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.