1.4 hr
Overview
Broken Top is a 300,000 year-old highly eroded stratovolcano, severely modified in its aspect during the last glacial age. It is part of a province of some 50 lava-spewing vents in the Three Sisters area. This short hike offers close views of Broken Top’s colorful ramparts and a panorama of alpine scenery to admire. Save a sunny day for this excursion so you can appreciate the closeup views of the old volcano, the turquoise waters of No Name Lake, the remains of the Bend Glacier, and a stunning view of the Three Sisters and north up the Cascades. The hike begins in mountain hemlock parklands, but soon enters a more open landscape of subalpine fir and whitebark pine, passing meltwater streams and alpine meadows with the prominences of Ball Butte and Broken Hand looming above. Although this is a short hike offering much scenic pleasure for the miles, the biggest challenge is the drive to the trailhead. Conditions on the 5 ¼ miles of unpaved access roads vary from year to year, but high clearance is always advised. If you’re in any doubt about the worthiness of your vehicle, begin the hike at Todd Lake and plan for a 14-mile round-trip excursion. Note also that the hike is extremely popular, and despite the road conditions, you’ll find many other Subarus, Landrovers, Honda CR-Vs, and Ford Explorers at the trailhead. At the trailhead, sign in at the wilderness permit box, and begin hiking up the Broken Top Trail #10. Enter a mountain hemlock/subalpine fir parkland with the reddish prominence of Ball Butte looming above. You’ll soon get a view into Broken Top’s cavernous south cirque, which is still being actively excavated by the Crater Glacier (mislabeled for decades on topo maps as the Crook Glacier). Look south for a view of Mount Bachelor. Bear left at a trail restoration sign, and make a descending traverse past some large mountain hemlocks to enter the Three Sisters Wilderness. Reach a trail junction at a post, and keep right on an unofficial but always obvious tread. Head up a sandy open slope vegetated
Trail Stats
0.0 km
422 m
0 m
0 m
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Photos
400px-BrokenTopEastCirqueMap
400px-BrokenTopEastCirqueMap
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250px-Bend_Glacier_and_Three_Sisters_from_Viewpoint_pass%2C_Broken_Top
250px-Shore_of_East_Cirque_Lake%2C_Broken_Top
250px-Shore_of_East_Cirque_Lake%2C_Broken_Top
250px-The_crags_of_Broken_Top%2C_Bend_Glacier_Trail
250px-The_crags_of_Broken_Top%2C_Bend_Glacier_Trail
250px-Ball_Point_from_Cirque_Lake_Creek%2C_Bend_Glacier_Trail
250px-Ball_Point_from_Cirque_Lake_Creek%2C_Bend_Glacier_Trail
250px-Whitebark_pine%2C_Bend_Glacier_Trail
250px-Whitebark_pine%2C_Bend_Glacier_Trail
400px-Hikers_at_East_Cirque_Lake%2C_Broken_Top
400px-Hikers_at_East_Cirque_Lake%2C_Broken_Top