Elevation Gain
720.00 ft (219.46 m)
Trail type
There-and-back
Distance
3.60 mi (5.79 km)
Warming hut
No
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Few destinations offer such expansive vistas for skiers and snowshoers with such little effort. The Vista Butte Trail is a relatively quick, 1.8 mile, 720-foot ascent through a thin forest of lodgepole pines and white firs. From the 6,619-foot summit you'll have excellent views of the closer peaks: Mount Bachelor, Tumalo Mountain, South Sister and Broken Top; on clear days, however, you'll also see as far south as Diamond Peak, Mount Thielsen, and Crater Lake's Mount Scott.

 

For a longer trip, take the Ridge Trail from the Swampy Lakes Sno-Park in lieu of the Vista Butte Sno-Park. The Ridge Trail will branch off onto the Butte Trail, totaling 7 miles round-trip. In addition to more exercise, this longer route provides a little scenic diversity.

 

Logistics + Planning

Congestion

High

Parking Pass

Sno-Park Parking Permit (required in OR + WA 11.01 thru 04.30)

Pros

Incredible panoramic vistas.

Cons

Vistas open at the summit.

Trailhead Elevation

5,900.00 ft (1,798.32 m)

Features

Big vistas
Cross-country skiing

Location

Comments

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