Obsidian Trailhead, Blue River OR
| Address | Blue River, OR, United States |
| Phone | +1 541-822-3381 |
| Website | www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/willamette/recarea |
| Categories | Hiking Area, Tourist Attraction |
| Rating | 4.8 6 reviews |
Nearest branches Todd Creek Trailhead — Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway, Bend, OR Hackleman Old Growth Grove — S Santiam Hwy, Foster, OR Iron Mountain Trailhead — NF-038, Foster, OR Olallie South Trailhead — NF-441, McKenzie Bridge, OR |
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Obsidian Trailhead reviews
6I've been to a lot of places in Oregon, but this is right up there with Crater Lake
I climbed the Middle Sister back in the 70's using the Sunshine Shelter as my overnight stop on this trail. I hadn't been up there since then. It's a beautiful trek well worth doing anytime. The shelter is long gone but the beauty remains.
One of my favorite trails! Blowdown from the 2020 storm is clear, bugs are out. Patchy snow as of 2 weeks ago. We camped two nights at the base of the Middle Sister climbing trail. Please practice leave no trace, and make sure you have your permit. Rangers are checking at the trailhead and they are roving on trails.
Need online permit reservations and a Pass. Do your homework. Pit potty. Cool parking. No service. I clocked 12.8 miles but I meandered a bit too for photos. Colors are just changing and parts look great for Fall. Good shoes are a must. I took my trekking poles and never touched them. 2-4 wet creeks for fresh water in October. Started out at 8: 30am and took a RIGHT at the fork of the loop and got sunlight sparkling on the obsidian throughout the whole hike that way. *Glad I was given that recommendation.you should know it too.
Beautiful area. We didn’t do the hike but our son might check it out soon.
One of the most gorgeous hikes in all of Oregon. The trailhead itself is a loop road with individual pullouts for parking - it feels more like a rustic campground than a trailhead, which is nice (note - there's no room to actually camp in these spots, it's for parking only).
You need a Central Cascades Wilderness Permit in order to hike from this trailhead. These are sold on recreation.gov.
The trail climbs 2100 feet up to the Obsidian area in the eastern flank of the North and Middle Sisters. It's a climb through forest mostly, with one forest fire section and one lava flow to be traversed.
After several miles, the trail splits to form a loop at a sign marked "Obsidian/Glacier Way". Go either way to execute the loop. I prefer going up the Obsidian trail and down the Glacier Way trail.
In early season, the Glacier Way trail will have more snow on it than the Obsidian trail.
Once you are at the top, notice that the entire landscape is built out of gleaming, sharp obsidian. Be careful where you sit.
You'll come across incredible views, gorgeous waterfalls, steep cliffs, babbling brooks and more.
Please leave things as you found them so all of us can enjoy the beauty.