Mountain · 1 route

Potato Butte

5,295 ft · Oregon

Summit
5,295 ft
Routes
1 way up

Route up Potato Butte

  1. Potato ButteEasyabout 450 ft of climbing1.2 mi round tripSee the route
Map of the route up Potato Butte, with each route's start numbered and the summit marked
Potato ButteMap © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap contributors

About Potato Butte

Potato Butte is a summit of 5,295 feet in the Clackamas River Ranger District of Mt. Hood National Forest in Oregon, about 15 miles from the town of Idanha. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Santiam Junction show July and August highs around 76°F with lows near 42°F, and the summit sits higher than that station, so expect cooler temperatures up top. Several trails start close by. Fish Lake is about 1.4 miles away and Red Lake Trail #719 about 1.8 miles. For an overnight base, Lower Lake (Olallie) campground is about 2.1 miles off, and the Olallie Lake Guard Station Cabin is about 2.5 miles away.

Forecast on Potato Butte

Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.

Questions about Potato Butte

How tall is Potato Butte?

5,295 ft (1,614 m).

How many routes go to the summit of Potato Butte?

One: Potato Butte.

Mountains nearby

More mountains in Oregon

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: Jun–Sep. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 65–76°F and lows of 38–42°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Santiam Junction, OR weather station, 27 mi away. High / low in °F.

  1. Jan38° high24° low
  2. Feb41° high24° low
  3. Mar44° high26° low
  4. Apr49° high29° low
  5. May58° high35° low
  6. Jun65° high38° low
  7. Jul76° high42° low
  8. Aug76° high42° low
  9. Sep69° high39° low
  10. Oct56° high33° low
  11. Nov42° high28° low
  12. Dec36° high23° low

The station sits about 1,500 ft lower than this spot, so expect it to run cooler up here.

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020

Where it is

Nearest town
Idanha, Oregon · 15 mi

Source: USFS EDW boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

Active alerts for Clackamas River Ranger District as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)

Is Potato Butte open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Clackamas River Ranger District. It doesn't name Potato Butte, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Clackamas River Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Potato Butte

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

    38° / 24°

  2. Feb

    41° / 24°

  3. Mar

    44° / 26°

  4. Apr

    49° / 29°

  5. May

    58° / 35°

  6. Jun

    65° / 38°

  7. Jul

    76° / 42°

  8. Aug

    76° / 42°

  9. Sep

    69° / 39°

  10. Oct

    56° / 33°

  11. Nov

    42° / 28°

  12. Dec

    36° / 23°

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Santiam Junction, OR, 27.3 mi away at 3,750 ft. The station sits about 1,500 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.