Trail Guide

Our Online Trail Reviews are written by volunteers. If your favorite trail isn't in our guide yet then please consider writing your own review. You may also submit suggested updates to portions of any review by clicking on an [edit] link.

South Sister Summit
(Oregon)


Joe Meredith
Start walking on the South sister climber's trail.You'll cross the road and enter the Three Sister Wilderness. Sign in your free wilderness permits and march on. You'll immediately start climbing Devil's Hill. It is quite steep here gaining 1200 feet in just 1.5 miles. After 1.5 miles you'll break into a flat area with your first view of looming South Sister in the distance. Continue walking on the South Sister Climber's Trail and keep left at the Moraine Lake Trail junction. The trail is gently undulating here and gains only 500 feet in the next 1.7 miles. As you walk you get closer to South Sister and soon you arrive at the base of the mountain. By this time you can also see Moraine Lake below you and a wide expansive view opens up behind you. Turn your back to soak in all this scenery. Here the trail really starts climbing over loose sand and rocks for the next 1.2 miles gaining 1600 feet in the process. The views now include half of southern Oregon. Keep climbing and you will eventually hit a saddle near Lewis Glacier with a small lake at the base of the glacier. From here the steepness increases and the terrain gets much rougher. You have to walk on pumice that shifts under your foot as you try to gain 1500 feet in 1.1 miles to reach the false summit. It takes a lot of time to negotiate this 1.1 mile. Once you have reached the top of the false summit walk across a flat snow field or around it and head towards the actual summit at the other side. Climb some not so steep rocks to reach the summit at 10385 feet (third highest point in Oregon). To the north you can see he other two sisters, Mt.Jefferson and Mt Hood on a clear day.
[edit]

Driving Directions:
Drive to the town of Bend in oregon and follow the signs to Mt.Bachelor ski area. Six miles past the Mt.Bachelor ski area park at the Devil's Lake campground on the left side of the road.
[edit]

Statistics
Distance: 11 mi r/t
Time: 12h r/t
Elevation Gain in: 4900 ft
Elevation Gain out: 0 ft
Trailhead Elevation: 5400 ft
Maximum Elevation: 10385 ft
 [edit]

Trails (Click for reports)
S SISTER CLIMBER'S

Suggested Seasons
Summer
Fall
 [edit]

Users
Hikers
Climbers
 [edit]

Author's Ratings
Usage: Heavy
Difficulty: Most Difficult
Rating: Best!
 [edit]

Attractions
Basins
Campsites
Lakes
Summit
 [edit]

Maps & Books
[edit]
Many of the above books and
maps are available through our
Online Store

Written by
Fizalkhan Peermohamed
Aug 18, 2000

Trailhead Location is Latitude 44:02.247 N by Longitude 121:45.784 W [edit]