Dee Wright Observatory
Encyclopedia
Dee Wright Observatory is an observation structure at the summit of McKenzie Pass
in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon
. The structure is an open shelter constructed with lava
stone. It is located in the midst of a large lava flow, and offers an exceptional view of numerous Cascade peaks.
15 miles (24 km) west of Sisters, Oregon
on Route 242. The highway is part of the McKenzie-Santiam Pass Scenic Byway
. McKenzie Pass is 5325 feet (1,623.1 m) above sea level, and winter snow and the narrow road surface, requires McKenzie Pass to be closed from November to July each year.
in the far north.
Many peaks can easily be seen from Dee Wright Observatory: Mount Jefferson
, Cache Mountain, Dugout Butte, Black Butte
, Bluegrass Butte, Black Crater
, North Sister, Middle Sister, Little Brother (and ridge west), Condon Butte, Scott Mountain, South Belknap Cone, Belknap Crater
, Little Belknap, and Mount Washington
. Mount Hood, Bald Peter, Green Ridge, and Horsepasture Mountain can also be seen from the observatory during good weather.
The half-mile long Lava River Interpretive Trail begins at the observatory, and takes visitors on a 30-minute walk through lava beds. The trail is paved and easy to follow. Interpretive panels, located along the trail highlight the geology
of the area. The trail also offers open vistas of the surrounding landscape.
The observatory was built during the Great Depression
by a Civilian Conservation Corps
crew at Camp Belknap near Clear Lake
. It was completed in 1935, and named for the construction crew’s foreman who had died the previous year after serving 24 years as a Forest Service packer
and crew foreman at Camp Belknap.
In addition to Dee Wright Observatory, the rough-hewn timber shelter built by the Civilian Conservation Corps at Camp Belknap still stands near Clear Lake. Both sites are maintained by the United States Forest Service
. Today, Dee Wright Observatory is visited by thousands of travelers crossing McKenzie Pass each summer.
McKenzie Pass
McKenzie Pass is a mountain pass in the Cascade Range in central Oregon, United States.It is located at the border of Linn and Deschutes counties, approximately 20 mi northwest of Bend, between the Three Sisters to the south and Mt. Washington to the north...
in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. The structure is an open shelter constructed with lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
stone. It is located in the midst of a large lava flow, and offers an exceptional view of numerous Cascade peaks.
Location
Dee Wright Observatory is located in the Willamette National ForestWillamette National Forest
The Willamette National Forest is a National Forest located in the central portion of the Cascade Range of US state of Oregon.It comprises 1,675,407 acres making it one of the largest national forests. Over 380,000 acres are designated wilderness which include seven major mountain peaks...
15 miles (24 km) west of Sisters, Oregon
Sisters, Oregon
Sisters is a city in Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. It is part of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 959 at the 2000 census, but more than doubled to 2038 as of the 2010 census.- History :...
on Route 242. The highway is part of the McKenzie-Santiam Pass Scenic Byway
McKenzie-Santiam Pass Scenic Byway
The McKenzie – Santiam Pass Scenic Byway is an National Scenic Byway in the U.S. state of Oregon. The route is a loop designed to provide a tour of the high Cascade Range northwest of Bend, passing over both McKenzie Pass and Santiam Pass.-Route description:...
. McKenzie Pass is 5325 feet (1,623.1 m) above sea level, and winter snow and the narrow road surface, requires McKenzie Pass to be closed from November to July each year.
Structure
The observatory is an open shelter built with lava stone found at the construction site. The viewing windows are cut to specifically highlight the neighboring mountains. These "lava tube" viewing holes allow visitors to easily identify the different Cascade peaks. There is also a 36 inch (90 cm) diameter, bronze azimuth-like "peak finder" on the observatory’s roof to help visitors locate nearby geologic features as well as the surrounding mountain peaks. From the top of the observatory, visitors have a panoramic view of the Cascade Mountain Range including Mount HoodMount Hood
Mount Hood, called Wy'east by the Multnomah tribe, is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc of northern Oregon. It was formed by a subduction zone and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States...
in the far north.
Many peaks can easily be seen from Dee Wright Observatory: Mount Jefferson
Mount Jefferson (Oregon)
Mount Jefferson is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc, part of the Cascade Range, and is the second highest mountain in Oregon. Situated in the far northeastern corner of Linn County on the Jefferson County line, about east of Corvallis, Mount Jefferson is in a rugged wilderness and is...
, Cache Mountain, Dugout Butte, Black Butte
Black Butte (Oregon)
Black Butte is a cinder cone butte located in Deschutes National Forest, northwest of the town of Sisters, Oregon. An extinct volcano, it is composed of basaltic andesite. The cone rises over the surrounding plateau. Black Butte is a striking feature just north of US Highway 20, which descends...
, Bluegrass Butte, Black Crater
Black Crater
Black Crater is a steep-sided shield volcano in the Cascade Range of central Oregon, located north of the Three Sisters and east of McKenzie Pass. Ice Age glaciers carved a large cirque into the northern flank of the mountain, and snow often lingers in its shady depths until late summer...
, North Sister, Middle Sister, Little Brother (and ridge west), Condon Butte, Scott Mountain, South Belknap Cone, Belknap Crater
Belknap Crater
Belknap Crater is a shield volcano in the Cascade Range in the U.S. state of Oregon.Belknap volcano is a Holocene example of the process which built the High Cascade Platform during the Pleistocene. It is a small shield volcano with a capping cinder cone....
, Little Belknap, and Mount Washington
Mount Washington (Oregon)
Mount Washington is a deeply eroded shield volcano in the Cascade Range of Oregon. The mountain dates to the Late Pleistocene. However, it does have a line of basaltic andesite spatter cones on its northeast flank which are approximately 1,330 years old according to carbon dating...
. Mount Hood, Bald Peter, Green Ridge, and Horsepasture Mountain can also be seen from the observatory during good weather.
The half-mile long Lava River Interpretive Trail begins at the observatory, and takes visitors on a 30-minute walk through lava beds. The trail is paved and easy to follow. Interpretive panels, located along the trail highlight the geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
of the area. The trail also offers open vistas of the surrounding landscape.
History
McKenzie Pass follows the path of an 1860 wagon route. The route emerges from the forest and crosses a 65 mi2 lava flow. At the summit, the wagon road had to be cut through the lava beds. As a result, alternate routes over the Cascades were used by most early travelers. Today’s highway follows the wagon route over the lava beds past the observatory site.The observatory was built during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
by a Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
crew at Camp Belknap near Clear Lake
Clear Lake (Linn County, Oregon)
Clear Lake is a mountain lake 86 mi northeast of Eugene, Oregon, United States in Linn County. It has two main bodies connected by a bottleneck. The lake is primarily fed by snow runoff from nearby Mount Washington and the surrounding areas. The runoff filters through underground caverns for...
. It was completed in 1935, and named for the construction crew’s foreman who had died the previous year after serving 24 years as a Forest Service packer
Packhorse
.A packhorse or pack horse refers generally to an equid such as a horse, mule, donkey or pony used for carrying goods on their backs, usually carried in sidebags or panniers. Typically packhorses are used to cross difficult terrain, where the absence of roads prevents the use of wheeled vehicles. ...
and crew foreman at Camp Belknap.
In addition to Dee Wright Observatory, the rough-hewn timber shelter built by the Civilian Conservation Corps at Camp Belknap still stands near Clear Lake. Both sites are maintained by the United States Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
. Today, Dee Wright Observatory is visited by thousands of travelers crossing McKenzie Pass each summer.