Oregon · Hiking · Three Sisters Wilderness · Near Sisters

Buck Meadows

Buck MeadowsPhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)
1.9 mi
round trip
491 ft
climb
5,771 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Sep
best months

Caution today

Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 5 h ago

Is Buck Meadows open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Willamette National Forest. It doesn't name Buck Meadows, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Willamette National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Buck Meadows is an easy out-and-back hike of about 1.9 miles in the Three Sisters Wilderness, within the McKenzie River Ranger District of the Willamette National Forest in Oregon. The trail is managed by the Forest Service and sits at roughly 5,380 feet, with a high point of about 5,771 feet. The climb is front-loaded, with the steepest stretch at about 0.13 miles from the start, and the total gain is about 491 feet for the round trip. The trail is on natural surface and allows horses. Bikes are not permitted. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Sunriver, which sits well below the trail, show July highs around 84°F and lows near 41°F. Winter is cold, with January highs around 40°F and lows near 20°F. The hike takes about an hour. The trail is open year-round. Substitute Point is about 0.7 miles away, and Separation Creek offers canoeing about 1.6 miles off. Alder Springs Campground is about 4.9 miles away, and the Three Sisters Wilderness climbing area is about 6.4 miles away.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Alder Springs Campground

    Campground

    Campground · 4.9 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Takoda's

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 21 mi
  • If it rains

    Clearwater Gallery

    Gallery

    In town

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors

More in Sisters

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · May–Sep

    Best time to visit Buck Meadows

    Best months: May–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.

    1. Jan

      40° / 20°

    2. Feb

      43° / 21°

    3. Mar

      50° / 24°

    4. Apr

      57° / 25°

    5. May

      65° / 33°

    6. Jun

      72° / 37°

    7. Jul

      84° / 41°

    8. Aug

      83° / 40°

    9. Sep

      76° / 34°

    10. Oct

      62° / 28°

    11. Nov

      46° / 24°

    12. Dec

      37° / 19°

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Sunriver, OR, 27.9 mi away at 4,180 ft. The station sits about 1,600 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.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Substitute PointPhoto: Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Substitute Point

~1 min drive

1.40-mile out-and-back trail at Substitute Point in Oregon, 451 ft gain.

Linton LakePhoto: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Linton Lake

~7 min drive

3.32-mile out-and-back trail to Linton Lake in Oregon with 653 ft gain.

Camp LakePhoto: Don Henise, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Camp Lake

~11 min drive

10-mile out-and-back trail to Camp Lake in Oregon with 249 ft gain.

HIKE

Separation Lake Trail #3536

~8 min drive

15.88-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 3,412 ft elevation gain

Proxy Falls Trail #3532Photo: Robert Ashworth from Bellingham, WA., USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Proxy Falls Trail #3532

~8 min drive

1.72-mile out-and-back trail with 451 ft gain in Oregon

South Sister ClimberPhoto: bzo, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

South Sister Climber

~12 min drive

South Sister Climber is a 3.60-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 802 ft of elevation gain.

Scott Trail #3531Photo: Bonnie Moreland (free images), Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Scott Trail #3531

~12 min drive

10.54-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 1,914 ft elevation gain/loss

HIKE

HORSE CREEK

~12 min drive

25.06-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 3,737 ft elevation gain

Golden Lake Old TrailPhoto: owen galen jones, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Golden Lake Old Trail

~14 min drive

0.59-mile out-and-back trail at Golden Lake with 25 ft gain and 216 ft loss.

Elk-DevilsPhoto: Bonnie Moreland (free images), Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Elk-Devils

~13 min drive

11.32-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 758 ft elevation gain.