Oregon · Hiking

Silica

SilicaPhoto: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
1.1 mi
round trip
93 ft
climb
6,416 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Oct
best months

Is Silica open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Deschutes National Forest. It doesn't name Silica, so check the source for the area it covers (3 listed).

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

Silica is a short, easy hike in the Bend/Fort Rock Ranger District of Oregon's Deschutes National Forest, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is about a mile long and rises roughly 47 feet from its starting point, with the high point at 6,416 feet. The climb is front-loaded, with the steepest stretch at about 5% grade near the beginning, and the route is out and back, so the total gain and loss are each about 93 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Odell Lake show July and August highs around 73 to 74°F with only about three wet days a month, while winter brings highs in the mid-30s and regular snow days from December through February. That station sits about 1,600 feet lower than the trail, so temperatures on the hike run cooler. The trail opens from June 1 through October 31, and the trip takes about half an hour. Little Crater Loop and the Paulina Lakeshore Trail #3955 both start within a tenth of a mile, and Little Crater campground is about 0.2 miles away. The Obsidian Flow hike is about half a 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 Silica

    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

      35° / 20°

      14 wet · 10 snow

    2. Feb

      38° / 21°

      13 wet · 9 snow

    3. Mar

      42° / 24°

      14 wet · 8 snow

    4. Apr

      46° / 28°

      11 wet · 4 snow

    5. May

      55° / 34°

      9 wet · 1 snow

    6. Jun

      63° / 38°

      6 wet

    7. Jul

      73° / 44°

      3 wet

    8. Aug

      74° / 42°

      3 wet

    9. Sep

      68° / 36°

      5 wet

    10. Oct

      55° / 30°

      9 wet · 1 snow

    11. Nov

      41° / 26°

      14 wet · 6 snow

    12. Dec

      34° / 20°

      15 wet · 10 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Odell Lake-East, OR, 37.7 mi away at 4,800 ft. The station sits about 1,600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Paulina Lakeshore Trail #3955Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Paulina Lakeshore Trail #3955

Next door

4.08-mile out-and-back hike with 1,281 ft elevation gain and loss in Oregon.

Obsidian FlowPhoto: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Obsidian Flow

Next door

0.52-mile lollipop trail with 72 ft gain in Oregon.

Paulina Lakeshore Trail #3955Photo: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Paulina Lakeshore Trail #3955

~1 min drive

7.32-mile out-and-back hike in Oregon with 3,000 ft elevation gain/loss.

Crater Rim Trail #3957Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Crater Rim Trail #3957

~3 min drive

22.3-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 2,814 ft gain/loss.

Lava Butte RimPhoto: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Lava Butte Rim

~27 min drive

0.34-mile loop trail at Lava Butte Rim in Oregon with 80 ft of elevation gain.

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

Lost Lake

~2 min drive

5.80-mile out-and-back trail to Lost Lake in Oregon with 1,149 ft elevation gain.

Little Crater Trail #3953Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Little Crater Trail #3953

~1 min drive

1.34-mile out-and-back hike in Oregon with 332 ft of elevation gain

Newberry Crater TrailPhoto: Nwcamera1, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Newberry Crater Trail

~3 min drive

13.46-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 1,502 ft elevation gain.

Crater Rim Trail 3957Photo: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Crater Rim Trail 3957

~5 min drive

9.16-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 1,471 ft gain.

Peter Skene Ogden Trail #3956Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Peter Skene Ogden Trail #3956

~3 min drive

2.35-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 81 ft gain and 796 ft loss.