Central Cascades Day-Use Permit (Obsidian)

Obsidian: what makes it different

Obsidian is the day-use permit for a lollipop loop of about 11.5 miles that climbs past a lava flow to Obsidian Falls, glittering black glass and the Sunshine meadow, all reached from a small trailhead off Highway 242.^6,8,1

Getting to the start

From McKenzie Bridge, drive east on Highway 126 about 2 miles to the Highway 242 junction, then northeast 17 miles to Forest Road 250. Turn right onto it, keep right at both Y junctions, and follow the loop to its far end. The Forest Service lists the trailhead at 44.20611, -121.87111.¹

The trailhead has a vault toilet and picnic tables but no drinking water. Vehicles over 35 feet are not allowed on the highway. A recreation pass has to be bought before you arrive because nobody takes payment on site.^1,4

The first leg

The trail starts in open forest, and about a quarter mile in a connector heads left toward the stock trailhead and the Scott Trail. Soon after, you cross a short stretch burned in the 2017 Separation Creek fire.^6,7

Around the 3 mile mark you climb onto a lava flow, which gives the first big views of North and Middle Sister. After 0.6 miles of lava you cross White Branch Creek and reach the Glacier Way junction, where the loop splits.^6,8,7

Terrain and difficulty

Hike Oregon rates the loop difficult: 2,157 feet of gain between 4,787 and 6,645 feet. Travel Oregon says the Obsidian Trail alone climbs more than 2,000 feet, and that reaching the high lakes and peaks takes cross-country skills.^6,5

Obsidian shards and lava rock are sharp, so Hike Oregon tells dog owners to bring booties.⁶

Quota at this entry point

• 2026 daily quota at Obsidian, day use: 33 people a day. 13 of those are released 10 days out and 20 two days out.³
• 2026 daily quota at Obsidian, overnight, shared with the Scott trailhead (a separate Central Cascades overnight permit): 7 groups a day. The Forest Service counts Obsidian and Scott as one pool: 3 groups for the full season and 4 seven days out.³

Rules specific to this entry point

A forest order bars camping within 100 feet of water in the Obsidian area, which it names as Sisters Springs, Arrowhead Lake, Glacier Creek, Obsidian Creek, Obsidian Meadows and White Branch Creek. The order runs to April 30, 2029.²

The same order bans fires above 5,700 feet in the Three Sisters Wilderness, except for stoves burning liquid or compressed gas. Hike Oregon puts this loop's high point at 6,645 feet, so pack a stove.^2,6

Where it leads

Obsidian Falls is a 20 foot drop just off the Pacific Crest Trail. Sister Spring pours from a cliff above it, and Hike Oregon calls it a great lunch stop and a place to filter water.^6,8

Past the falls the trail crosses ground sprinkled with obsidian chips, and a 2013 forum report says they sparkle on a sunny day.⁸

Glacier Way is under a mile to Sunshine, a big meadow on Glacier Creek. A climbers trail from there leads to small, shallow Arrowhead Lake on a ridge with a cliff-edge view.^7,8

Going north on the Pacific Crest Trail takes you to Sawyer Bar, a White Branch crossing at another lava flow, and then Collier Cone, whose rim two hikers have walked.^7,9

What trip reports say

A July 2025 report on Wandering Yuncks says the two trails to the Pacific Crest Trail end 1.4 miles apart. Glacier Way reaches Sunshine in 0.7 miles, and the Obsidian Trail reaches the falls in 1.7. That author made the White Branch crossing by rock hopping with dry feet.⁷

A 2013 Oregon Hikers report backpacked the loop in late July. Flowers were in full bloom, mosquitoes were a slight nuisance, and the group camped just north of Glacier Creek. They saved Glacier Way for the walk out.⁸

When to go from here

The road decides your first day. Highway 242 closes each November and opens no earlier than the third Monday in June, and ODOT posted that it opened on June 15 in 2026. In 2022 it closed on November 1.⁴

Snow sticks around. In mid-July 2025 patches began at about 5,800 feet and two snowfields covered the Pacific Crest Trail on the plateau above the falls, and the writer carried microspikes. Hike Oregon expects downed trees from the opening through July.^7,6

Compare with nearby entry points

• Scott: Scott is the other Highway 242 trailhead and takes just 16 day-use people a day, against Obsidian's 33. Their overnight groups come from one shared pool of 7. A connector off the Obsidian Trail leads toward the Scott Trail for the long loop.^3,6
• Lava Camp: Lava Camp Lake (Matthieu Lakes) has a day-use quota of 50 and its own overnight pool of 4 groups. Obsidian gives you 33 people and an overnight pool of 7 shared with Scott.³
• Devils Lake/Wickiup (South Sister): Devils Lake and Wickiup Plains for South Sister has the biggest day-use quota in the Three Sisters at 150 people, and 8 overnight groups. Obsidian has 33, well under a quarter of that.³

Sources

1. Obsidian Hiker Trailhead, Willamette National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.
2. Wilderness Permit, Camping, and Fire Restrictions (Forest Order 06-01-24-01), Willamette National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.
3. Central Cascades Wilderness Permit System: Quotas for Day Use and Overnight (March 2026), Deschutes and Willamette National Forests, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.
4. McKenzie Highway (OR 242), Oregon Department of Transportation. Read 2026-10-15.
5. Obsidian Limited Entry Area, Travel Oregon. Read 2026-10-15.
6. Obsidian Trail, Hike Oregon. Read 2026-10-15.
7. Obsidian Loop, 07/15/2025, Wandering Yuncks. Read 2026-10-15.
8. Obsidian Loop in Three Sisters Wilderness 7/28-29, Oregon Hikers Forum. Read 2026-10-15.
9. Three Sisters: Scott Trail - Obsidian Loop, June 15, 2015, Oregon Hikers Forum. Read 2026-10-15.
10. Central Cascades Wilderness Permits, Willamette National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.

Safety & planning

Alternatives to an Obsidian permit