Oregon · Hiking

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.

    1. Jan

      36° / 11°

      12 wet

    2. Feb

      40° / 14°

      10 wet

    3. Mar

      46° / 20°

      11 wet

    4. Apr

      53° / 25°

      10 wet

    5. May

      62° / 32°

      10 wet

    6. Jun

      70° / 36°

      7 wet

    7. Jul

      82° / 39°

      4 wet

    8. Aug

      82° / 35°

      3 wet

    9. Sep

      73° / 27°

      4 wet

    10. Oct

      60° / 21°

      8 wet

    11. Nov

      44° / 17°

      11 wet

    12. 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

Phlo TrailPhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Phlo Trail

~2 min drive

1.32-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 437 ft elevation gain

Saddle Camp - Lost Creek tie trailPhoto: Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Saddle Camp - Lost Creek tie trail

~36 min drive

3.16-mile out-and-back hike in Oregon with 620 ft elevation gain and loss.

HIKE

Pine Creek Trail #201

~28 min drive

22.7-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 5,206 ft elevation gain/loss.

HIKE

Davis Creek Trail #244

~32 min drive

17.06-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 3,610 ft elevation gain.

Deadhead TrailPhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Deadhead Trail

~3 min drive

1.7-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 354 ft elevation gain and 5,208 ft max elevation.

Summit Trail #5002Photo: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Summit Trail #5002

~36 min drive

0.66-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 478 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

Indian Creek Trail #364

~31 min drive

13.4-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 4,700 ft elevation gain and loss.

HIKE

Joaquin Miller Trail #219

~35 min drive

11.46-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 4,106 ft elevation gain/loss.

Saddle Camp TrailPhoto: Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Saddle Camp Trail

~36 min drive

5.62-mile out-and-back hike in Oregon with 1,512 ft elevation gain.

Magone Lake TrailPhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Magone Lake Trail

~3 min drive

1.55-mile loop trail in Oregon with 690 ft of elevation gain.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors