Potato Butte Hike

Overview

NOTICE: Trails in this area were affected by the 2020 Lionshead Fire. Please check current closures in the Mt. Hood National Forest before planning an outing. If you're looking to get into the Olallie Lake Scenic Area without grinding along a dusty, washboarded road, then this hike is your best bet since it's less than a mile off the paved Clackamas River Highway. Convenience of access isn't the only asset of this outing: the hike combines much of what is best about the Scenic Area and is reminiscent of the Gifford Pinchot's Indian Heaven Wilderness: a series of picturesque lakes, old growth trees, views to Olallie Butte and Mount Jefferson, and bountiful huckleberries in late summer. There are campsites at each of the lakes and most are not frequently used, so this can be a peaceful overnight destination even on summer weekends. From the trailhead, the trail starts climbing immediately, beginning with about 175 yards of regenerating clearcut but soon entering lovely old growth woods. You'll see a lot of massive Douglas-firs and western hemlocks as you continue up the slope. The trail crosses a powerline clearing 0.4 mile from the trailhead and joins a dirt road. Turn left on the road and then, after 30 yards, turn right on a spur road for accessing powerlines. Notice the old sign here which still references the Skyline Trail! Hike along for about 200 feet before finding the trail on your left by a rock cairn. Pass through the power line corridor, which is vegetated with a variety of shrubbery, including snowbrush, manzanita, vine maple, chinquapin, bracken, willow, and boxwood. Reenter old growth forest on an eroded, rocky tread. Here, you'll pass under more towering Douglas-firs, but silver fir, noble fir, and mountain hemlock also enter the mix. After climbing for a mile, the trail takes off across a plateau. It suddenly feels a lot more open, with the understory dominated by huckleberries and beargrass. At 1.6 miles, the trail passes near Red Lake. Watch for a big stump on the right and a spur trail th

Trail Stats

Photos

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