Summit has good "views"
Jumbo Mountain (3.4 mi., 3,400 ft, 16-mile approach)
The approach and climb to Jumbo Mountain offers a scenic journey through the remote and spectacular Bob Marshall Wilderness. We included this activation as part of a 9-day loop trip through the Bob Marshall Wilderness that included three SOTA activations.
UPDATE January 2021 - Green Mtn has been posted PERMIT REQUIRED FOR ALL ACCESS by Weyerhauser.
Here's a 1.1 mile one-way hike with 800 feet of gain just a ways south of Bend, Oregon. It's got some great views and a nice summit with a bit of lookout history. They say Pistol Butte was named after Pistol Pete who once lived in the area.
Monday, November 23, 2015, KC8WF and I (KF7URE) hiked to Teapot Dome W7I/SR-163 to do SOTA. Teapot Dome is a desert peak at 4,712 feet high, north of Mountain Home, Idaho.
Nicolai Mountain is a drive-up summit west of Clatskanie in northwest Oregon. The gravel road is driveable the ENTIRE WAY in any passenger car (totally Priusable). So if your GPS is having you turn up a 4WD track you are going the wrong way. The views from the 3,028 foot summit can be awesome - the drive has views of the Columbia Estuary that's fantastic. Note that there can be of OHV activity on these roads and trails, especially on weekends. And be warned that remembering all the correct turns for the DRIVE OUT isn't so easy.
One of the last beautiful Fall weekends of 2015, yielded an activation of Thorp Mountain and Hard Knox Mountain together with my "SOTA Buddy", KG7EJT and Dexter the SOTA Dog. The weather was superb, a successful dual activation, including a First Activation of Hard Knox, followed by a great dinner and local "Brew" in Roslyn, Washington, made for one of the more memorable SOTA outings in my career! The views, and great access, make this a highly recommended double SOTA objective. This report describes Hard Knox Mountain Activation. Thorp Mountain
Middle Sister is in the Three Sisters Wilderness of Central Oregon and is a committed alpine climb - it cannot be considered a hike as there is not a 'trail' to the top. It's about 14 miles round trip, 4800 feet net gain and took us over 13 hours.
Broken Top is in the Three Sisters Wilderness of Central Oregon. Broken Top is a committed alpine climb - it cannot be considered a hike as there is no 'trail' to the top.
Goat Mountain is a reasonable easy summit to access that's not too far from Portland. For anything but high clearance vehicles, the last 1.5 miles to the summit will be on foot, but it's not too far. This site is popular with OHV as I saw seven in two hours on a chilly and damp November weekend.
Start from Molalla, Oregon at the four way stop downtown and go 15.8 miles east on Highway 211. Turn right on Hillockburn Road and go past a group of three gates where the paved road continues through the open gate in the middle.
