Pilot Butte

Pilot Butte from the State Park Trailhead

Pilot Butte is a lovely little Oregon State Park right in the middle of suburban Bend. Bend is in the high desert of Oregon and the high desert is basically this huge (and deep) lava bed. Perhaps better described as many different eras of lava beds that have flowed over one another over the years. So, the terrain viewed at a distance is all flat, but viewed up close is all a jumble of broken lava rock. Pilot Butte is one of many cinder cones from where the lava flows bubbled out of the earth back in the most recent flow times. As such, the Butte pops up out of the flat terrain of Bend in this beautiful round symetric cone that can be seen from pretty much anywhere in the city and from which you can (conversely) see the entire city.

My partner and I are in Bend for a week long vacation and were looking for a place to hike where we could get some exercise, get a view (on our one sunny day), and be gentle to my poor Knee, which has been acting up the past month (may be about time for a new one….).

So to Pilot Butte we go.

It isn’t hard to find the place, just drive toward that big thing sticking up over there. The park entrance itself is a bit hidden behind some condos and a nice office park, but there are signs to follow. I bet that on a nice summer day, the little park is swamped, but today, even in the sunshine, the 30 degree temperature is probably limiting the crowds. 

Snow pretty much all the way up

You start getting a view right away.





There is a few inches of snow on the ground in Bend this end of January day, but the sun is out and shiny and the wind isn’t blowing too

badly, and we have plenty of jackets and other gear. We put on our “tire chains”. That is what we call the wire and metal slip guards you can wear on your boots to give you a grip on ice and packed snow. They make a HUGE difference, especially if you are not as young as you used to be and a little concerned about taking a fall.

So, up the hill we went. What a cool hike. There are actually 2 paths that go up the hill. The hiking trail and the “road” (which is shared by Cars, Pedestrians, and bikers). They both wind up counter clockwise and only intersect at the very top. So we hiked up the mile or so long trail and never even saw the road until we crossed it at the very summit.




Looking West to the Cascades


The trail is wide and well maintained. Today it was all covered in snow, which added to the beauty. After just 5 minutes of walking, you are suddenly above the height of the surrounding condos and the scenery opens up immediately. Wow, what a view, the big open plains of the high desert, dotted with occasional butte and cinder cone and then off in the distance, in all directions, various snow topped mountains (or larger buttes).

Powell Butte (no relation)


The rotational period of the trail is pretty much 1/hike. That is, you go around the butte one time on your climb to the top, which is an elevation gain of about 470 feet and a linear distance of about a mile. So you get a nice view of the entire panorama on your way up. The butte itself, by the way, is just a mound of dirt covered with juniper bushes. I think the view of the surrounding high desert is the pull here.

And now for some history:

Depending on who you trust, Pilot Butte was formed during a volcanic eruption about 200,000 to 800,000 years ago. That is pretty old compared to some of the other lava flows in the area. The lava field just South of Bend, for instance, is only around 10,000 years old. It is pretty cool too, you can see on a map how the lava flowed into the Deschutes river and changed the course of the river. (perhaps click here and take a look). After that eruption, the Butte did nothing but erode for a few hundred thousand years until it was donated to the state of Oregon by the Foley family in 1928. It is currently one of only 4 volcanos that are inside of an American City (another one is in Portland).

Peak Finder in the Middle on Top

The Top is a big round flat space. Great View.





Hard to believe that there aren’t more cities that want desperately to have their own Volcano.

Covid Comment:

We did this hike during the Covid Pandemic. Masks are currently required on the trail (and in most state parks). Most people were complying and everyone was thoughtful about personal distancing. The driving road to the summit is currently closed, not sure if that is a covid thing or just a winter a snow thing.