Tam McArthur Rim

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Broken Hand & No Name Lake

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Hike details:

Mileage: 5.6 miles round trip w/ 1,250 ft. elevation gain (to the end of Tam McArthur Rim Trail)
11.5 miles round trip w/ 2,195 ft. elevation gain (to No Name Lake)
Approximate hike time: 2 hours 26 minutes w/ an average pace of 2.5 mph (to the end of Tam McArthur Rim Trail)
5 hours w/ an average pace of 2.3 mph (to No Name Lake)
Difficulty: Moderate to difficult
Trail usage: High during the summer, low on fall weekdays, medium on fall weekends
Highest elevation: 8,353 ft. Lowest elevation: 6,510 ft.
General location: 16 miles south of Sisters - Three Sisters Wilderness - Deschutes National Forest
Accessible: End of June to early November (for just Tam McArthur Rim Trail, it can be dangerous to access No Name Lake until mid to late July due to snow at Broken Hand)
(Best time to go is early August to see some wildflowers. If you want to hike when there are less people, go here in mid to late September or early October).
Permits required: Day trips & overnight - Central Cascades Wilderness Permit June 15 - October 15 available via recreation.gov
Pit toilet at trailhead: No
Trail allows: Dogs on leash, camping
Possible dangers: ​Steep drop offs along the rim

Description:

Tam McArthur Rim is one of the most popular hikes in Central Oregon and for good reason. It is moderate in difficulty and offers absolutely spectacular views of the Cascade mountains as well as some of the amazing blue-green alpine lakes nearby. You can choose to keep this hike short and family friendly at 5.6 miles round trip, or you can continue on the trail around Broken Hand and go all the way to Broken Top and No Name Lake, making it a much more difficult hike at 11.5 miles roundtrip and 2,195 feet elevation gain. 
The parking area is large but even so, the trailhead fills up and cars spill out onto the main gravel road during summer weekends even with the limited entry permit system that was put in place in 2020. It is recommended to do this hike on a week day and/or very early in the morning!

(example of some of the dusty trail tread and wildflowers)

The wide smooth trail starts out steadily climbing uphill the first half mile. In late July and early August the trail is lined with beautiful purple lupine flowers. After 0.5 miles you will start going up some short switchbacks which last for the next 0.3 miles. From here you can enjoy some of your first views of Three Creek Lake below and Mount Washington, Three Fingered Jack and Mount Jefferson to the north. 

(Three Creek Lake, Mount Washington, Three Fingered Jack & Mount Jefferson)

After the switchbacks, the trail wraps around the side of a small hill and then it takes you across a very open meadow area. As you continue going uphill, you will start to see views of Mount Bachelor to the south as well as better views of Three Creek Lake (which is heart shaped if you see it from a certain angle). Once you are on Tam McArthur Rim, you will notice that the trail starts to get a little bit rockier, but the rocks are generally pretty large and they aren't very loose. 

(Mount Bachelor)

(example of the trail getting rockier)

(Upper Three Creek Lake)

After hiking 0.7 miles along the rim, you will come to an excellent viewpoint where you can see Broken Top and Middle and North Sister up close, as well as the other Cascade mountains to the north. There will be a sign saying End Of Trail and another trail sign nearby that reads Trail Not Maintained. If you can hike long distances and trust your navigation skills through late season snowfields, you can continue heading around Broken Hand and make your way all the way to Broken Top No Name Lake, but that makes this hike a lot longer and because there is no trail maintenance beyond that point, it can be a lot more difficult too. ​Because Tam McArthur Rim is at 7,700 feet elevation, there can be lingering snowdrifts along this trail until mid-July sometimes so if you are not comfortable hiking over some snow, wait until a bit later in the season to do this hike. 
If you have gotten an overnight permit, you can camp on a durable surface away from the trail. Keep in mind, there are no water sources up here, so you will have to carry up all the water you will need for your overnight trip. 
If you are not continuing on to No Name Lake and ending at this viewpoint, you will hike back down the way you came. 

(Broken Top)

(Middle Sister & North Sister)

(Mount Washington and Three Fingered Jack)

(Three Creek Lake)

This hike to Tam McArthur Rim is fairly family friendly and is appropriate for most levels of hikers. The only reason it is rated as 'moderate' is because of the elevation gain throughout the hike and there is a very small section of trail is loose and rocky. If you would like to make this hike more difficult, you can continue on over Broken Hand to Broken Top and No Name Lake, otherwise, you can enjoy the scenery at the Tam McArthur Rim viewpoint and then turn back.
Some things to note about this hike:
-The trail is pretty exposed to sun and wind, so remember to pack lots of water, sunscreen as well as a sun hat and an extra layer to throw on. 
-Snow can linger until early July.
​-The trailhead gets crowded, so go early!
-There are steep drop offs along the rim, so be careful if hiking with dogs and kids.

If you are wanting to go to Broken Top/No Name Lake, you will continue on the user trail past this Trail Not Maintained sign. You will hike for about a mile on a fairly easy straight forward trail on a plateau. Even in the fall you will see some snow fields that linger here (see pictures). You will come to an awesome viewpoint and from there the trail starts to gain a little bit more elevation as you approach Broken Hand. 

(snow lingering in October)

After 0.75 from the viewpoint hiking along a ridgeline, you will see Broken Hand and the trail deviates here a bit. There is a lower trail that people take when snow lingers on the north/shady side of Broken Hand. The trail by Broken Hand has extremely steep drop offs, so if any snow is lingering it can be pretty dangerous, so keep this in mind. You will see if there is snow from a distance away, that way you can make the decision on which route to take early on. The lower trail can be somewhat difficult to follow since it goes through a large boulder field, so if you are going this way, take your time to pick the best route through the rocks. 

(the trail up to Broken Hand)

After navigating your way past Broken Hand, you will start seeing views of turquoise colored No Name Lake and Broken Top. It's about half a mile from here to the rim/ridge of Broken Top and No Name Lake. Before making your way down to the lake, make sure to enjoy the view. This is by far one of the best views in Oregon where you can see the Three Sisters, Mount Washington, Three Fingered Jack, Mount Jefferson and Mount Hood. Below you will see Park Meadow and the various tarns above the meadow. 

(the Three Sisters from the ridgeline viewpoint in October)

There is a steep 0.3 mile trail from the ridgeline viewpoint down to turquoise colored No Name Lake. A large rock at the edge of the lake is a really great place to get pictures, and if you're brave you can even go for a summer swim in this glacial alpine lake. No Name Lake lies at 8,015 feet and it is definitely one of the most popular hiking destinations in the Oregon Cascades!

(No Name Lake from the ridgeline viewpoint in October)

Tam McArthur Rim is one of the most scenic hikes in Oregon. Whether you do the short hike up to the first viewpoint and the end of Tam McArthur Rim Trail, or you go up around Broken Hand to No Name Lake, you will enjoy epic views. Because of the elevation of this trail, it is best to do it in late August through September when most of the snow has melted and the route across Broken Hand is less dangerous. If you want to see No Name Lake but this route is too long or sketchy, you can always opt to get a permit starting from the No Name Lake or Crater Ditch trailheads. Keep in mind that this trail is very rocky, so wear good shoes and trekking poles really help with the ascent and descent as well. 

Directions:

From Bend

• Drive on US-97 north for 2.1 miles then take exit 135A to merge onto US-20 W toward Sisters. Stay on US-20 W for 18.9 miles then turn left onto S Locust St. for 0.2 miles, then turn right onto E Tyee Dr. for 0.4 miles. Turn left onto Three Creek Rd. for 0.9 miles, then turn left onto Three Creek Rd. and stay on this road for about 15 miles and find the trailhead parking on your right. (Total of 38.2 miles)

From Eugene

• Drive OR-126 east toward Springfield. At a traffic light use the two left lanes to turn left, following signs to continue on OR-126 for another 72.6 miles. Shortly after Clear Lake Resort, take a slight right onto US-20 east for 29 miles to the town of Sisters. In Sisters turn right onto S Elm St. This will become Three Creek Rd/NF-16 after about a mile. Then continue down this road for about 14.5 miles and find the trailhead parking on your right. (Total of  122 miles)

From Salem

• Drive OR-22 east toward Detroit Lake/Bend for 80.3 miles then take a slight left onto US-20 east to the town of Sisters for 25.5 miles. In Sisters turn right on S Elm St. This will become Three Creek Rd/NF-16 after about a mile. Then continue down this road for about 14.5 miles and find the trailhead parking on your right. (Total of 125 miles)

From Portland

• Total of 168 miles via Salem.

From Medford

• Total of 210 miles via Bend.

-This trail write-up was last updated October 2023-
*All pictures are taken by Franziska Weinheimer

*Disclaimer: The trail descriptions, mileage, GPS tracks and difficulty ratings depicted on this website are never 100% accurate. Always hike at your own risk, using your own knowledge, equipment and common sense. Franziska Weinheimer/Hike Oregon are not responsible if you or anyone in your party gets injured or lost while attempting one of these or any other hikes.

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