Pets allowed
Allowed
Elevation Gain
2,600.00 ft (792.48 m)
Trail type
There-and-back
Distance
8.40 mi (13.52 km)
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

If it’s late spring or early summer and you’ve already hiked Hamilton Mountain and Dog Mountain, then this should be your next wildflower-seeking adventure.  Bald Butte, once the setting of a lookout tower, sits along Surveyors Ridge, a fault line that makes up the eastern edge of the Hood River Valley.  Besides the jaw-dropping views of Mount Hood, Bald Butte (like Dog Mountain) is located in an ecological transition zone where moist marine air from the west collides with dry continental winds from the east, making it a perfect home for a diverse population of flora. Beyond the obvious stands of yellow arrowleaf balsamroot and lupine, wildflowers throughout the hike include leafy peavine, red columbine, star Solomon’s seal, wild strawberry, and red-flowering currant.  The only downside to the hike is the major transmission lines you’ll have to pass under in order to get to the butte’s summit.  Once under the lines, the trail transitions into a four-wheel drive road simply heading up hill.  From the summit, the flowery meadow offers views not only of nearby Mount Hood, but also of Mount St. Helens, Mount Rainier and Mount Adams.

 

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Spring
Summer

Congestion

Moderate

Parking Pass

Not Required

Pros

Wildflowers. Incredible views of Mount Hood.

Cons

Trail passes under transmission lines.

Trailhead Elevation

1,700.00 ft (518.16 m)

Features

Big vistas
Wildflowers

Typically multi-day

No

Suitable for

Biking

Location

Nearby Lodging + Camping

Comments

05/11/2019
The views of Mt. Hood were amazing and wildflowers are blooming adding to the beauty of this hike! There were a couple of trees down and you can get around them but be careful as one hiker was injured pretty good.
09/06/2014
Hot sun, great views of Mt. Hood and Hood River farmland. Nice shade in the beginning and middle. Hikers that past us later claimed to have seen a mommy bear and cub, but everyone escaped fine and we didn't encounter the pair. Some nice mt bikers having fun. Great switchbacks for those who like to climb. Only a few other people the whole time. First time, but won't be the last;)
04/30/2014
Nice hike. Great views. Many wildflowers were in bloom. There were a handful of cars and trucks using the jeep trails that this trail crosses. None were marked as official vehicles. There were guys in vehicles firing off very loud guns at the point where the jeep trail and the hiking trail meet as it crosses under the transmission lines. It was disconcerting.
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