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TRIP 6 Cedar Butte

Distance		2.6 miles, Out-and-back
Elevation Gain		800 feet
Hiking Time		1½ hours
Optional Map		Tillamook State Forest
Usually Open		Late March to November
Best Time		Late May to mid-June
Trail Use		Dogs OK
Agency		Tillamook District, Tillamook State Forest
Difficulty		Moderate

HIGHLIGHTS In its continuing (and much appreciated) efforts to build more hiking trails, the Tillamook State Forest recently replaced the old boot path up Cedar Butte with a new, well-engineered trail. As a result, this old fire lookout site, which features grand views over a little-known section of the Coast Range, is much easier to access. The drive to the trailhead remains long and confusing, but once you get there the hike is a real treat.

DIRECTIONS Drive west on State Highway 6 toward Tillamook to a junction with Cedar Butte Road just past milepost 18. Turn right on this narrow, but relatively smooth gravel road and climb steeply for 2.2 miles to a fork. Bear right, proceed 2.9 miles to another fork, and then bear left. The road is now quite rough and has lots of sharp gravel (good tires are important), but it remains passable. Go 0.5 mile, and then park at a saddle in the middle of a large clear-cut where a rough dirt road goes left (uphill).

The possibly unsigned trail starts 60 yards up the dirt road at a fence stile on the right. The stile was installed to exclude ATVs from using this hiker-only route.

The trail climbs gradually through an ugly clear-cut above a logging road for 0.3 mile and then enters a much more pleasant forest environment of young Douglas firs. The ground cover, typical of mid-elevations in the Coast Range, is a mix of Oregon grape, sword fern, and salal. After steadily climbing a series of short switchbacks, the trail becomes increasingly steep and winds up a forested ridge toward the summit. Occasional openings in the tree cover provide partially obstructed views, and rocky areas support plenty of wildflowers in May and June. Look for wood sorrel, beargrass, and cliff penstemon. Just below the top of the butte the trail peters out, but it is easy to negotiate the last 30 yards to the open summit. The small meadowy flat spot at the top is littered with shards of glass (the remains of the old fire lookout), so be careful where you sit.

The view from the summit is expansive, including the rugged outcroppings on Sawtooth Ridge and Mutt Peak to the west and northwest, the roadless canyon of Little South Fork Kilchis River to the north, and countless other ridges summits and canyons that are unfamiliar to most Oregon hikers. Bring a Tillamook State Forest map to help identify the convoluted assortment of jagged peaks and ridges.

Dedicated scramblers can continue northwest from Cedar Butte, traveling cross-country along a mostly open but very rugged ridge past a string of high viewpoints and rock gardens. Solitude is virtually guaranteed. After about 2 miles you reach a deep little pass beyond which reasonable travel becomes impossible.