Black Butte
Black Butte rises to 1,937 m in Oregon. Three Fingered Jack stands 2,390 m to the west-northwest, 12 miles off. The nearest named place is Metolius Springs, a spring 2.3 miles away. McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass passes 1.6 miles off.
The story
Black Butte is an extinct stratovolcano in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located in Jefferson County, it is part of Deschutes National Forest. Black Butte forms part of the Cascade volcanic arc. The butte lies just south of the Metolius Springs, which merge to form the headwaters of the Metolius River. The Metolius River's basin sustains a wide array of plant life, large and small mammals, and more than 80 bird species. Black Butte last erupted during the Pleistocene; geologists have estimated its age at 0.4, 0.5, and 1.43 ± 0.33 million years ago. The duration of the eruptions that built the volcano remains unclear, though the activity likely coincided with large-scale block faulting in the vicinity of the Metolius Springs. Black Butte has a prominent volcanic cone and is made up of mafic (rich in magnesium and iron) basaltic andesite lava. Despite having a well-preserved, symmetrical shape and an unexposed pyroclastic core, the butte has undergone moderate erosion, with shallow ravines, deep gullies on its sides, and rocks with weathering rinds. A number of cinder cones and a volcanic field also lie nearby the butte. There was a fire lookout ground house on the butte, which was burned down by the United States Forest Service in 2016. A white cupola structure sits on the top of the butte as well as a more modern fire lookout tower. The resort community Black Butte Ranch lies nearby and offers recreational activities like horseback riding, biking, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, and paddleboarding; during the winter, activities include Nordic skiing and snowshoeing.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q2905336, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Elevation
- 1937 m
How to reach it
- 1.6 mi off the McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass, National
- 15.3 mi off the West Cascades, National
- 18.1 mi off the Over the Rivers and Through the Woods
- 25.8 mi off the Cascade Lakes, National
Overlooks nearby
- Mount Washington Overlook · 7 mi
- Windy Point · 10 mi
- Three Sisters Viewpoint · 14 mi
- Sahalie Falls Viewpoint · 18 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Fivemile Butte: 4.3 mi
- Garrison Butte: 4.7 mi
- Zimmerman Butte: 4.8 mi
- Graham Butte: 5.5 mi
- Sixmile Butte: 5.7 mi
- Elliot R Corbett II Memorial State Park: 6.9 mi
- East Portal: 8.4 mi
- Cliff Clemens Park: 8.5 mi
- Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery: 8.5 mi
- Barclay Park: 8.6 mi
- Metolius Springs: 2.3 mi
- Metolius Springs: 2.4 mi
- Paulina Spring: 2.7 mi
- Cold Springs: 3.8 mi
- Summit Spring: 4.1 mi
- Big Canyon Rim: 18.0 mi
- Obsidian Cliffs: 18.0 mi
- Obsidian Cliffs: 18.2 mi
- Lane Plateau: 19.7 mi
- Tam McArthur Rim: 21.2 mi
- Whychus Creek Falls: 12.5 mi
- Dry Falls: 14.6 mi
- Big Falls: 17.1 mi
- Steelhead Falls: 17.1 mi
- Chush Falls: 17.4 mi
- Indian Ford Meadow Preserve: 7.1 mi
- Camp Polk Meadow Preserve: 8.2 mi
- Willow Springs Preserve: 8.6 mi
- Aspen Hollow Preserve: 9.0 mi
- Whychus Canyon Preserve: 10.2 mi
- Cold springs resort: 4.0 mi
- Kiwanis club: 8.5 mi
- Crockett Lodge: 17.9 mi
- Clear Lake Resort: 18.0 mi
- Dam Observatory: 22.6 mi
- Lost Lake Day Use Area: 13.5 mi
- Clear Lake Day Use Area: 18.0 mi
- Olallie Day Use Area: 22.3 mi
- Bivouac tables: 24.6 mi
- Sisters Community Garden: 8.3 mi
- Petersen Rock Garden: 23.0 mi
- Secret Garden: 24.8 mi
- Sisters Fine Woodworking: 8.3 mi
- Sisters Museum: 8.7 mi
- Geneva: 13.1 mi
- Alder Spring Lookout: 16.4 mi
- Bigelow Hot Spring: 23.7 mi
Other summits around it
The highest named summits within 16.7 miles of Black Butte. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three Fingered Jack | WNW 298° | 2,390 m | 11.6 mi |
| Mount Washington | WSW 245° | 2,375.611 m | 11.0 mi |
| Collier Cone | SSW 207° | 2,296 m | 16.3 mi |
| Black Crater | SSW 211° | 2,210 m | 10.8 mi |
| Belknap Crater | SW 232° | 2,094.586 m | 12.9 mi |
| South Cinder Peak | NW 324° | 2,056 m | 14.4 mi |
| Yapoah Crater | SSW 210° | 2,053 m | 14.7 mi |
| North Cinder Peak | NNW 330° | 2,050 m | 16.2 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:10 | 18:41 | 19:19 |
| June solstice | 05:23 | 20:11 | 20:55 |
| September equinox | 06:54 | 18:27 | 19:06 |
| December solstice | 07:40 | 15:43 | 16:31 |
Local time (America/Los_Angeles).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Sep.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 31 | 33 | 38 | 43 | 50 | 57 | 65 | 64 | 56 | 45 | 36 | 30 |
| Precip in | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 2.5 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Sisters, 9 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/357307133
Day trips start here
- Bend · 29 mi
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