Pilot Butte is an extinct volcano located in Bend, Oregon. It is a cinder cone butte which rises nearly 500 feet (150 m) above the surrounding plains. Bend is one of four cities in the United States to have a volcano within its boundaries. Portland is the only other city in Oregon with a volcano within its city limits, with Mount Tabor. Jackson Volcano in Jackson, Mississippi and Diamond Head in Honolulu being the others.
The 100 acres (40 ha) Pilot Butte State Scenic Viewpoint, presented as a gift to the State of Oregon in 1928,[3] nearly covers the butte. Pilot Butte itself is a popular hiking destination and requires an ascent of about 500 feet (150 m) to reach the summit. A scenic road also winds up and around the cone and saw 900,000 vehicle visits in 2004 and 2005 according to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.[citation needed] From the top, the entire city of Bend is visible, as well as several major Cascade peaks. Most prominent are the Three Sisters, Broken Top, and Mount Bachelor which are located about 20 miles (32 km) to the west. The City of Bend launches 4th of July fireworks from Pilot Butte each year.[4] Pilot Butte was named in 1851 by Thomas Clark, leader of the first party of European settlers to camp on the future site of Bend. The Clark wagon train approached the area from the east after recovering from the Clark Massacre.
The view of Bend from Pilot Butte.
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