Pilot Butte

(Courtesy of K7HSJ)

CN94ib

General.   The best operating location to the north is the pull-off just opposite the bunker door (You will understand it when you see it). The top of the butte has a road going around the edge, with high ground in the center.  The road is not all that wide, though there is room to pull off on the outer edge in several places. Expect a lot of traffic - vehicle and foot in the area. The road to the top is narrow, and there are a lot of hikers and runners on it.  There is excellent exposure in all directions.  This site is gated, but the gate is generally open, except in the winter. 

Driving Instructions:  You will be able to see the butte as you come into town. Hiway 97 goes between two high spots - the one on the east is Pilot Butte, and the one on the west is a residential area.

Take Hiway 97 to the middle of Bend. Go east on Hiway 20 - if you are southbound, look for the Safeway on the east side and turn just past it.  Look for the "Pilot Butte" sign on the left.  On the way, stop at the Pilot Butte Drive-In on the right for an extraordinary hamburger and an excellent chocolate malt. The malt was served the old fashioned way - in a glass with the metal mixing cup on the side. My grandpa was a chocolate malt purist, and he would have been pleased - ‘nuff said.