Lookout Mountain Trail - South End
Hike Rating: Easy
Hike
Length: 8.4 miles roundtrip (to South Point)
Elevation Gain: 1,100’
Trailhead Elevation: 5,620’
Best
Season: June through September
Driving Access: Any vehicle,
with care
Plus
Points
• A moderate day hike to a high mountain plateau (6,500')
• Dramatic, panoramic views from the promontory at South
Point
• Old growth ponderosa and fir forests on the lower slopes
• Subalpine fir and low sagebrush on the slopes above
timberline
• Trail follows old wagon roads, so it's an easy grade for
walking
• A seldom-used trail, so solitude is likely
Minus
Points
• Lots of cow activity on the lower trail (though almost
none higher up)
• Trail can be muddy in early spring, so best to wait until
soils dry out
Download
(PDF, 546 KB): Photos of Lookout Mountain Trail -
South
Download
(PDF, 628 KB): Topo Map for Lookout Mountain Trail -
South
Download
(GPX, 4 KB): GPS
Points for Lookout Mountain Trail -
South
Download
(PDF, 520 KB): Road
Map for Lookout Mountain Trail -
South
Trail
Notes
The hike
begins on the Line Butte Trail (#807), on a gentle grade
through open grasslands under mature ponderosa pines.
Expect lots of cow activity in this section. At about 1.8
miles, a trail sign indicates where the Lookout Mountain
Trail (#808) branches off to the right. Follow this trail
uphill as it gradually climbs and switchbacks to the top of
the mountain plateau, through thick fir forests that give
way to open sage slopes above timberline.
Once on top of the plateau, the trails are a bit hard to
follow. To reach South Point, find the trail junction at
GPS Point 1. Then follow a faint trail southeast 0.3 miles
along an old wagon road (paralleling a line of fence posts)
to the ridge top at GPS Point 2. Here the wagon road ends
at a rock crib gate in a fallen down wire fence.
From this rock crib gate, a faint trail continues south and
east through the sagebrush for about 0.4 miles to South
Point (GPS Point 3). From this rock promontory there are
sweeping views east to Big Summit Prairie and south to the
Maury Mountains across the Crooked River Valley. South
Point is a great lunch and hike destination, before
retracing your steps back to the trailhead.
Road
to Trailhead
The trailhead is easily accessible on good gravel roads
that can be driven by any passenger car. From paved Road
42, at the southwest corner of Big Summit Prairie, drive
south on gravel Road 4215 for about 9.4 miles, passing
through several big grass prairies along the way. At about
9.4 miles, turn to the right (north) onto Road 4220. Follow
this road for 1.1 miles, to where Road 257 branches off the
left. Turn left (west) onto Road 257 and drive 0.8 miles to
its end at the Line Butte trailhead sign.
Camping
Options
The nearest developed campground is the Biggs Springs
Campground, about 7 driving miles east of the trailhead,
off gravel Road 4215. This is a small campground, with just
3 free sites, situated on a hill above a wet meadow fed by
Biggs Spring Creek. It has a vault toilet but no drinking
water. There’s not much privacy here, but the campsites are
widely spaced and can accommodate nearly any size camping
rig.
The next nearest campground is the Deep Creek Campground,
about 20 driving miles east of the trailhead, off paved
Road 42. This is a large campground on the North Fork
Crooked River, near its confluence with Deep Creek. There
are 14 sites, two vault toilets and a drinking water
supply. The fee is $8.00 per night in 2011 and any type of
camping setup can find a place here, from small tents to
large travel trailers.
Finally, if
self-contained with your own water and sanitation, there
are several nice dispersed campsites to be found off Road
4215. Check below the road where it crosses Lookout Creek,
on the edge of Lookout Pasture. There are also sites on the
edges of Gray Prairie, off of side roads in the area. Be
sure you’re camping on Forest Service land, though, as some
of Gray Prairie is privately owned.
Agency Contact: Ochoco National Forest, (541)
416-6500
DISCLAIMER:
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this
information, but the authors do not guarantee that it is
either current or correct. The reader assumes full
responsibility for any use of this information, and is
encouraged to contact local federal land agencies to
inquire about current conditions before traveling.
Page last updated: 12/26/11