Tumalo Mountain

Rising across the highway from Mt. Bachelor, and next to Broken Top, Tumalo is a much lesser and lower volcano climb. With a good trail to the summit, it is probably the best mountain to climb in the area if time and energy is short. Given the excellent access from the highway, Tumalo Mountain is climbed year-round. Just hike or snowshoe to the summit, no issues.

Tumalo Mountain

In 1913 there was an alidade stump with a camp nearby.

The 1948 lookout, W.T. Curtis, split duties between this station and Wanoga Butte.

In August of 1948, a new lookout house was erected. "The work will be completed by fall, with Merle Sleeper as the contractor. His bid, of $1995.90 for erection of the ready-cut one-room house, and $995 for transportation of materials, was the only offer received by the forest service. It has been forwarded to the Portland office of the regional forester for acceptance. The house, 14 x 14 feet, will be erected on a 16 x 16 foot base, which will provide storage space under the building. The building is a new style recently approved by the forest service, and will be the first of its type in the Deschutes national forest. Lookout's headquarters on the mountain are in a tent-house at present." (The Bend Bulletin)

At the end of 1968, the firefinder and anything that could be carried was removed from the lookout. The lookout was no longer needed for its designed purpose. The lookout was destroyed in the 1970s.

From Bend, take the Cascade Lakes Highway 21 miles to the Dutchman Flat Sno-Park. The trail leaves from the snowpark. In winter, to avoid paying for a sno-park pass, you can just park in the Sunrise Lodge parking area and walk across the highway.