This hike is hidden deep inside the Willamette National Forest. It is TOUGH and you really earn the summit view - a mountaintop vista where you can practically reach out and touch the peak of Mount Jefferson.
We didn’t have a clear plan going into this hike, just a crudely printed map from our campground at Detroit Lake. After driving through some terrifying mountain gravel roads, winding higher and higher with the forest plunging to unimaginable depths just off the road, we found ourselves the lone hikers on a pretty challenging trail with very little signage.
We kept thinking, “Okay, the summit must be just around this bend,” and it NEVER WAS.
Until, of course, it finally was. And of course, it was totally worth it.
The trail ends in a clearing high above the treetops. The peak of Mount Jefferson rises unfathomably large and sharp before you, with a panorama of mountain ridges in all directions. In the middle of summer, staring across a horizon of craggy mountain tops, it felt very surreal – like we were observing the high desert landscape of another planet. Quiet, isolated, and so freakin' high.
From here, you can take another trail to Boca Cave, which has another stunning view of Mount Jefferson, perfectly framed by the edges of the cave.
As usual for us, dusk was falling fast and we were exhausted, so we headed back as quickly as possible to avoid hiking (and likely getting lost) in the dark.
Distance from PDX: 2 hours 10 min / 110 miles
Length: 3 miles roundtrip (out and back)
Difficulty: Freakin’ difficult
Elevation gain: 1,300 feet
Note: This hike is very close to Detroit Lake, an awesome kayaking destination!
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