Jefferson Park Ridge

Mt. Jefferson from Russell Lake

Easy (to Pyramid Butte)

4-mile loop

800 feet elevation gain

Open mid-July to mid-October

Use: hikers, horses


Moderate (to Park Ridge)

7.4 miles round trip

1400 feet elevation gain


Difficult (to Jefferson Park)

11.2 miles round trip

2400 feet elevation gain

Mt. Jefferson fills half the sky from the green alpine meadows and sparkling lakes of Jefferson Park. A heavily-used portion of the Pacific Crest Trail climbs across Park Ridge to this patch of paradise. For a less difficult hike, consider setting your goal as the spectacular viewpoint atop Park Ridge itself. An even easier alternative is a short loop on a meadow-lined section of the old Skyline Trail past Pyramid Butte. Be forewarned, however, that the trailhead can be reached only by high-clearance vehicles, and that Jefferson Park is often crowded on summer weekends.

From Interstate 205 near Oregon City, take exit …

Other Options

Two other routes reach Jefferson Park. The less crowded …

This chapter taken from the book 100 Hikes/Travel Guide: Northwest Oregon & Southwest Washington.