Mount Bailey

The final pitch to Mt. Bailey's summit crosses a slippery ridgecrest

  • Difficult (from upper road)
  • 5.4 miles round-trip
  • 2330 feet elevation gain
  • Open end of July through October


  • Difficult (from lower road)
  • 9.8 miles round-trip
  • 3130 feet elevation gain

The two major mountains looming on opposite sides of Diamond Lake are both popular climbing goals for hikers. Mt. Thielsen is taller and has a more dizzying view, but the route to its top ends with a trailless scramble and a hair-raising rock climb. Mt. Bailey is almost as challenging, but its steep trail leads all the way to the top. What’s more, the final mile is full of surprises: a hidden crater, a rock garden of wildflowers, a double summit, and a rock wall with a window overlooking Diamond Lake.

Most hikers start the climb at …

If you’re not wearing boots with soles that grip well, consider turning back at the …

This chapter taken from the book 100 Hikes in Southern Oregon.