Malheur N. F.
July 4, 2002
Dixie Butte may be accessed from US Highway 26 approximately 27 miles east of John Day, OR. One exits onto Forest Road #2610 which is on the north side of the highway. After crossing a cattle guard, the road turns sharply left. Ascend past a winter ski area. The road is often rutted and very rocky. The gravel hear is often grapefruit sized. The road is not recommended for trailers due both to its rockiness and narrowness. Passenger cars may have trouble too. I bottomed out on rocks a number of times. After about 4 miles, you will come upon a clearing at about the treeline with a smaller forest road (#749) veering off to the left. Open, sagebrush and wildflower slopes will be visible in front of you. I parked here. The road is passable for 4-wheel drives, but would be tenuous at best (especially near the summit) for many passenger vehicles with low clearance. This saddle also affords several nice spots for primitive camping.
The walk along the road from the saddle to the summit is about one mile in length. Many wildflowers may be found along it from mid June to mid July. Few people seem to come up here so the walk is pleasant. The open slopes are steep and rocky but are also passable. The summit contains a low lookout structure which is manned during the summer. The views are great, with a nearly 360¾ view. Part of the Elkhorn Mts are visible to the east, the Middle Fork of the John Day River to the northwest, John Day, OR and Prairie City, OR with the Strawberry Mts as a backdrop visible to the southwest and south, and the rolling forests and sagebrush hills astride US 26 may be viewed for many miles to the east.
*Tolmie's Onion: Allium tolmiei
*Panicled Death Camas: Toxicoscordion paniculatum
*Piper's Yellow Buckwheat: Eriogonum flavum var. piperi
*Wyeth Buckwheat: Eriogonum heracleoides var. heracleoides
*Alpine Fleeceflower: Aconogonon phytolaccaefolium ssp. glabrum
*Sorrel: Rumex acetosella
*Prickly Sandwort: Eremogone aculeata
*Sand Spurry: Spergularia rubra
*Red Columbine: Aquilegia formosa
*Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum var. nuttallianum
*Holboell's Rock Cress: Arabis holboellii var. retrofracta
*Mountain Tansymustard: Descurainea incisa ssp. incisa
Creeping Oregon Grape: Berberis repens
Lance-leaf Stonecrop: Sedum lanceolatum
*Alpine Alumroot: Heuchera cylindrica var. alpina
*Beautiful Alumroot: Heuchera cylindrica var. glabella
*Small-flowered Prairie Star: Lithophragma parviflorum
Wax Currant: Ribes cereum var. cereum
Mountain Prickly Currant: Ribes montigenum
Serviceberry: Amelanchier alnifolia (var. ?)
*Prairie Smoke: Geum triflorum var. ciliatum
*Sticky Cinquefoil: Potentilla glandulosa (var. ?)
Annual Burnet: Sanguisorba occidentalis
*Kellogg's Spurred Lupine: Lupinus caudatus
*Goosefoot Violet: Viola purpurea ssp. venosa
*Blue Flax: Linum perenne
*Sweet Cicely: Osmorhiza occidentalis
*Sierra Snakeroot: Sanicula graveolens
* Green Gentian: Frasera speciosa
*Navarettia: Navarettia species
*Skunk-leaved Polemonium: Polemonium californicum
*Ballhead Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. capitatum
*Silverleaf Phacelia: Phacelia hastata (var. hastata?)
*Blue Stickseed: Hackelia micrantha
Red Besseya: Besseya rubra (In fruit)
*Sticky Paintbrush: Castilleja glandulifera
*Common Paintbrush: Castilleja miniata var. miniata
*Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora
*White Coiled-beak: Lousewort: Pedicularis contorta var. contorta
*Taperleaved Penstemon: Penstemon attenuatus var. palustris
*Shrubby Penstemon: Penstemon fruticosus var. fruticosus
*Yarrow: Achillea millefolium
*Tall Pussy-toes: Antennaria anaphaloides
*Rosy Pussytoes: Antennaria rosea
*Umber Pussy-toes: Antennaria umbrinella
*Upland Arnica: Arnica sororia
*Arrowleaf Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza sagittata
Hawksbeard: Crepis species
*Cutleaf Daisy: Erigeron compositus
*Eaton's Fleabane: Erigeron eatonii var. villosus
*Woolly Goldenweed: Stenotus languinosus var. languinosus
*Woolly Groundsel: Packera cana
*Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltatus