Trip Report
McClellan Butte
McClellan Butte is a great 11 mi/3500+ft hike this time of year with a few snow patches and a snow bridge left on the last 1/3 of the summit approach with a great short low Class 3 scramble at the top. The main trail is accessible to all hikers in good shape, while the summit scramble is accessible to most scramblers during dry conditions.
Taylor Robinson
- Fri, Jun 27, 2025
- McClellan Butte
- Scrambling & Day Hiking
- Successful
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- Road suitable for all vehicles
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Route Conditions: the trail up McClellan Butte remains in great shape - there are a couple of blowdowns and a couple areas that are a bit brushy but otherwise the trail is clear.
Of note, of the three stream crossings between 3500-4500 ft, the first has a tiny remnant of snow that will be completely melted out in a few days. The second, however, has a remnant of a snow bridge that requires a bit of work to get up, though completely doable with microspikes or by kicking steps. I don't think you need an ice axe at this point, as a fall would more likely be annoying than dangerous. Should be melted out in the next several weeks.
Second creek snow bridge There are frequent patches of snow for the last 0.5 miles of the trail above 4800ft on the back side of the mountain - I counted 10 in total, 2 or 3 of which are >50 feet and a couple are moderately steep. Would recommend bringing microspikes as a backup, though depending on your comfort level, you may not need to use them, as the snow is quite soft and easy to stomp/kick steps into. Freezing is a low risk as it was a relatively cold day today 40F at the summit at 12p, but we still didn't have freezing temperatures.
Largest of the snow patches on the backside of the summit approach
Driving/parking: The road to the trailhead is right off I-90, it's dirt for <1 mile with a couple of potholes, but accessible by any vehicle. A national forest service permit is required to park (not a Discover Pass). I arrived at 8:30 am and saw only 2 cars at the trailhead.
Weather: You'd be forgiven for thinking you were in the middle of the shoulder season, not the beginning of summer, as the hike was incessantly cool to cold, rainy, and misty. I was drizzled on the whole hike, including at the very misty summit block. Temperature was low 50F at the base and probably low 40s at the summit. Wind was less than 5 knots most of the time with gusts approaching 5 knots.
Trip stats: Distance is ~11 miles including the scramble at the top, which involves only the last ~120 ft of elevation. The total elevation per Gaia was 3700 ft. My total duration was approximately 4 hours 40 minutes, of which 50 minutes were stopped for a moving time of ~4 hours.
Summit scramble: The scramble involves the final summit push and spans somewhere between 115-140 ft of elevation depending on what map you believe. The first section is the most difficult, then it gets easier from there. The exposed first section has good handholds and multiple clearly defined route options, some of which appear to have been carved into the rock. There is however a large amount of exposure, and I would rate the first section, which lasts ~60-70ft of elevation, as a YDS 3.0 scramble. I completed it in the mist when the rocks were wet without much difficulty - the surface is quite grippy, even when wet. However if your risk tolerance is on the lower side, it would probably be best to wait until a dry day as a slip is almost certain to lead to significant injury. All in all, it's similar to the scramble up the Haystack at the top of Si. As with all Class 3 scrambles, strongly recommend having a helmet!
Gear: as I mentioned earlier, would bring microspikes +/- hiking poles given the snow and significant elevation gain. I did not feel that an ice axe is necessary given the relatively low consequence snow patches. Recommend a helmet if you're attempting the summit block scramble.
Food/water: I brought 2.5L of water which was just enough for me. The streams are low currently given most of the melt has already occurred, but you could conceivably get a bit of water to filter from them at about 3500-4000 ft. I didn't bring any food, which was dumb.
Other people: Passed 5 or 6 groups on the way down, but I was the first to summit for the day (at least as far as I am aware). Not too busy on this rainy cold summer day.
Details: Not much wildlife to speak of other than a few birds and a couple of squirrels at the lower levels. I did get to meet Lyle, a fellow Mountaineer, at the top, who has led me through more than one scramble in the past. We had a great catch-up and discussed the stupidity of doing the scramble in the rain - if you read this, it great seeing you Lyle!