Mt. McLoughlin Summit Trail

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Features Birding · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

The first 3.5 miles of trail are very well-established and of moderate difficulty. The last ~1 mile, however, is steep and a difficult scramble up shale and a few small boulder fields.

Mt. McLoughlin is located within Sky Lakes Wilderness and is a 9,495-foot peak in the Cascade Mountain Range. It is also the highest peak in southern Oregon. The 4.5-mile long trail to the summit winds through a ponderosa pine forest and ascends through rocky terrain as you reach the summit.

The trail can be difficult to identify as you reach the last mile of trail before the summit, although it is very well traveled and a popular route during the summer months. The trail follows the natural spine to the summit where you'll not be disappointed.

After leaving the parking lot, the trail merges with the Pacific Crest Trail at about the 1-mile mark. It is common for runners to easily miss the left turn/intersection off of the PCT for the Mt. McLoughlin Trail and many end up taking a day trip along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) instead. Watch for the signs to go left.