Black Butte
Low Point: 3130'
High Point: 6436'
Season: Spring/Summer/Fall
Difficulty: 0/5
Directions
To find the lower trailhead, drive highway 20 west from Sisters or East from Santiam Pass. Near milepost 91, turn N at sign for Metolius River & follow for 2.7 miles. Veer R at first fork on Road 14 to "campgrounds". Just 0.2 miles later, turn R onto red gravel road 1430 for 1/10 mile & turn R onto trailhead parking lot ringed by boulders. Your at the base of Black Butte.Trail Description
Lower half of the Black Butte Trail. Old mule & range's trail to the top of Black Butte to the fire lookout. Well graded trail, gaining approx 1750 ft in 3.1 miles. Trail begins on an old abandoned road on the rt. hand side from the parking area. Go 0.7 miles, paralleling road 14. Avoid the first forks to the left & right. Reach a rock cairn & turn left angling uphill & go for 0.9 miles. Intersect an old logging road, take a slight right & turn left at rock cairn. Go for 0.4 miles until you intersect another old roadbed. Go to the right and then left up the hill for another 1.1 miles. At the conclusion of the 1.1 miles, you will be at 4880 feet and the location of the 'upper' parking lot. Proceed 2 more miles to the top of Black Butte (2 miles per the sign in the parking lot).
Credits to William L. Sullivan and his article entitled, "A Lost Path Found" for The Register-Guard for which I obtained this information & followed to complete this hike in Sep. 2012.