I went on a beautiful hike near Oregon Butte in the Blue Mountains with my dog, Lady. Actually, the hike was from the Teepee Campground trailhead to Indian Corral and back; about 12 miles. Weather started out questionable but by late afternoon it was a spectacular day. Fireweed was blooming everywhere. The ghosts of the burned trees (from a forest fire a few years ago) were howling in the wind. On the drive back I saw a live cougar on Eckler Mountain Road! It was running ahead of me on the gravel road. Then it dashed up the embankment, stopped, and looked at us (I didn't get a picture of it, however). Exciting! All 25 photos in the link below.

Dirt road starting about an hour before the trail head, a little rough in places but not too bad. The trail was so pretty, lots of wildflowers! The lower trail was pretty overgrown so I’d definitely recommend taking the higher route. There was a ranger staying up in the lookout tower, she was really nice and super knowledgeable about the area! Didn’t see any other hikers on the trail!

Coming from Seattle, we spent the night in Dayton then drove 1.5 hours via Kendall Skyline Road and FR 4608 to the Teepee Trailhead. The gravel roads are in good condition, and there's a well-maintained latrine at the trailhead.

Reaching the trail junction at one mile as noted in the WTA description, we turned right to take the higher route that climbs over West Butte before descending to rejoin the lower route; the trail then climbs for another mile or so to the lookout. Because of the ups and downs, the overall elevation gain is surely more than the 987' stated by WTA (AllTrails says it's 1,443'). 

Reaching the lookout, we were greeted warmly by "Ranger Julie" who has staffed Oregon Butte for eight summers. We enjoyed learning a little about her role and some of the tools and techniques she employs. The view from the summit is spectacular, taking in Idaho's Craig Mountains to the east, Oregon's Wallowa Mountains to the south, and even the faint top of Mt Rainier 200 miles to the west. We returned to the trailhead via the lower route, which lacks views but does offer shade. 

We drove from Teepee Trailhead to Table Rock Lookout in about two hours via FR 4608 (which is in good condition) and FR 64 (which is rough; high clearance vehicle required). Returning to Dayton on FR 64 (also called N Touchet Road), the road greatly improves once you're past the Bluewood ski area.

5 night, 52 mile loop starting from Panjab TH, taking Turkey Creek to Oregon Butte, Smooth Ridge trail to Wenaha River, Crooked Creek and Melton Creek up to Diamond Peak, then the Mt Misery trail back to the Oregon Butte and back out via Turkey again. NF47 is in good condition the whole way.

PANJAB & TURKEY CREEK: Can only speak for first mile of Panjab before it splits. Bridge from parking lot is out but the creek is easily crossed on logs. Starting to get overgrown, mostly with thimbleberry or other such easily-waded-through shrubs. All creek crossings easy. No serious blowdowns to deal with. Northern end is exposed due to the trees being burnt, the southern mile nearest Teepee TH is well forested and almost like some of the Cascades forests.

OREGON BUTTE VIA TEEPEE TH/MT MISERY TRAIL: good condition, no issues. SPRINGS: Oregon Butte- running.

SMOOTH RIDGE TO TWIN SPRINGS: Mostly good condition, a bit faint/disperse through some of the meadows, so sometimes difficult to pick back up. No serious blowdowns. SPRINGS: McBain- running. Taylor/Huckleberry/Rettkowski- could only find one tiny stream across trail. Lodgepole- running, though trough destroyed. Twin- running.

SMOOTH RIDGE BETWEEN TWIN SPRINGS AND WENAHA: take it off the map boys, this one's gone! It's been eaten by the snowbrush and I'm not exaggerating. You can follow this one until the saddle immediately before the split for the Packer Trail, and from there it is literally nothing but snowbrush, with numerous blowdowns under it. I could only make headway by walking atop the blowdowns or finding the occasional elk trail (which never lasted more than a 100' before disappearing). While I used GPS to stick as close to the old trail path as possible, there was literally no sign of it. It took me seven hours to get from Twin Spring to Mud Spring. South of Mud, the snowbrush is replaced by willow and other shrubs, or is open entirely, and so Moore Flat proper is much easier to deal with. The connector that switchbacks down to the Wenaha is fine. SPRINGS: Pistol- only a mere trickle, maybe in extreme need. Mud- running. Soap- skipped.

WENAHA RIVER TRAIL: some woody brush encroaching in spots, one gnarly washout, and several nuisance blowdowns. Only time I encountered mosquitoes on this trip was at my campsite on Fairview Bar.

CROOKED & MELTON CREEKS: while there are fewer blowdowns, the first three miles of Crooked are quite brushy. While I could always determine where the trail was, I was frequently screened out. Annoying and a bit slow, but still a trail. From the mile before Three Forks junction it's received recent trailwork from the Pomeroy Ranger District and is in great condition, including Melton Creek. Last water access going north on Melton is on that long second switchback. Between the Three Forks area and Diamond, the only campsites with water access for Melton are near where it crosses the creek at 3500'. SPRINGS: Diamond- could not find in brush.

MT MISERY: excellent condition, no serious blowdowns or brush. SPRINGS: Sheephead- could not find. Sq--- running. Bear Wallow- skipped. Clover- running. Bullfrog- could not find. Dunlap- running. Table Camp- skipped/could not find (did not notice campsite remains in burned area). Emergency- running under pipe, may be fixed by lookout.

OVERALL: what would otherwise have been a fairly easy trip was made very strenuous by the bushwhacking on Smooth Ridge and the heat. It was over 95 most days, including the long climb up to Diamond. I normally carry two liter water bottles, I regret not bringing a third due to unknown or poor water access. The Blues are definitely a beautiful, but sometimes very difficult area. After Saturday, the only people I saw were Forest Service staff and one group along Mt Misery trail. However, I did frequently find (sometimes historic) garbage from destroyed basecamps, or hitches and other infrastructure in campsites.

Panjab Loop 19 Mile overnight hike

Just finished this loop going counter-clockwise and had a memorable (and slightly rugged) adventure. Overall, I loved the changing landscapes, endless wildflowers, and frequent water sources—but fair warning, this trail is seriously overgrown in parts and definitely not for the faint of heart.

Trail Notes:

Ascent: The uphill portion (miles 1–5 or so) is absolutely choked with overgrowth and dozens of downed trees. There’s a tricky spot around mile 3 where the trail hops from the right to the left side of the stream—easy to miss. Look for a downed log with a notch-step; if you find yourself climbing over more downed trees than seems reasonable, you've missed the crossing.

Oregon Butte Spur: From the TeePee trailhead to Oregon Butte and through the large meadow, the trail is in decent shape with minimal overgrowth. It’s a welcome relief and a beautiful stretch.

Campsites:
There are at least two sites along the spur to Oregon Butte:

One at the designated backcountry site (in good shape)

One near Emergency Spring (overgrown but usable in a pinch)

A third site about 0.25 miles past the spring on the right side of the trail offers a killer overlook.

A few other “could work in a pinch” sites exist before the big meadow.

No viable campsites on the ascent or descent portions of the loop.

Highlights:
Spectacular views from Oregon Butte

Diverse terrain with forest, open meadows, and ridgelines

Wildflowers everywhere

Plenty of water (every source marked on the map was flowing)

Wildlife: deer, rodents galore, bear scat, and elk tracks

The Oregon Butte fire lookout hut is worth the short detour

Downsides:
Expect lots of bushwhacking on the ascent and descent sections

Very muddy patches (especially on uphill and downhill)

No signage, so bring a reliable map and know how to use it

Trail is in need of serious maintenance; we brought a small saw and cleared what we could

Final Thoughts:
If you enjoy solitude, don’t mind some tough sections and bushwhacking, and are looking for a scenic and water-rich backcountry loop, this trail is still a gem. Just come prepared for an unmaintained and wild experience.