Maxwell Butte Trail is a 9.8 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Cascadia, Oregon that features a great forest setting and is rated as difficult. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and snowshoeing and is best used from November until March. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
dogs on leash
hiking
nature trips
snowshoeing
walking
forest
views
snow
Hiked this on 8/5/18. It's a really good climb at 2,500 ft. We parked down near the highway and walked the .4 miles to the trailhead, so the total was 10.4 miles. The terrain changes from nice forested path, to rambling over tons of fallen trees, to super dusty silt and rock. The views were obscured mostly by haze today. Otherwise, I could imagine they'd be beautiful. We saw only one other person on the trail, which was great. From the top, you can see Duffy Lake and Mowich Lake. Along the hike is a small lake. I'd rate this hike more of a 3.5 stars due to all the fallen trees in the path, like 50 or more, and when you stopped to rest, you were harassed by flies and near the end of the day mosquitoes. We got beat up a few times trying to find workarounds. I can't deny that it was an awesome workout.
Really cool hike, with epic views. Bring your bug stuff, mosquitos were really bad. Still patches of snow up top (6/17/18) that obscure the trail, but only for a few hundred feet. Dozens of trees blocking the trail make for some good exercise! Try not to beat your own trail at these spots.
Snowshoe a short 2.5 miles into the Mountain View shelter for cozy overnight camping in a rustic(though recently constructed) cabin complete with 6 benches to sleep on and several hammock tie off points . Vault toilet. Wood stove. No firewood stocked at time of this post, but smaller snags in the area provided enough wood to burn for the night. 4 people stayed on Sunday night but it can be packed on Friday and Saturday. Beautiful night sky. Some peaks in sight ( N.sister, Mt. Wash, Three Fingered Jack) but Mountain View might be slightly overstated. Lots of snowshoe hare, coyote and bobcat prints. I snowshoed about 5 miles past the Maxwell Butte warming shelter on the way out, plenty of wood there, but no camping within 300’ allowed. All the waypoint maps were easily found along the route and clearly showed the trail ahead. Family friendly
Really nice hike. The first mile is a nice walk. The subsequent miles have lots of downed trees. You will spend a fair bit of time navigating up and over and around. Then the trail clears out again for the hike to the top. It's billy goat walking and the last half mile is a challenge. Gorgeous views at the top! Mt Jefferson, Three Fingered Jack, Black Butte, Mt Washington and Three Sisters. A bit hazy from the wildfires.
Great hike winter and summer. Summer offers a private lake and great view of many mountains. Winter is just great scenery and you can warm up in the cabin at the top. Better view in the summer!
Aidan T.
Great mountain bike trail with little to no foot traffic
Great trail with great camping! Hard hike up a deep channel creek bed. If you use poles make sure they telegraph or you'll end up gripping them below mid center! Trail winds through conifer for the first two miles, then opens into scrub high-alpine where it meets with the PCT. Keep going up to Maxwell into open high-alpine. Great places to camp less than a mile before the trail starts the switchback wind up to the top of Maxwell; alpine meadow overlooking forever or in the bottoms of Maxwell Lake - romantic and TONS of wildlife. Reach the top of Maxwell late day or go up again in the morning and watch the sun do its thing. Fabulous, breathtaking views of Three Finger Jack! Sisters, Jefferson, Hood and sometimes more in the distance. An all-time favorite hike of mine!