Like a misplaced skyscraper, 350-foot Steins Pillar towers above the forested valley of Mill Creek. This odd pink spire remained unscaled until 1950. Skilled climbers still require at least six hours of dangerous work to reach the top. Hikers, on the other hand, can set their sights on a much easier goal: walking the 2-mile trail to the pillar’s scenic base.

Start by driving Highway 26 . . .

Start hiking . . . climbing up through open woods of small Douglas firs, large ponderosa pines, and some junipers. In spring the slopes are brightened with yellow sunflower-like balsamroot, cushions of lavender phlox, and white death camas.

. . .

To continue to the Steins Pillar itself, turn . . .

This chapter is an excerpt from 100 Hikes: Eastern Oregon