 12
  • Maximum Route/Place Capacity: 12
Map
  • USFS Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness
  • USGS Oregon Butte
  • USGS Panjab Creek
Activities

Upcoming Activities

Day Hike - Oregon Butte

Naturalist Trip
Enjoy extremely abundant and wide variety of subalpine wildflowers, birds, butterflies and more along Oregon
Difficulty: Moderate
Sun, Jun 16, 2024 - Tue, Jun 18, 2024
No Prerequisites, Leader's Permission Required
8 participants 1 leader
Registration closes Jun 10
Seattle Branch
Linda Moore

Backpack - Oregon Butte

Backpacking Trip
Enjoy varied terrain from Oregon Butte trailhead to lower Panjab Creek through flower studded subalpine
Difficulty: Moderate
Sun, Jun 23, 2024 - Tue, Jun 25, 2024
No Prerequisites, Leader's Permission Required
4 participants
Registration closes Jun 21
Seattle Branch
Linda Moore
Trip Reports
Titles

This is a list of titles that represent the variations of trips you can take at this route/place. This includes side trips, extensions and peak combinations. Not seeing a title that fits your trip? Log in and send us updates, images, or resources.

  • Oregon Butte Lookout
  • Oregon Butte Lookout & Danger Point
  • Danger Point
  • Smooth Ridge to Danger Point
  • Oregon Butte Lookout & Indian Corral
  • Indian Corral
  • Misery Trail to Indian Corral
  • Oregon Butte Lookout, Danger Point & Indian Corral
Resources

There are no resources for this route/place. Log in and send us updates, images, or resources.