Tumalo Mountain Trail Hiking Guide
Tumalo Mountain is the quickest big view off the Cascade Lakes Highway: a short, relentless climb from Dutchman Flat to a summit facing Broken Top to the north and Mount Bachelor to the southwest. It is a summer evening favorite and one of the best-known snowshoe climbs near Bend. Here is what to expect on the way up and how the rules change with the season.
Permit: The Dutchman Sno-Park/Trailhead requires an Oregon Sno-Park permit from November 1 through April 30: $4 per vehicle per day, $9 for three consecutive days or $25 for the season. The Forest Service lists no parking fee for the rest of the year, and no permit is needed to hike.
Short and Steep
AllTrails maps the out-and-back from Dutchman Flat at 4.1 miles with 1,427 feet of gain and rates it hard, with an average time of about two hours and forty minutes. That is roughly 700 feet of climbing per mile, and AllTrails' description warns that the end of the hike is very steep. The Dutchman trailhead page gives no trail length; the agency's watershed map marks the Tumalo Mountain Trail as hiker only, so you won't meet bikes on it.
Dutchman Flat Trailhead
The Dutchman Sno-Park/Trailhead is about 22 miles west of Bend on the Cascade Lakes Highway, at 6,350 feet according to the Forest Service's winter trail map. There are vault toilets. The lot is small and fills quickly in winter, vehicles and trailers over 40 feet aren't allowed, and overnight parking is banned on Tuesday and Thursday nights so plows can clear it. No camping is allowed.
Snowshoeing in Winter
From November 1 through April 30 you need an Oregon Sno-Park permit on the dashboard: $4 for a day, $9 for three consecutive days or $25 for the season. Dutchman Flat is a busy winter hub with Nordic ski trails and snowmobile routes, and the Forest Service calls winter use extremely heavy. Stay off set ski tracks, use the marked snowshoe trails where they exist and cross ski trails only at signed crossings. Arrive early; the small lot fills quickly.
Dogs: Summer Yes, Winter No
In summer and early fall dogs can hike the mountain. From November 1 through May 1 the Forest Service closes the Dutchman Flat area to dogs to prevent collisions with skiers and sanitation problems at the trails and shelters; the only exception is a permitted working dog in harness on a groomed snowmobile trail. The City of Bend Watershed lies just east of the summit and is closed to dogs year-round, so keep your dog on the trail.
Hiking tips for Tumalo Mountain Trail
- Pace yourself; the gain comes in barely two miles.
- Bring a warm layer for the summit, where you'll want to linger over the views.
- Buy your Sno-Park permit before you leave town in winter.
- Leave the dog home between November 1 and May 1.
- Avoid Tuesday and Thursday night parking at Dutchman Flat in winter; plows clear the lot.
Nearby trails to explore
- Green Lakes Trail (Three Sisters)
- Tumalo Falls Trail
- Tam McArthur Rim Trail
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Tumalo Mountain is a short, steep climb that is more fun with a partner, especially on snowshoes. Use TrailMates to find Bend hikers heading out to Dutchman Flat. Download TrailMates on the App Store or Google Play to join a group.