Trail Overview
Trout Creek Butte Summit is an approachable and scenic mountain climb perfect for beginner offroaders, SxSs, and high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicles seeking panoramic Cascade views. Spanning approximately 4.9 miles, this route climbs steadily from 3,880 feet to a maximum elevation of 5,547 feet, gaining 1,667 feet of elevation along a mix of dirt and gravel forest service roads. The trail is generally straightforward, with a technical rating of 3, making it manageable for stock four-wheel-drive vehicles with at least 30-inch tires, while lower-clearance all-wheel-drive vehicles can navigate the majority of the route with careful line choice.
At the summit, travelers are rewarded with a spectacular view of the Three Sisters Mountains from top to bottom, making it an excellent spot for photography and picnics. The peak features an 86-foot-high historic steel Aermotor fire lookout tower constructed in 1933 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. While most of the climb is relatively smooth dirt, the final 150 feet leading directly to the summit presents some steeper, rockier terrain with minor obstacles that may require high clearance or a short walk to reach the very top.
Difficulty
This is a fairly easy trail for a vehicle with large enough ground clearance(30" tires or larger). If you are trying to do this in a lower vehicle(say stock Subaru), its still possible with some finesse in your driving. The only tricky part of the trail comes at the last 150' of the summit so if you're worried about damage you can always park and walk it.
History
Construction on the 86-foot-high steel Aermotor tower with a 7x7-foot cab began in August 1933 under the direction of Ed Florence and a crew of 20 men from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp on the Metolius River. A nine-mile telephone line was built alongside it, followed by a 14x16-foot wood-frame cabin for living quarters and a wood-frame garage. The lookout tower was active for decades and was last used for emergencies in the 1970s.
