The Iron Mountain/Cone Peak loop is a popular central Oregon Cascades destination for wildflower peeping in the early summer. This loop offers shaded forest hiking, colorful wildflower-dense open hillsides, and a comfortable viewing platform at the top of Iron Mountain from which you can see many of the prominent Oregon Cascade peaks.
Iron Mountain is a popular hike once the snow melts, so I would recommend visiting this trail on a weekday if you want it to yourself.
The trail is clear from approximately early June until the snow flies in the fall/winter. The track below was taken in late May of a heavy snow year and required navigating around some snow fields. See labels in the map for more info.
Topo map and GPX track:
Style:
Loop on a well traveled single track trail.
Distance:
Slightly over 7 miles including the summit of Iron Mountain
Elevation Gain:
+/- 2200 ft
Trailhead and Permit Notes:
There are a couple of places where this loop can be accessed. The easiest to find is the Sno Park at Tombstone Pass. This parking lot includes a pit toilet and requires either an Oregon Sno Parks permit or northwest forest pass, depending on time of year.
