Obsidian Trail Backpacking
“Let’s find some beautiful places to get lost together ”
I can’t think of anything better than spending the longest day of the year exploring the backcountry of the Three Sisters Wilderness on the Obsidian Trail. It is always a treat to check out new areas of the Pacific Crest Trail. I had great company and stunning scenery all around, and even introduced a surf friend to her first backpacking experience!
The Obsidian Trail is around 12 miles out and back and around 2,000 feet in elevation gain. My hiking crew and I made the journey on the Obsidian Trail in mid June. There was still plenty of snow left above 5,000 feet elevation. It was neat to see the contrast of the old obsidian flow, pines, and snow.
Check out my vlog, photos and my tips from the Obsidian Trail.
Tips to backpack Obsidian Trail in Oregon:
Permits are needed to access the Obsidian Trail of the Three Sisters Wilderness. Beginning in mid May, you will need an Obsidian Limited Entry Area permit. This permits are available on March 18 for backpacking between June 15th and October 31st. If you are day hiking, you do not need a permit.
We camped at the trailhead the night before. Plenty of trailhead campsites to get an early morning start the next morning. We got a 7am start and got to a nice campsite by 10:30am in the morning. A fairly short hike in to find camp.
Snow is still abundant in June so make sure to plan for snow and be prepared to navigate with a compass, paper map, and smartphone apps that have built in navigation and tracking devices. I usual have back-up navigation besides download and use mapping tools like using AllTrails maps, Gaia GPS, and Strava. Additionally, my husband and I usual travel with a Garmin in-reach to have satellite communication in case of a backcountry emergency
Trekking poles and gaiters are helpful on snow crossings and post holing when the snow becomes soft in the day. The poles were also helpful on staying on balance hiking over the obsidian flow and always a knee saver with heavy backpacking packs.
Dogs are allowed on the trail. Bring booties (shoes) for your doggos for the obsidian flow portion. They can get pretty roughed up and cut up if they have sensitive paw pads. We use Ruff Wears Grip Trex dog booties on our pup, Gracie.
Fires are allowed below 5,000 feet, however since we camped during a late snow season, it was tougher to start a fire, so we used a pocket torch to start a fire with sticks and wood gathered from around our camp that already fell off trees.
Remember to practice the 7 leave no trace principles so we can continue to protect our public lands for generations to come. Summer solstice backpacking trip was a success!
