Ascent
- 0.7 mi
- round trip
- 725 ft
- climb
- 3,910 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Jun, Sep
- best months
Ascent is an easy out-and-back hike on Bureau of Land Management land in eastern Oregon, within the Vale Baker Field Office. The route is 1.4 miles long, and the round trip rises about 725 feet from a low point of roughly 3,580 feet to a high of about 3,910 feet. The steepest stretch comes early, at about 0.2 miles into the hike, with a 14% grade, so plan for a short climb up and back. Summer is the warmest time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Baker City, which sits roughly 550 feet lower than the route, show July and August highs around 88°F with only three to four wet days a month, while winter highs there stay in the upper 30s with lows near 20°F. The hike takes about an hour. Two trails start right beside it: NHOTIC Site Trail and Flagstaff Loop, each about a tenth of a mile away. The Oregon Trail lies about 0.3 miles off, and Mountain Ash is about half a mile away.
Local outfitters
- Cornucopia Lodge & Packstation31 mi away
- Oregon Backcountry Outfitting45 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Conditions and forecast on Flagstaff Hill
Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.
- NHOTIC Site TrailHiking0.1 mi
Flagstaff LoopHikingPhoto: ilya_ktsn, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)0.1 mi- Oregon TrailHiking0.3 mi
- Mountain AshHiking0.5 mi
- Auburn-Burnt RiverHiking0.6 mi
- Eagle Valley Rr Grade LoopHiking0.6 mi
- Panorama PointHiking0.6 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Flagstaff LoopHiking · Next doorPhoto: ilya_ktsn, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
North Powder River TrailHiking · ~40 min drivePhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)- Elkhorn Crest National Recreation TrailHiking · ~27 min drive
- North Fork Catherine Creek TrailHiking · ~41 min drive
Powder River Recreation Area Paved TrailHiking · ~27 min drivePhoto: Robert Ashworth from Bellingham, WA., USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Oregon TrailHiking · ~5 min drive
- West Eagle TrailHiking · ~39 min drive
- Summit Lake TrailHiking · ~42 min drive
- Phillips Lake North Shoreline TrailHiking · ~28 min drivePhoto: Robert Ashworth from Bellingham, WA., USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Velvet Creek TrailHiking · ~29 min drive
Best time to visit Ascent
Best months: May–June and September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
38° / 20°
10 wet
Feb
44° / 23°
9 wet
Mar
54° / 28°
10 wet
Apr
61° / 31°
10 wet
May
70° / 39°
10 wet
Jun
77° / 44°
8 wet
Jul
88° / 49°
4 wet
Aug
88° / 47°
3 wet
Sep
79° / 39°
4 wet
Oct
64° / 30°
6 wet
Nov
48° / 25°
9 wet
Dec
37° / 20°
10 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Baker City Muni Ap, OR, 4.4 mi away at 3,361 ft. The station sits about 500 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Route details
- Distance
- 0.7 mi round trip
- Climbing
- About 725 ft
- Summit
- 3,948 ft
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- About 0.5 hours
Other routes up Flagstaff Hill
Questions about this route
How long is the Ascent on Flagstaff Hill?
About 0.7 mi round trip.
How much elevation gain is on the Ascent?
About 725 ft of climbing round trip.
How hard is the Ascent?
It is rated easy.
How long does the Ascent take?
About 0.5 hours round trip.
How many routes go up Flagstaff Hill?
4: NHOTIC Site Trail, Flagstaff Loop, Ascent and Panorama Point.
