Search routes & places
Placeholder Routes & Places


Log in and send us updates, images and resources

Gearhart Mountain

A moderately strenuous day hike or backpack to Dairy Creek Meadows and Gearhart Mountain. It's up to 12 miles round trip and 1,920 feet of elevation gain. Gearhart Mountain is an ancient shield volcano located in the Gearhart Mountain Wilderness near Bly in south central Oregon.

getting there

From OR-140 in Bly (51 miles east of Klamath Falls and 43 miles west of Lakeview), drive 1.5 miles east on OR-140, turn left onto Campbell Road and drive 0.6 mile to junction. Turn right onto Forest Road 34, drive 14.9 miles, and then turn left onto Forest Road 012. Follow the signs to Corral Creek Campground and then continue 1.5 miles to the trailhead (6,400 ft). 

on the trail

Hike the Lookout Rock Trail to Dairy Creek Meadows and the Notch, an 8,120 ft pass, near the Gearhart Mountain summit. Along the trail, look for interesting rock formations (Lookout Rock, The Palisades, and The Dome), seasonal wildflowers, stands of conifers, and quaking aspens. 

There are good campsites at Dairy Creek Meadows near the Gearhart Mountain summit and car camping in the Corral Creek Campground 1.5 miles from the trailhead.

If time and interest are in supply, hike an added 2.8 miles to Blue Lake on north side of Gearhart Mountain, 4 miles beyond The Notch.

notes

  • Guidebook:  100 Hikes / Travel Guide: Eastern Oregon, 3rd ed. by William L. Sullivan (Navillus Press 2015).
  • Suitable Activities: Backpacking, Day Hiking
  • Seasons: June, July, August, September, October
  • Weather: View weather forecast
  • Difficulty: Moderate/Strenuous
  • Length: 12.0 mi
  • Elevation Gain: 1,920 ft
  • 8,370 ft
Map
  • USGS Sandhill Crossing, OR
  • USGS Lee Thomas Crossing, OR
  • USGS Gearhart Mountain, OR
  • USGS Campbell Reservoir, OR
  • The Oregon Outback (Pacific Northwest Recreation Map Series)
Activities
Trip Reports
Resources

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