When a delegation from Eugene’s sister city in Japan visited Oregon, officials took them on a hike up Fuji Mountain.  It wasn’t a bad choice.  The former lookout site atop this cliff-edged peak has a 360-degree view of some of Oregon’s greatest treasures: virgin forests, vast Waldo Lake—one of the purest in the world—and pristine snowpeaks from the Mt. Hood to Mt. Thielsen.  A popular shortcut up Fuji Mountain begins on gravel Road 5883. A longer route from paved Road 5897 provides a more thorough athletic workout.

To take the shorter route, drive . . .

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