7 Epic Oregon Mountain Summit Hikes: A Complete Guide

Oregon has dozens of amazing mountain summit hikes that are just considered walk ups. I spent the summer of 2020 checking off the 7 mountain summits I’m sharing below. They were all difficult in their own respect, but all are doable hikes. These summits are all over Oregon, from Southern Oregon all the way to Eastern Oregon, so there is something for everyone.

This post contains affiliate links, which can earn me a commission should you click a link and make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. Thank you in advance for your support!

Things to Know About Doing A Mountain Summit

Always practice Leave No Trace, especially in a fragile mountain terrain. Pack out all your trash, stay on trail to minimize your footprint and properly bury or carry out all human waste. The mountains have wildflower meadows in the summer. Do not walk in them or pick the flowers. It is illegal to pick wildflowers.

Always check the weather prior to summiting. Weather on a mountain can shift quickly and you do not want to be on it when that happens. Oregon is known for having summer thunderstorms in the mountains. If there is any chance of one the day you wish to go, do not attempt to summit.

Always pack layers on trail. It may be warm when you start hiking but cold and windy at the summit. Below is a list of extra layers I carry in my backpack:

• Down jacket
• Fleece
• Beanie
• Gloves
• Pants

Best Time of Year for Oregon Mountain Summits

None of these peaks are overly technical climbs, but you should still be mindful of when you climb them. These peaks will all have snow until mid-July on an average year, so you shouldn’t summit before then unless you have proper winter climbing gear. Mid-July to September will be the best time to attempt any of these summit hikes. Always check the trail conditions before hiking because they will be different every year.

7 Epic Oregon Mountain Summits

Below are 7 amazing Oregon’ mountains to add to your summit list. Some of these Oregon mountains will be easier than others, so be sure to read what to expect and the difficulty level of each one first.

Mt. Bachelor

The trail for this starts at Sunrise Lodge, which is actually closed in the summer. You will park on the side of Cascade Lakes Highway next to the resort gates and walk to the trail, located to the right of the ski lifts. There are a lot of trails and road interchanging through this section, so having a map to help you navigate will be extremely helpful. The main trail will start through the trees, not a ski run.

The trail is pretty narrow, but there were only a dozen people on it the entire time I was up there, which was nice! The trail will eventually pop out of the tree line and start going over lava rock fields but is easy to follow the entire way up. There is a ski lift to the right of the trail this entire section as well as amazing views of the three sisters. As you near the final ski lift building the trail will cross over to the right of the ski lifts.

Many people stop here just at the top of the lifts, but this is not technically the summit, it is the false summit. There was a small snowfield behind the lift to the left that I had to cross, but it could be seasonal. You will continue around the back side before popping out on the summit, where the views are even better.

This hike is mostly exposed to the elements so pack plenty of sun protection. There is also no water source on trail so you will need to carry adequate water.

South Sister

Summiting South Sister was actually my very first backpacking trip in college. I went with my parents and borrowed one of my dad’s old packs. I’ll just say it was a total disaster of a trip and it’s a bit of a miracle I love backpacking so much after that experience. It’s safe to say we didn’t summit that year. Luckily I gave it another go years later as a day hike and was able to bag it.

If you want to attempt this mountain summit you need to begin hiking extremely early to avoid the heat of the day. This hike is fully exposed after the the first 1.7 miles and if you’re not heading back down before noon, it will make the hike a lot more difficult. I began this hike at 3:30am and was about a mile from the summit when the sun rose. I’m an extremely quick hiker so if you want to summit South Sister for sunrise you will need to begin much earlier than I did.

Many people choose to backpack up to Moraine Lake and then summit from camp. You will also need to obtain a permit for backpacking. Moraine lake it located about 2 miles up the trail, just after leaving the tree line. You can see the lake below from the trail to the right. It has amazing views of South Sister, but it is a drop down, so you will have to climb back up to the trail to summit.

Once you leave the tree line there is roughly a mile of flat, sandy trail. There are very few trees to seek shelter under through here but the flat trail is a nice break before the final climb. Once you begin climbing again it is a constant climb to the summit. The trail is a mix of sand and rocks until you reach Lewis Tam, a small alpine lake where you can resupply your water with a water filter. This is a great spot to add layers on if you can tell it’s starting to get cold and windy, because shortly after this point the wind will really pick up if it’s windy and you’ll get cold fast.

Once you leave Lewis Tam the trail becomes difficult. It is very loose scree so for every step you take your slip back half a step. The elevation starts to become noticeable while breathing and chances are you’ll be tired. When you reach the top of this .8 miles climb, you will reach the false summit. From there you can walk straight across the ice field inside the crater or walk the edge of the crater around to the right. Once you reach the summit you will have the most amazing view of Central Oregon and the neighboring cascade mountains. This is without a doubt my favorite mountain summit in Oregon. The views are absolutely breathtaking.

The trek back down is not an easy one on the knees. It’s steep and you will slide a lot with the loose scree. I would highly recommend bringing hiking poles and if you have them some sort of gaiters to prevent rocks from getting in your shoes. The trail is easy to follow back down and chances are you’ll see a line of people working their way up.

Mount McLoughlin

This mountain summit hike is absolutely amazing, but probably the most difficult to navigate. I would not recommend doing this one unless you are a more experienced climber and you go prepared. The afternoon before I had planned to attempt to summit I arrive at the trailhead to camp only to find out the trail would actually be closed the next day for construction. I knew I wanted to still attempt it which meant I needed to throw my gear together quickly and go for a sunset hike.

The first few miles of the hike are really quite flat considering there is a mountain summit involved. The trail will quickly merge with the PCT before breaking off again after a few miles. Once the trail begins climbing you will not have a break. This trail has a lot of rocks to climb over, so my feet were pretty tired by the end. There are a lot of switchbacks on the way up and as you climb they can become harder to follow. Someone went through and placed white paint dots along the trail. Although I don’t support going out and painting the trail, I did find it helpful, especially on the way down in the dark!

Once you get above the tree line there is a lot of scrambling and the trail is honestly extremely difficult to follow. I had to stop every few hundred feet to check the All Trails map to make sure I was even on the trail still. This hike exhausted me more than any of the summit hikes I’m sharing about because the trail is a mix of loose scree and large boulders I had to climb over and under. It also isn’t the easiest to follow which can be mentally draining.

When you reach the summit you will have an amazing view of Southern Oregon from the summit. Going back down is when the hike truly becomes difficult. It is extremely important to always stay on the ridge and keep Klamath Lake in view. If you go too far to the right on the way down, you’ll end up off trail and it is very difficult to navigate.

Going to far off trail to the right will cause you to end up on a very steep, loose scree mountain side where maintaining footing is difficult. People need rescuing every year from getting stuck or lost on that side of the trail, so always keep the lake in your view. If you can’t see it you are not on trail.

Once you’re able to get back down by the treeline, the trail is very easy to follow again. Do not attempt this hike without a pre downloaded offline digital map. You will want to check your location multiple times and will definitely need it if you accidentally go too far to the right on the way down. It doesn’t take much on this trail to end up off trail, so go prepared.

Steens Mountain

This will be the easiest mountain summit you will ever do, and won’t require any major effort besides a long drive. The drive out here is extremely long and doesn’t have any exciting landscapes. It’s just miles of cattle land. As you near the summit the road will open up to stunning canyons below. The road will reach a dead end at the trailhead to the Steens Mountain summit.

From the parking lot you will walk up a service road, which leads to the summit and a research facility that has building and large antenas. It honestly doesn’t even feel like a summit hike because of how short it is and that you’re sharing the summit with buildings. Despite it being an easy, mile round trip hike it is difficult on the lungs. You will still feel the impact of the elevation hiking up the road. The summit views are stunning as well! They overlook Wildhorse Lake to the west and Alvord Desert to the East.

The Steens Mountains are such a beautiful place to explore and if you can, you should try and spend a few days out there. You can read my “Steens Mountains” guide to learn more about the trails, camping options and viewpoints the area has to offer.

Strawberry Mountain

This trailhead is located next to a campground and has very little parking options, so go early! I started hiking in the dark to get up early and beat the heat since it was supposed to be near 100 degrees that day. The hike is a gradual climb from the beginning. You’ll go about two miles to Strawberry Lake where you’ll get the first views of the mountains over the lake. Many people backpack to the lake, but know it can be very crowded during the day.

The trail splits shortly after reaching the lake and you can take either trail. I continued on the one that was at the edge of the lake to the right. Unfortunately I didn’t pay attention when the trail split to the left again and kept walking. I started to go around the lake and luckily knew I went too far quickly. When I got back to the split I noticed the sign said “Little Strawberry Lake.” You’ll want to head towards Little Strawberry Lake and Falls.

Once you reach the falls you will cross a bridge at the top. After crossing the bridge, the trail to Little Strawberry Lake will be to the left. I continued on the trail. The trail continues to climb, with beautiful views of the lake below, until the top of the ridge. This area levels out briefly and is filled with beautiful wildflower fields.

As you begin to leave the meadow you will notice the canyon wall ahead. The trail will take you up to the top of the ridge, and I found this section to be the hardest part. Once you reach the top of that ridge the trail will take you across a large rock field that crosses the face of the mountain. It’s a relatively gradual climb from here to the last .5 miles to the summit. The trail to the summit continues with small switchbacks over rocks.

The views at the top are amazing but be warned the bugs can be bad. They were rather pesky when I made my summit climb. You can learn more about this hike on my “Strawberry Mountain Wilderness” guide. Be sure to check it out and learn how to hike to Little Strawberry Lake on this hike as well.

Mt. Thielsen

I’m going to start by saying Mt Theissen should not be attempted unless you have some rope experience. It is rated as a class IV to 5.1 scramble but is not considered technical. With that said there have been many fatalities on this mountain due to it’s difficulty and dangers at the summit. I made the summit without roping in, but had zero intentions of doing so knowing prior how risky the last 80 feet were. It is highly recommended to only summit if you rope in because the summit sits on top of an 80 foot rock pile with vertical climbing.

This mountain summit is such an interesting climb and exhausting, but so rewarding. I actually backpacked half way up and had an amazing campsite view of the mountain, but most people day hike it. The parking lot at the trailhead is relatively small so it could be difficult to find a parking spot on the weekends.

The trail begins begins through the forest and recovering burns areas before hitting the PCT junction, which is 3.6 miles in. If you want to backpack in like I did, there are multiple campsites just before the PCT to the left of the trail, up on the ridge. After leaving the PCT junction the trail continues up the ridge. As the trail leaves the tree line, it becomes much more difficult.

There are large slabs of loose rock you have to maneuver over, and they all move. The farther up the trail you go, the looser the rock is, causing you to slip and lose footing. There is a lot more scrambling as the trail approaches Chicken Ledge, the backside of the mountain just below the mountain summit.

Chicken Ledge is an amazing spot and where a lot of people stop to turn around. It is highly recommend you rope in to finish the climb. I only made it to the summit because as I was sitting on Chicken Ledge enjoying the views I began talking to an experienced climber who was able to call out the safest route up for me. If you decide to take the risk and go without ropes, please do so with extreme caution and be fully aware of the risk you’re taking.

This area is known for thunderstorms and getting hit with lighting. Never attempt a summit if there is a thunderstorm in the forecast and be prepared to turn around if cumulus clouds begin to form.

Eagle Cap

This mountain summit is in one of my favorite places in Oregon, The Wallowas! This wilderness area is filled with mountain peaks and alpine lakes. Most people hiking here are backpacking because it is such a long day hike. There are dozens of alpine lakes and trails to explore besides this summit hike as well.

The parking lot at the Two Pan trailhead is extremely busy so get to the trail early if you can and be prepared to walk a ways to the trailhead. If you can go on a weekday you will have the best chance of getting a break from the crowds. The trail to Eagle Cap also has snow until at least August and will get more snow by September so plan accordingly if you go any month other than August.

The trail goes about 2.5 miles uphill before you reach a large meadow. The meadow is another 1-2 miles of relatively flat terrain before the final climb to Mirror Lake. The trail to Eagle Cap breaks off to the right before you reach Mirror Lake and quickly begins to gain elevation. It is a steep climb up some switchbacks before you hit the Horton Pass junction.

From the junction you will continue straight up the trail where you will go up Horton Ridge and head to the southwest side of the mountain. You’ll know you’re nearing the summit when you begin walking through some short tree growth right along the trail. The trail also levels just before the summit. From the top you have a stunning view of Matterhorn and Sacajawea to one side and Glacier Lake on the other side. I could have stayed at the summit all day looking at the never ending mountain ranges. It is absolutely stunning!

You can learn more about this backpacking hike through my “Eagle Cap Wilderness” blog post. I’ll share more trail details and what alpine lakes you can explore in the area.

What to Bring on an Oregon Mountain Summit

• It’s important to always pack layers on trail, especially on a summit hike. It may be warm when you start hiking but cold and windy at the summit. Below is a list of extra layers I carry in my backpack:
  • Down jacket
  • Fleece
  • Beanie
  • Gloves
  • Pants

• Water, water, water! It‘a so important to have an appropriate amount of water. You should consume a liter for every 2 hours of hiking. A small water bottle or a shared water supply will not be enough. If you have one, bring a water filter to resupply.

• Proper shoes are so important for these hikes. Hiking boots are best because they provide ankle support. These trails have loose scree and boulders and you don’t want to twist an ankle preventing you from getting off by yourself. Another option is trail runners, which will allow your feet to breath well. If you wear these on any of these hikes you may want to wear small gaiters to keep sand and small rocks out of your shoes.

• Always carry the 10 essentials in your backpack. Learn more about these items in my “The 10 Essentials” guide.
  1. Navigation
  2. Headlamp
  3. Sun protection
  4. Extra food 
  5. First aid 
  6. Knife 
  7. Extra water 
  8. Fire 
  9. Shelter 
  10. Extra clothes 

• Every hiker should be carrying their own backpack and the items listed above.

• If you’re able to, purchase and carry a satellite communicate on device. This will allow you to communicate with family but also request search and rescue if you fall or get injured on trail. I use a Garmin Inreach mini and love it.

Oregon Mountain Summit Hike Reminders

• If the mountain you are wanting to climb requires any technical knowledge or equipment and you don’t have it, do not attempt the climb. You should never attempt a summit if you are not well prepared and knowledgeable on the conditions and necessary safety gear.

• Be respectful of your fellow hikers. Everyone hikes at a different pace, especially on a difficult mountain summit. Let faster hikers pass and if you’re a faster hiker, kindly ask to pass slower hikers.

• Know before you go! Always know what weather you will encounter and what conditions the trail are in prior to starting your hike.

• Always carry a downloaded, offline map. You won’t always have cell service on trail and if you need to check your location. You can use apps like Gaia and Alltrails

• Stay hydrated and well fueled. You will be exerting yourself a lot on these hikes. You need to consume a lot of water, especially if it’s warm. Pack electrolytes to help keep you hydrated and snack to fuel your body.

Whether you have summited dozens of mountains or are wanting to go for you first summit, I hope this blog post has helped you find some great Oregon hikes and educate you on the way. There is nothing more rewarding than working through the mental and physical fatigue and reaching the top of a mountain. The views are stunning and worth the climb!

Like it? Pin it!

Other Oregon Guides

5 Must-Hike Central Oregon Viewpoints

Seven Wonders of Oregon: The Ultimate Guide to Oregon’s Most Epic Places

Central Oregon Larches: The Ultimate Guide on Where to Find Them

The Best Unique Rock Formations throughout Oregon