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5
Steins Pillar Trail a Great Hike in the Ochocos
Steins Pillar Trail Little Traveled Early April 2020
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We have focused most of our hikes in the Cascades during our time living in Central Oregon. However, the Ochocos, east of Prinveille, offer wonderful, less traveled hikes with beautiful vistas and interesting geology.
We traveled an hour out of Bend to find the Steins Pillar trailhead, traveling at the end first on a gravel road for several miles and then a single lane dirt road the last two miles. When we arrived at 10:00 am, there was no one else there and we enjoyed our two mile hike into the Steins Pillar without seeing any other people. The hike had a few icy sections and patches of snow were still evident on more shaded areas, but the end of the hike being able to see Steins Pillar was well worth it.
Steins Pillar is a 350 foot remnant of a volcano dating back 38 million years. The hike to the Pillar has rock outcroppings, views of the Ochocos, viewpoints of the Pillar when you get closer to it and wildflowers. The four mile round trip (out and back) is considered moderate and can be accomplished in a couple of hours, depending on how long you spend admiring the pillar when you reach its base.
During our trip out, we passed 4 other parties hiking in. There were plenty of places to step aside and keep good social distancing. And all the people we passed appeared to be enjoying, as we were, the opportunity to be out of their home.
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