Indian Rock Trail

Thursday, July 19, 2024

Last October I drove up to the Indian Rock Lookout from the south. Today I hiked to it from the north via the Indian Rock Trail.

July in Oregon started off with an intense heat wave, and even though the temps backed off a bit after that it has been a very hot three weeks. By the second week of July careless humans got busy setting fires: the Larch Creek Fire near Dufur started July 9; the Falls Fire near Burns started July 10; the Cow Valley Fire near Baker City started July 11; and the Lone Rock Fire near Condon started July 13. (Unfortunately none of the people who set these fires have been caught so far.) Then thunderstorms arrived and more fires started. So I wasn’t expecting very good hiking conditions.

I parked at the trailhead on Road 45 and headed south.

Indian Rock Trailhead

Although there are no signs telling you so, this trail travels through the Vinegar Hill – Indian Rock Scenic Area. In this part the forest is relatively young, growing back after the 1996 Summit Fire burned through here:

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

I entered a short section where a few older trees survived the fire:

Indian Rock Trail

And I spotted a few old phone insulators as well:

Indian Rock Trail

Ancient wooden boardwalk/bridge:

Indian Rock Trail

Older pre-fire survival trees with younger ones growing back:

Indian Rock Trail

There was, of course, some blowdown, but it could have been A LOT worse:

Indian Rock Trail

I started seeing some wildflowers:

Indian Rock Trail

I reached a meadow where I lost the trail:

Indian Rock Trail

I poked around and found the continuation on the other side. More wildflowers:

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

I could hear Big Creek off to the right, but I couldn’t see it. Then I reached a footbridge over Big Creek:

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

An overgrown section of trail:

Indian Rock Trail

I crossed a little creek that wasn’t on the map. It’s probably seasonal:

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

I entered this open meadow area where I had a view of the lookout:

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

Beyond that was a large open sandy area. Another good view of the lookout here, but this where the trail tread completely disappeared:

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

The Forest Service apparently agrees that the tread has vanished here, because they have erected signs and cairns to guide the way:

Indian Rock Trail

These tress burned more recently, in 2022. Beyond them you can see a large meadow:

Indian Rock Trail

That meadow was probably wet until recently. Along its edge I found some elephanthead flowers that were mostly done except this one:

Indian Rock Trail

Continuing to navigate by signs and cairns:

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

This meadow was CHOCK FULL of coneflower. I’ve never seen so much coneflower in one place before:

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

At the edge of the meadow I reached the junction with the Princess Trail:

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

Burnt trees and regrowing vegetation:

Indian Rock Trail

The trail once again became easier to follow:

Indian Rock Trail

The fleabane LOVED this burnt forest and there was a lot in bloom:

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

A peek at the lookout through the burnt trees:

Indian Rock Trail

Other wildflowers were blooming in the burn:

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

I reached Road 537 and the Indian Rock Trailhead:

Indian Rock Trail

Then hiked up the road towards the lookout:

Indian Rock Trail

I reached the end of the road the followed a steep rocky trail up the slope to the lookout. There were plenty of wildflowers blooming on the slopes here:

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

The Boneyard Fire (and others) had been started by lightning two days earlier, adding to the already-prolific smoke in eastern Oregon:

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

I reached the lookout, which is staffed:

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

I met the woman working there. She’s worked many seasons as a lookout and was very chatty:

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

Despite the smoke I could still see some of the surrounding mountains. The view to the north was the best:

Indian Rock Trail

That’s Deception Butte in the distance, and below is the valley of Big Creek that I hike up to get here:

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

The Crockets Knob Fire had burned through here in 2022 (it’s a misspelling of a nearby former lookout site, Crockett Knob):

Indian Rock Trail

Looking east at Donaldson Rock and the distant Elkhorns. The green meadow below is where all that coneflower was growing:

Indian Rock Trail

Looking south at Dixie Butte:

Indian Rock Trail

Looking southwest:

Indian Rock Trail

Indian Rock Trail

Looking west:

Indian Rock Trail

Looking northwest:

Indian Rock Trail

Despite the heat and the smoke this was a good hike!

Gaia stats: 8.2 miles, 1,500′ elevation gain.