Home  •   Field Guide  •   Forums  •    Unread Posts  •   Maps  •   Find a Hike!
| Page | Discussion | View source | History | Print Friendly and PDF

Tam McArthur Rim Hike

From Oregon Hikers Field Guide

Three Sisters from Tam McArthur Rim (greglief)
Tam McArthur Rim above Three Creek Lake (Cheryl Hill)
Cascade view from above Three Creek Lake (greglief)
Mount Bachelor from along the trail (greglief)
Tam McArthur Rim and North Sister (greglief)
Broken Top from the rim (cfm)
The trail to Tam McArthur Rim (bobcat) Courtesy: Caltopo/USFS
  • Start point: Tam McArthur Rim TrailheadRoad.JPG
  • End point: Tam McArthur Rim
  • Hike type: Out and back
  • Distance: 5.0 miles roundtrip
  • Elevation gain: 1,200 feet
  • High point: 7,730 feet
  • Difficulty: Moderate
  • Seasons: August - October
  • Family Friendly: Yes
  • Backpackable: No
  • Crowded: Yes

Contents

Hike Description

Tam McArthur Rim towers above Three Creek Lake at the edge of the Three Sisters Wilderness. These high cliffs are named after Lewis "Tam" McArthur who served as secretary of the Oregon Geographic Board from 1916-1949. (You may also know him as the author of the reference book Oregon Geographic Names.) This hike starts high (6,550 feet) and climbs higher to reach the main viewpoint (7,730 feet), so it's usually August before the snow melts and you can get to the trailhead to successfully complete the trip.

The trail starts climbing right away, steeply at first. You will be able to look down on Three Creek Lake and beyond as you climb higher. There is a level section in the middle, but then it climbs again. At the 0.7 mile mark, you will enter the Three Sisters Wilderness. After 2.5 miles, you'll be up on the plateau of Tam McArthur Rim. Look for trails to your right which will take you to viewpoints and faint clifftop paths. From up here, you'll be able to see many prominent peaks in the Cascades as well as Little Three Creek Lake and Three Creek Lake below you.

Continuing east along the ridge is a user trail that will take you, in less than three miles, to Broken Hand, the Bend Glacier Viewpoint, and No Name Lake.

This is not a good rainy day hike. You will not get to see the views you worked so hard for, and you may get quite a pummeling from the wind and rain on the open sections of trail.

Maps

  • Maps: Hike Finder
  • Green Trails Maps: Three Sisters #621
  • Green Trails Maps: Bend – Three Sisters #622SX
  • Geo-Graphics: Three Sisters Wilderness Map
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Sisters Ranger District
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Deschutes National Forest
  • Pacific Northwest Recreation Map Series: Willamette Cascades
  • Pacific Northwest Recreation Map Series: Central Oregon Cascades
  • Adventure Maps: Three Sisters Wilderness Trail Map
  • National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map: Bend – Three Sisters

Fees, Regulations, etc.

  • Self-issued wilderness permit
  • Central Cascades Wilderness Permit required: $6 overnight permit; $1 per person day use (June 15th - October 15th)
  • Nearby campground with restrooms

Trip Reports

Related Discussions / Q&A

Guidebooks that cover this hike

  • Extraordinary Oregon! by Matt Reeder
  • 100 Hikes: Central Oregon Cascades by William L. Sullivan
  • Trips & Trails: Oregon by William L. Sullivan
  • Oregon Favorites: Trails and Tales by William L. Sullivan
  • Day Hiking: Bend & Central Oregon by Brittany Manwill
  • Best Hikes Near Bend by Lizann Dunegan
  • Hiking Oregon by Lizann Dunegan
  • Hike America: Oregon by Lizann Dunegan
  • Oregon's Wilderness Areas by George Wuerthner
  • Hiking Central Oregon & Beyond by Virginia Meissner
  • Central Oregon: Walks, Hikes & Strolls for Mature Folks by Marsha Johnson
  • 50 Hikes in Oregon by David L. Anderson
  • Hiking Oregon's Central Cascades by Bruce Grubbs
  • Oregon Hiking by Sean Patrick Hill
  • Oregon's Southern Cascades: Camping & Hiking by Tom Stienstra & Sean Patrick Hill
  • Pacific Northwest Hiking by Scott Leonard & Sean Patrick Hill
  • Snowshoe Routes - Oregon by Shea Andersen
  • Canine Oregon by Lizann Dunegan
  • Best Dog Hikes: Oregon by Adam Sawyer
  • Trail Running: Oregon by Lizann Dunegan

More Links


Contributors

Retrieved from "https://www.oregonhikers.org/w/index.php?title=Tam_McArthur_Rim_Hike&oldid=121438"
Oregon Hikers Field Guide is built as a collaborative effort by its user community. While we make every effort to fact-check, information found here should be considered anecdotal. You should cross-check against other references before planning a hike. Trail routing and conditions are subject to change. Please contact us if you notice errors on this page.

Hiking is a potentially risky activity, and the entire risk for users of this field guide is assumed by the user, and in no event shall Trailkeepers of Oregon be liable for any injury or damages suffered as a result of relying on content in this field guide. All content posted on the field guide becomes the property of Trailkeepers of Oregon, and may not be used without permission.