Union Peak and Stuart Falls Trail

Union Peak and Stuart Falls is a 22.4-mile out-and-back from the Pacific Crest Trail access on Highway 62. It combines two PCT stretches, a side trip up Union Peak, and a final connection to Stuart Falls. There’s no loop option. A practical estimate is 12 to 14 hours on foot; no full-route completion time is published, and the steep summit finish adds to the day. Strong hikers who want both a rocky summit and a backcountry waterfall will get the most from it.

The trailhead is about a mile west of the Crater Lake road junction. The PCT approach passes through forest, pumice meadows, and rocky inclines. At the Union Peak spur, climb through lodgepole pine; the last half-mile gets much steeper and opens into rocky switchbacks. The summit gives a broad panorama across the surrounding ranges.

Return down that spur to the PCT, continue south, then follow the connected Pumice Flat Trail toward Stuart Falls. Turn around at the falls and retrace the Pumice Flat and PCT corridor to Highway 62. The Union Peak spur is climbed only once.

Union Peak is the glacially eroded core of an old volcano. Its upper 800 feet form a rock spire above a ridge that divides the headwaters of Union Creek and Red Blanket Creek; both flow toward the Rogue River. In 1853, Chauncey Nye and three companions climbed the peak. Most of Nye’s party favored the Union cause as the Civil War approached, so they gave the volcanic spire its name. From the top, keep some of that rock in the frame against the distant ridges to show the summit’s shape.

If your main goal is the view, the separate Union Peak out-and-back from the same Highway 62 access is 9.8 miles round trip, with 1,600 feet of gain and a strenuous finish. It keeps the summit but skips the long falls extension.

Snow and ice commonly cover high trails from winter into June, and the upper Union Peak trail can hold snow into July. Check current trail conditions before setting out. Pets are prohibited on the Union Peak spur and Pumice Flat connection, so dogs can’t do this complete route even though leashed pets are allowed on the PCT. Overnight backcountry camping requires a permit and campsite assignment; designated sites are primitive. Parking capacity and water locations along the route aren’t documented, so confirm water availability before relying on a source.