Black Crater | |
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The mountain seen from the Dee Wright Observatory
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Highest point | |
Elevation | 7,257 ft (2,212 m) NAVD 88 |
Prominence | 1,411 ft (430 m) |
Coordinates | 44°15′58″N 121°44′55″W / 44.265998142°N 121.748565361°WCoordinates: 44°15′58″N 121°44′55″W / 44.265998142°N 121.748565361°W |
Geography | |
Location | Deschutes County, Oregon, U.S. |
Parent range | Cascade Range |
Topo map | USGS Black Crater |
Geology | |
Age of rock | Late Pleistocene |
Mountain type | Shield volcano |
Volcanic arc | Cascade Volcanic Arc |
Climbing | |
Easiest route | Trail |
Black Crater is a steep-sided shield volcano in the Cascade Range of central Oregon, located north of the Three Sisters and east of McKenzie Pass. Ice Age glaciers carved a large cirque into the northern flank of the mountain, and snow often lingers in its shady depths until late summer. A United States Forest Service fire lookout tower was built on the summit in 1925, but was eventually destroyed and only remnants of the foundation remain today. A 3.7-mile (6.0 km) trail heads for the summit from the northwest on Oregon Route 242, eventually wrapping onto the northeast side for the upper part of the ascent.