Road to Pilot Butte summit opens Friday

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department will open the gate for vehicle access to the Pilot Butte summit on Friday.

The gate will open at approximately 8:00 a.m. each day throughout the season, weather and road conditions permitting. The gate closure time is 8:00 p.m. and is subject to change as the days get longer.

“There is heavy pedestrian traffic along the summit road,” states Susan Bethers, park manager. “We’d like to remind drivers to please obey the posted 20 mph speed limit, and be careful as they drive around the blind curves. Pedestrians should use either the walking path on the outer edge of the road or the nature trail.”

There will be road work and erosion mitigation efforts this spring causing the road to be closed for undetermined lengths of time. Those closure dates will be posted on our website as soon as we have them: www.oregonstateparks.org, search for Pilot Butte State Scenic Viewpoint, and click the “Advisory” header.

All vehicles must leave the summit and summit road by the gate closure time. The summit road closes each winter, but the eastside parking area remains open, allowing year-round access to the butte’s hiking trails.