Blue Mountains Archives – GlassMountains Trip Reports

On Thursday, June 25, I visited Baldy Mountain in the Blue Mountains southeast of Prairie City, Oregon. Linda and I were returning to Bend from Baker City but I took a detour on the way while Linda drove on to Bend with our dogs. I expected a quick detour, but it proved otherwise.

Baldy Mountain from my parking spot on abandoned FR 312

A quick search on a peak database I use reveals there are 80 peaks in Oregon with “Bald” in their name, and 6 named “Baldy Mountain”. This Baldy Mountain has 7618 feet of elevation and 958 feet of topographic prominence. It has been on my “wish list” of Blue Mountain peaks to visit for several years.

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On Wednesday, August 6, I climbed Castle Rock, a steep volcanic plug north of the community of Juntura in Eastern Oregon. It seems located in a transition region between Oregon’s Blue Mountains and High Lava Plains. I have often noted Castle Rock rising above as I drove east over Drinkwater Pass between Burns and Juntura. Castle Rock is also prominent to the south from many peaks in the southern Blue Mountains. In fact, it has 1524 feet of topographic prominence and a distinctive shape.

Distant Castle Rock to the north from Black Butte (Malheur County)

I began my adventure the day before, Tuesday, driving from the Baker Valley to Juntura. From Juntura I followed the Juntura-Riverside Road, then a more primitive road to the summit of Black Butte. This Black Butte is a prominent peak west of Juntura. From the summit of Black Butte I could see my next goal, Castle Rock, to the north.

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Baldy Mountain, Oregon, June 2026

Castle Rock, Oregon, August 2025