Hager Mountain is a dominant peak in Fremont-Winema National Forest. Its bare summit means wide unblocked views, and on a clear day you’ll easily see Mount Shasta to the south.
The lookout on top of Hager Mountain is one of the few remaining staffed lookouts in Oregon. During the summer months, Forest Service personnel use the lookout for fire spotting. In the winter months, the lookout is reservable by the public via recreation.gov.
Although there is a forest road up the mountain, it is only for Forest service staff use. Hager Mountain lookout is only accessible to the public by foot. Depending on the season, you’ll be hiking, snowshoeing, or skiing your way to the top.
The route described below covers the hiking trail from national forest road 28.
Topo map and GPX track:
Style:
Out and back hike on a well defined trail.
Distance and Elevation Gain:
From lower trailhead: 8 miles round trip with 2200 ft of gain. If you have a vehicle that can make the upper trailhead, this reduces the hike to 5 miles round trip with 1600 ft of gain.
Trailhead and Permit Notes:
The Hager Mountain trail follows the Fremont National Scenic trail from a small pullout on NF-28. NF-28 is paved and the quickest access to the trailhead is via the town of Silver Lake to the north. Watch out for the potholes!
About a mile from the summit, the Hager Mountain trail splits from the National Scenic trail and continues to follow long switchbacks up to the summit. There are some exposed, unshaded stretches between here and the summit. As a result, it can get rough on a hot day! Luckily, during the right time of summer, this section can be filled with wildflowers!
If you don’t mind a short drive up a rocky and narrow forest road, you can cut 1.5 miles and 600 feet of climbing off the hike by driving up to Hager Spring. This upper trailhead has room for a couple of cars and a sign points the way to connect with the main trail.
Despite the name, we did not see any water coming from Hager Spring, so bring enough for your entire outing.
No permits are required for this hike, but if you wish to stay at the lookout you will need to book it through Recreation.gov.
Useful Guides and Gear:
There are many wildflowers that can be found on Hager Moutain at the right time of year! This book is really helpful at identifying the various blooms.
