Tumala Mountain
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Hikes including this destination:
- Tumala Mountain Hike (TH | <— —> | LOG)
- Fanton Trail to Tumala Mountain Hike (TH | <— —> | LOG)
- Tumala Mountain from South Fork Saddle Hike (TH | <— —> | LOG)
- Weather forecast: NWS/NOAA
- Maps: Oregon Hikers Maps Google Maps
- Latitude, Longitude: 45.23032, -122.04103
- Elevation: 4770 feet
Description
Like many peaks in the Cascades, Tumala Mountain once housed a fire lookout. The remains of the tower are still visible on the summit, as is the rocky access road. Tumala Mountain is located on the western edge of the Cascades, so views from the summit stretch from the high peaks to farms in the Willamette Valley. The rugged Roaring River backcountry spreads out to the southeast of the mountain, and the beautiful Tumala Lakes Basin is located just east of the summit block. The area is especially notable for a massive rhododendron display in late June, and huckleberries in late summer. The original Abbott Road crossed the southern shoulder of Tumala Mountain, and likely followed native American trails that crossed through the area for hundreds of years.
The mountain was known for decades as Squaw Mountain. In 2007, the peak was officially renamed Tumala Mountain by the Board on Geographic Names during a campaign to eradicate the offensive word "squaw" from maps. Tumala is Chinook Jargon for "the afterlife" or "tomorrow."
More Links
- Unfinished work at Tumala WyEast Blog
- Tumala Mountain Wikipedia
- Squaw Mountain Lookout Site Former Fire Lookout Sites Register
Page Contributors
- Splintercat (Tom Kloster) (primary)
- bobcat