Oregon · Hiking

Nighthawk

NighthawkPhoto: Jesse Wagstaff, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
1.7 mi
round trip
1,161 ft
climb
5,178 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Oct
best months

Caution today

Weather is marginal · OpenWeather · checked 11 h ago

Nighthawk is a moderate out-and-back hike in southern Oregon, about 7 miles from the town of Modoc Point. The route is 3.4 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 1,161 feet, and it reaches a high point of 5,178 feet. The climb is front-loaded, with the steepest stretch at about 1.5 miles in, where the grade reaches 57 percent. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Howard Prairie Dam show July and August highs around 79°F with only two or three wet days a month, while winter brings highs in the mid-30s and regular snow days from December through February. The hike takes about 1.5 hours. Chinquapin and Mazama are both about 0.1 mile away, and Captain Jack and Modoc are each about 0.8 mile off.

Local outfitters

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

  • Best time to go · May–Oct

    Best time to visit Nighthawk

    Best months: May–October. 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

      36° / 23°

      15 wet · 9 snow

    2. Feb

      40° / 23°

      14 wet · 8 snow

    3. Mar

      45° / 26°

      16 wet · 8 snow

    4. Apr

      50° / 29°

      13 wet · 4 snow

    5. May

      60° / 36°

      11 wet · 1 snow

    6. Jun

      68° / 40°

      5 wet

    7. Jul

      79° / 47°

      3 wet

    8. Aug

      79° / 46°

      2 wet

    9. Sep

      72° / 40°

      4 wet

    10. Oct

      58° / 33°

      8 wet · 1 snow

    11. Nov

      42° / 28°

      13 wet · 5 snow

    12. Dec

      35° / 23°

      15 wet · 9 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Howard Prairie Dam, OR, 23.5 mi away at 4,567 ft. The station sits about 600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors