Cone Peak-Iron Mountain Loop Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Start point: Tombstone Pass Trailhead
- End point: Iron Mountain
- Trail Log: Trail Log
- Hike type: Loop
- Distance: 7.1 miles round trip
- Elevation gain: 1740 feet
- High point: 5,440 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Seasons: Summer, fall
- Family Friendly: Yes, for older kids
- Backpackable: No
- Crowded: Yes, on summer weekends
Contents |
Hike Description
This hike connects two peaks above Tombstone Pass, Cone Peak and Iron Mountain, which host sprawling, colorful wildflower meadows. Over 300 species, along with some 17 tree species, have been recorded. The best time to visit is the first half of July, but the views are gorgeous on any clear day. At peak bloom, the trails become quite crowded, so consider starting early in the morning if it's a weekend.
From the trailhead, walk south on the dirt road just past the informational signs. Drop off to the left of the road on an unsigned single track trail that can be hidden in grass late in the summer. This first turnoff has been missed by more than one group. It's just scant feet from the lot.
The first half mile is a gradual descent below Highway 20. There's a junction with the Tombstone Pass Nature Trail at mile 0.3 and another at mile 0.4. Turn right and walk the quarter mile loop if you like. It passes through an interesting meadow filled with flowers in July. Either path will bring you to the same second trail junction. From there, head up the hill to a highway crossing. Cross the highway, and walk 50 feet to the left to pick up the main trail, which heads up into the forest.
The trail is well graded with numerous switchbacks, passing by several species of tree. At the sixth switchback, you will catch your first glimpse of the wildflower meadows. Keep going and your patience shall be amply rewarded! After several more switchbacks, you will find yourself in open meadows littered with penstemon, larkspur, paintbrush, and stonecrop. Cone Peak will be directly ahead of you, with Iron Mountain to the west (left) and Echo Mountain to the right.
Proceed on the trail through the wildflower meadows. You will walk downhill across a swale, and then angle left (west) toward Iron Mountain. The loop continues through forest, and then circles around the west side of Iron Mountain. Turn left, and head uphill at the junction with the Iron Mountain Trail. It's almost a mile to a new observation platform at the top. Look for Washington lilies on this climb, as well as very colorful rock formations. If you are doing this hike on a weekend, expect this Iron Mountain summit spur trail to be packed with people of all ages.
After taking in the views at the top, head back down to the junction with the Cone Peak Trail. Turn left and you'll soon come to a second trail junction. The trail downhill here leads a short distance to the Iron Mountain Civil Road Trailhead, which features a restroom should you need one. To complete the hike, keep left at the junction to head downhill on the Iron Mountain Trail almost a mile to Highway 20. Walk across the road and scramble downhill to a short connector trail. Walk south on this path about 1/10 of a mile to the Santiam Wagon Road. Turn left here, and walk the abandoned road eastward. After a bit, the trail leaves the abandoned roadway and switchbacks up to the summit of Tombstone Pass and your car in the trailhead parking lot.
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Sweet Home Ranger District
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Willamette National Forest
- Pacific Northwest Recreation Map Series: Willamette Cascades
- National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map: Mount Jefferson, Mount Washington
- Adventure Maps: McKenzie River, Oregon, Trail Map
Fees, Regulations, etc.
- Northwest Forest Pass required at Tombstone Pass parking area.
- Leash recommended for dogs
- Pit toilet and picnic tables at the trailhead
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Cone Peak Loop
- Iron Moutain/Cone Peak Loop 7/23/2021
- Iron Mountain Sunrise/ Cone Peak Loop
- Snowshoe trip report by Tazz
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Cone Peak Loop
Guidebooks that cover this hike
- 52 Hikes for 52 Weeks by Franziska Weinheimer (Hike Oregon)
- Extraordinary Oregon! by Matt Reeder
- Oregon's Best Wildflower Hikes: Northwest Region by George Wuerthner
- 100 Hikes: Central Oregon Cascades by William L. Sullivan
- Trips & Trails: Oregon by William L. Sullivan
- 100 Classic Hikes in Oregon by Douglas Lorain
- Best Short Hikes in Northwest Oregon by Rhonda & George Ostertag
- Hiking Oregon by Donna Lynn Ikenberry
- Oregon Hiking by Sean Patrick Hill
- Pacific Northwest Hiking by Scott Leonard & Sean Patrick Hill
- Oregon's Southern Cascades: Camping & Hiking by Tom Stienstra & Sean Patrick Hill
- Guide to the Middle and South Santiam Roadless Areas edited by Julie Ambler
More Links
- Cone Peak Trail #3408 (USFS)
- Iron Mountain Trail #3389 (USFS)
- Iron Mountain and the Meadows of Cone Peak (wanderingyuncks)
- Cone Peak/Iron Mountain (Linda's Lens)
- Cone Peak Iron Mountain Loop (M.A. Willson)
- Iron Mountain - Cone Peak Meadows (Roaming Log)
- Iron Mountain (Hike Oregon)
- Iron Mountain/Cone Peak Loop (Calipidder)
- Cone Peak and Iron Mountain - 7.19.2019 (Roger Gervin)
- Iron Mountain & Cone Peak Loops (The Mountaineers)
- "Climb Iron Mountain via Cone Peak" (The Nugget Newspaper)
- "Wildflowers abound in Cone Peak Meadows" (The Nugget Newspaper)
- "Iron Mountain's Rock Garden Lookout best for spotting early-summer wildflowers" (Statesman Journal)
- Cone Peak (Summit Post)
- A Rainbow of Colors at Cone Peak and Iron Mountain (Mountain Plants of the Western Cascades)
- Cone Peak (OregonWildflowers.org)
- Cone Peak & Iron Mountain (Northwest Wildflowers)
Contributors
- Greglief (Greg Lief) (primary)
- Stevefromdodge