Ice, more than fire, built the craters of this monumental cinder cone. Ice Age glaciers scooped out one bowl for Black Crater Lake and gouged a second, higher chasm that left the peak’s summit teetering atop a 500-foot cliff. The steep trail to Black Crater’s former lookout site demands stamina, but offers Central Oregon’s best view of the Three Sisters and the McKenzie Pass lava flows.

Start by driving . . .

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