Hike Bessie Butte

Bend, Oregon

4.4/5

based on 5 reviews

Save

View all 8 photos

All 8 photos

Save Review Directions Add Photo

Details

Distance

1.5 miles

Elevation Gain

500 ft

Route Type

Out-and-Back

Description

Added by Roark Nelson

Beautiful viewpoint of Deschutes National Forest. View of Mount Bachelor and three Sisters. 1.5 mile hike roundtrip. 500 foot elevation gain. Easy Access.

Just a mere 15 minutes outside of Bend, Oregon the Bessie Butte Trail is a wonderfully scenic hike to overlook Bend on one side and the Deschutes National Forest on the other. The butte provides an excellent view of the surrounding mountains of which there are many: Mount Bachelor, The South Sister, The Middle Sister, The North Sister, Mount Hood, and in the distance, Mount Adams. Be aware that the more distant mountains such as Hood and Adams may not be as visible in not so clear skies.

Be prepared for dropping temperatures and high winds, the butte itself rises 500 feet above the valley floor and the wind is chilling in the cooler months.

Download the Outbound mobile app

Find adventures and camping on the go, share photos, use GPX tracks, and download maps for offline use.

Get the app

Features

Photography

Hiking

Forest

Romantic

Scenic

Reviews

Tammy Molepske

Hike Bessie Butte

11/13/20

Unlike many adventures around Bend, I didn’t see anyone else during my hike up the Butte when visiting in 2019. This area was an easy drive from the southeast side of town. Pleasant but views of the surrounding topography were cloudy over.

4.0

Clayton Lukens

Hike Bessie Butte

06/20/20

Fun escape that looks over Bend. Did this one with my brother last spring break, check it out!

4.0

Katie Daines

Hike Bessie Butte

02/27/20

Good one

5.0

Andy Waldrop

Hike Bessie Butte

05/15/19

35 minute round trip hike. Beautiful views from the top

4.0

Daniel Rees

Hike Bessie Butte

01/23/18

Really easy to get to. Park your car right at the trail head. The trail is really well marked and easy to follow. The views at the top are totally worth it. Seems like a spot only the locals know about since there were only a few people there.

5.0

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

Boyd Cave

Located 20 miles southeast of Bend, Boyd Cave is a well preserved lava tube stretching close to a mile. To get there, take Highway 97 South through Bend and turn left on China Hat Road. Go straight for exactly 9 miles. Turn left at mile 9 onto the trail at FS242. You will know it has been 9 miles if you see a cattle guard and the road becomes unpaved just a few feet ahead. The small park sign w...

Mountain Bike Lava Lands Blackrock Trail to Benham Falls

Blackrock Trail starts at the Lava Lands Visitor Center, which is about a 5-mile drive south of Bend on Highway 97. You can park at the Lava Lands Visitor Center and then take the trail marked Sun-Lava Trail. This will take you to Blackrock Trail, which you will see as a turn-off to the right about 0.3 miles in.Blackrock Trail is a 4.2 mile long singletrack trail. It is relatively flat dirt wit...

Explore Arnold Ice Caves

...Deep in the central Oregon Forest is a cave that is surrounded by Juniper Trees, Ponderosa Pines and the landscape of a secret volcanic underground world! This short hike is located roughly 12 miles East of Bend, and makes for an epic adventure for all to enjoy. A little history on the cave...it was created by a basalt lava flow roughly 80,000-90,000 years ago. It was originally called "Cro...

Explore the Lava River Cave

Located just 12 miles South of Bend and 5 miles Northeast of Sunriver in the Deschutes National Forest, the Lava River Cave is a unique experience the whole family can enjoy. To get there from Bend, drive South on Highway 97 for about 10 miles until you see a large sign for the Lava Lands Visitor Center. You can stop at the visitor's center, or take the fork to the left, following the signs for...

Hike Bessie Butte

Details

Description

Download the Outbound mobile app

Features

Reviews

Leave No Trace

Nearby

Boyd Cave

Mountain Bike Lava Lands Blackrock Trail to Benham Falls

Explore Arnold Ice Caves

Explore the Lava River Cave

Deschutes River Loop via Farewell Bend Park

Deschutes River Trail: Meadow Day Use Area

Discover

Community

Company

Follow Us

Mobile Apps