McKenzie Cones

McKenzie Pass is a veritable wonderland of volcanic activity. Peaks like Black Crater (elevation 7,257), Belknap Crater (elevation 6,877), Four-In-One-Cone (elevation 6,258) and Scott Mountain (elevation 6,099) dot the landscape (moonscape) at the headwaters of the McKenzie River, the source of Eugene's water supply.

In a north-south alignment between Mt. Washington and North Sister at lest 125 separate eruptive centers have blazed and died in post-glacial times. These recent vents built cinder cones and covered the countryside. Lava from Sand Mountain dammed the McKenzie to form Clear Lake, the headwaters of the river.

Lava, visible from Belknap Crater and its principal satellites, Little Belknap and South Belknap, is the area's principal feature, but I can tell you that lava terrain can be hard to negotiate, so I would recommend hats, sunglasses and sunscreen. Not a good trail for dogs, though I did see a few. I wouldn't do that to my dog.

Black Crater, the tallest of this particular group of cones, is a steep shield volcano located just north of North Sister. Glaciers have carved a long cirque into the northern flank of the mountain and snow can linger late into the summer in the shady spots The summit provides stunning views of North and Middle Sisters.

Four-In-One Cone is not only challenging with rewarding workouts, but is also rich with history and geology. The Scott Trail to the four cinder cones in the Three Sisters Wilderness follows the original trail by pioneer Felix Scott, who blazed a wagon road from the Willamette Valley to Sisters and Bend in Central Oregon.

Scott Mountain, also named for the trailblazer, takes off from the McKenzie Highway just west of the pass. The trail to the summit has so many highlights that you'll scarcely notice the time passing, with lakes galore en route to the top, where an old fire lookout site can be seen. All the McKenzie Cones are highly recommended hikes.