Mill Creek and Twin Pillars

Twin Pillars

  • Easy (to Ford #4)
  • 2.6 miles round trip
  • 150 feet elevation gain
  • Open mid-April to early December
  • Use: hikers, horses


  • Moderate (to Belknap Trail)
  • 5.8 miles round trip
  • 340 feet elevation gain


  • Difficult (to Twin Pillars)
  • 11.6 miles round trip
  • 1900 feet elevation gain
  • Open mid-May to mid-November

Little more than an hour’s drive from Bend, the Mill Creek Wilderness is an uncrowded retreat. For an easy walk, hike up Mill Creek to a meadow. For a longer trip, climb to a viewpoint beside Twin Pillars, a pair of 200-foot volcanic plugs. Almost the entire route is through burned woods recovering from a 2000 fire.

Start by driving Highway 26 …

At the parking lot ignore …

If you’re headed for Twin Pillars, …

Other Options

A 2.6-mile route to Twin Pillars begins on …

This chapter taken from the book 100 Hikes/Travel Guide: Eastern Oregon.