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Pilot Butte State Park Cinder Cone Volcano

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 the very few cities in the United States with volcanoes located within their boundaries. Others include Portland, Oregon, which lies within the Boring Lava Field, and Honolulu, Hawaii, which includes several volcanoes such as Diamond Head within its city limits.

 

The 100 acres (40 ha) Pilot Butte State Scenic Viewpoint, acquired by the city in 1927, 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. 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. 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.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilot_Butte_(Oregon)

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Uploaded on July 5, 2011
Taken on July 5, 2011