Sutton Mountain Group Hike – Central Oregon Six-Pack

Sutton Mountain is a remote beauty near the tiny town of Mitchell, Oregon and the Painted Hills unit of the John Day Fossil Bed National Monument.

This moderate hike is a steady climb to the high-point of Sutton Mountain. We will climb 1,600 vertical feet over 3.5 miles to the 4,692′ summit, then retrace our steps to the trailhead for a total of 7 miles over 3-4 hours (get our detailed trail guide).

Our plan is to meet arrive at the trailhead at 8:00am and begin hiking at 8:15am. The trailhead is not marked, so follow the driving directions in the detailed guide linked above. It's about a 90-minute drive from Bend.

Bring 1-2 liters of water, snacks, sun protection, and layers. The trail offers little shade or protection from the wind.

Afterwards, we are headed to Mitchell and Tiger Town Brewing for lunch and a cold beverage (maybe the namesake Sutton Mountain IPA?). After lunch we head home, or take an optional side trip to the Painted Hills.

This hike is the first in the Central Oregon Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge — we will have info and can answer any questions you have about the challenge at the hike. You can check out recent trip reports from other challengers to get a feel for the hike.

Friendly dogs are allowed; I will be bringing my two labradoodles Farley and Lucy, and the last two times I've hiked this I've been joined by the local ranch dog, Patch 2.0 who hiked all the way up and back with us (sort of a “trail ambassador”).

Leave a comment below so we know you're coming. Note that there is no cell service at the trailhead, so be sure to input the directions into your map app before you head out. The turn off to the parking area is not signed and easy to miss. There is a wire fence/gate that needs to be opened to drive into the parking area.