Pilot Butte (Oregon)

The Pilot Butte State Scenic Viewpoint is a 40 -acre state park in the city of Bend, Oregon. The mountain consists of a 1,260 m high extinct volcanic cone that dominates the region around 150 m. The mountain is covered with ponderosa pine, juniper and sagebrush. On the mountain leads through a 1.5 km long winding road and several hiking trails. The summit of the mountain serves as a vantage point over the city Bend and the mountains of the Cascade Range.

History

The mountain was named by the pioneers in the mid-19th century, because of the volcanic cone served as a good orientation to a ford across the Deschutes River. On old maps of the ancient volcanoes is called because of its color and Red Butte, but today Name Pilot Butte has prevailed. 1928 donated by F. R. Welles, Kempster B. Miller and Charles A. Brown, citizen of Bend, the terrain of the state in memory of her friend and colleague Terrence Hardington Foley. At the foot of the mountain is a memorial plaque on Hardington Foley. In recent years, the number of visitors rose sharply, so that currently around 750,000 visitors a year to rise to the top.

Trivia

The mountain is a popular destination for joggers and other athletes. Since 1998, every year in September, the Pilot Butte Challenge held a fun run over a mile to the summit of Pilot Butte.