Nipple Butte Trail
- 2.9 mi
- round trip
- 2,300 ft
- climb
- 6,230 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Aug
- best months
Is Nipple Butte Trail open right now?
No closures listed
The Forest Service lists no closures for Malheur National Forest.
As of · Source: USFS · Malheur National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Nipple Butte Trail is a moderate out-and-back hike in Oregon's Malheur National Forest, within the Blue Mountain Ranger District. The trail is about 2.9 miles long, and the round trip climbs about 2,300 feet, with the high point at 6,230 feet. The steepest stretch comes at about 1.4 miles, where the grade reaches 26 percent. The most comfortable months for a visit are typically July and August, when typical averages from a nearby weather station in Seneca run to highs around 82°F and only three or four wet days a month. That station sits roughly 1,600 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the summit run cooler. Lake Butte Trail starts just 0.3 miles away, and Porcupine Spring Trail is about 0.7 miles off. Phlo Trail is about a mile away, and Magone Lake Recreation Area, a campground, is about 2.2 miles away.
Best time to go · May–Aug
Best time to visit Nipple Butte Trail
Best months: May–August. 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
36° / 11°
12 wet
Feb
40° / 14°
10 wet
Mar
46° / 20°
11 wet
Apr
53° / 25°
10 wet
May
62° / 32°
10 wet
Jun
70° / 36°
7 wet
Jul
82° / 39°
4 wet
Aug
82° / 35°
3 wet
Sep
73° / 27°
4 wet
Oct
60° / 21°
8 wet
Nov
44° / 17°
11 wet
Dec
36° / 11°
13 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Seneca, OR, 30.7 mi away at 4,660 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
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Magone Lake Trail
~3 min drive
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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors