Pilot Butte (Oregon) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pilot Butte |
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 4,142 ft (1,262 m) NAVD 88 |
| Prominence | 480 ft (150 m) |
| Geography | |
 Pilot Butte
Location in Bend OR
Pilot Butte
Location in Oregon
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| Parent range | Cascades |
| Topo map | USGS Bend |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | Less than 780,000 years |
| Mountain type | Cinder cone |
| Volcanic arc | Cascade Volcanic Arc |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Road |
Pilot Butte is a special hill in Bend, Oregon. It's actually a cinder cone, which is a type of extinct volcano. This means it won't erupt again! Pilot Butte rises about 500 feet (152 meters) above the flat land around it.
Bend is one of only four cities in the United States that has a volcano right inside its city limits. In Oregon, Portland also has one called Mount Tabor. The other cities with volcanoes are Jackson, Mississippi (with Jackson Volcano) and Honolulu, Hawaii (with Diamond Head).
Pilot Butte is a very popular spot for outdoor fun. It's part of the Pilot Butte State Scenic Viewpoint, a park that covers about 114 acres (46 hectares). This park was given to the state of Oregon in 1928.
Exploring Pilot Butte
Pilot Butte is a great place to go hiking. There are two trails that lead all the way to the top. Each trail climbs about 490 feet (149 meters) in height. If you prefer a flatter walk, there's also a 1.8-mile (2.9 km) trail around the bottom of the butte. This trail was built in 2010.
You can also drive a scenic road that winds up and around the cone. From the very top, you can see the entire city of Bend spread out below. You can also spot several big mountains from the Cascade Mountains. The most famous ones you can see are the Three Sisters, Broken Top, and Mount Bachelor. These mountains are about 20 miles (32 km) to the west.
Pilot Butte is a very busy park. In 2018, nearly a million people visited it! This makes it the most visited Oregon State Park east of the Cascade Mountains. It's also the ninth most popular state park in all of Oregon.
Fun Facts and History
Every year, the city of Bend launches its Fourth of July fireworks from Pilot Butte. It's a fantastic place to watch the show!
Pilot Butte got its name in 1851. It was named by Thomas Clark, who led the first group of European settlers to camp where Bend is now. Clark's group came from the east after a difficult journey.
How Pilot Butte Formed
Pilot Butte is a cinder cone volcano. It was formed by volcanic eruptions long ago. Scientists believe Pilot Butte is less than 780,000 years old. They know this because of the way the rocks' magnetic fields are aligned. This alignment shows the rocks were formed after a big change in Earth's magnetic poles.
Images for kids
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Viewed from a neighborhood (2003)
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Panoramic view of Bend from the peak (2008)
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Plants and animals on the butte (2014)
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The closed Pilot Butte Drive-In (2022)
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