Hike to the Black Crater Summit

I hiked to the Black Crater summit with my husband and our two boys (12 and 15 years old). It took us longer than expected to get to the trailhead, due to post-wildfire tree removal along the McKenzie Highway corridor, so we had a late start. We hiked to the summit and back between 3 PM and 7:30 PM on July 16th. It took us about 3 hours to the summit and just over an hour back, plus some time at the summit. The trail was in good condition and well-marked. We met only 8 hikers during the entire hike. The first half of the trail goes through the burnt forest, and the trail is pretty dusty. The weather was warm and sunny at the trailhead, but somewhere halfway to the top, the wind picked up, and the temperature noticeably dropped. We would recommend carrying a light jacket on this hike. The summit was very windy, but the views were absolutely breathtaking. If you have some extra time, Dee Wright Observatory is just 3 miles east of the Black Crater trailhead to add an interesting stop in this area.