Iron Mountain’s panoramic summit is one of the Old Cascades’ most popular hiking goals, but most people hike to it the wrong way—up a steep, dusty, largely viewless forest trail on the west side of Tombstone Pass. To really see the July wildflowers that make this area famous, take the longer, better graded Cone Peak Trail through the alpine meadows on the east side of Tombstone Pass. In fact, the viewpoint amid these flower-packed fields makes a worthwhile day-hike destination in itself.

Start by driving Highway . . .

Other Options

A shorter, 0.8-mile route to Iron Mountain’s summit . . .

This chapter is an excerpt from 100 Hikes : Central Oregon Cascades