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Black Butte (Oregon)
Encyclopedia
Black Butte is a cinder cone
butte
located in Deschutes National Forest
, northwest of the town of Sisters, Oregon
. An extinct volcano, it is composed of basaltic andesite
. The cone rises 3076 feet (938 m) over the surrounding plateau. Black Butte is a striking feature just north of US Highway 20
, which descends from the east flank of the Cascades. It is nearly symmetrical,
with no marks of glaciation. Even though it is older than the High Cascades mountains visible to the west, which are heavily scoured by ice-age glacier activity, Black Butte receives less snow at its lower elevation and location east of the High Cascades. The headwaters of the Metolius River
flow from Metolius Springs near the northern base of Black Butte. The spring flows at a consistent rate of 45000–50000 US gal (170.3–189.3 m3) per minute.
In the local indigenous tongue, the mountain is called Turututu, but records show settlers calling it Black Butte as early as 1855.
Forest Service
road 1110 climbs halfway up the mountain and a hiking trail continues to the summit.
At the summit, there are two fire lookout tower
s, one that was built in 1934 and is presently condemned, and another that was constructed in 1995 to replace the older one. The older is the taller of the two.
Cinder cone
According to the , Cinder Cone is the proper name of 1 cinder cone in Canada and 7 cinder cones in the United States:In Canada: Cinder Cone In the United States:...
butte
Butte
A butte is a conspicuous isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top; it is smaller than mesas, plateaus, and table landform tables. In some regions, such as the north central and northwestern United States, the word is used for any hill...
located in Deschutes National Forest
Deschutes National Forest
The Deschutes National Forest is a United States National Forest located in parts of Deschutes, Klamath, Lake, and Jefferson counties in central Oregon. It comprises 1.8 million acres along the east side of the Cascade mountains. In 1908, the Deschutes National Forest was established from parts...
, northwest of the town of Sisters, Oregon
Sisters, Oregon
Sisters is a city in Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. It is part of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 959 at the 2000 census, but more than doubled to 2038 as of the 2010 census.- History :...
. An extinct volcano, it is composed of basaltic andesite
Basaltic andesite
Basaltic andesite is a black volcanic rock containing about 55% silica. Minerals in basaltic andesite include olivine, augite and plagioclase. Basaltic andesite can be found in volcanoes around the world, including in Central America and the Andes of South America. Basaltic andesite is common in...
. The cone rises 3076 feet (938 m) over the surrounding plateau. Black Butte is a striking feature just north of US Highway 20
U.S. Route 20 in Oregon
U.S. Route 20 in Oregon is a major east–west cross-state highway, especially east of the Cascade Mountains. It connects U.S. Route 101 in Newport on the central Oregon Coast to the Idaho state line east of Nyssa.- Route description :...
, which descends from the east flank of the Cascades. It is nearly symmetrical,
with no marks of glaciation. Even though it is older than the High Cascades mountains visible to the west, which are heavily scoured by ice-age glacier activity, Black Butte receives less snow at its lower elevation and location east of the High Cascades. The headwaters of the Metolius River
Metolius River
The Metolius River is a tributary of the Deschutes River in Central Oregon, United States, near the city of Sisters. The river flows north from springs near Black Butte, then turns sharply east, descending through a series of gorges before ending in the western end of the lake...
flow from Metolius Springs near the northern base of Black Butte. The spring flows at a consistent rate of 45000–50000 US gal (170.3–189.3 m3) per minute.
In the local indigenous tongue, the mountain is called Turututu, but records show settlers calling it Black Butte as early as 1855.
Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
road 1110 climbs halfway up the mountain and a hiking trail continues to the summit.
At the summit, there are two fire lookout tower
Fire lookout tower
A fire lookout tower, fire tower or lookout tower, provides housing and protection for a person known as a "fire lookout" whose duty it is to search for wildfires in the wilderness...
s, one that was built in 1934 and is presently condemned, and another that was constructed in 1995 to replace the older one. The older is the taller of the two.