BEND — The Obsidian Trailhead near McKenzie Pass required a limited-entry permit for hikers long before any other trailheads in the Three Sisters Wilderness did.

After a day spent there exploring the western bases of North and Middle Sister, it is easy to understand why the U.S. Forest Service limited the number of hikers who can enter the area years before it implemented the same rule on many other trailheads in the Central Oregon Cascades.

The Obsidian Trailhead provides access to the Pacific Crest Trail and to loop hikes of 10.6 and 15.8 miles that feature some of the most dramatic scenery in Oregon.

Black obsidian rock glistens in the sun along sections of the trails that take hikers along alpine meadows, rugged cliffs and Cascade peaks that rise into the blue sky deep in the Three Sisters Wilderness.

I made the drive with my 15-year-old son Mason over McKenzie Pass last week to the Obsidian Trailhead, a little more than an hour from Bend.

Two days before, I logged onto recreation.gov and saw that some $1 permits were still available.

I purchased two and told Mason that we were in for a long hike with some epic peak scenery payoffs.

Otherworldly landscape

Planning for a 10.6-mile round-trip day hike to Obsidian Falls, we started out on a sandy trail that cut through a burn before leading into a dense Douglas fir forest.

Just when it seemed the forest would never end, we arrived at a rock wall, the base of the Obsidian Cliffs. After a couple of switchbacks up the rocks, the trail led us to a high point that included a sprawling view of North and Middle Sister, their ample snow glistening white in the summer sun.

From there, we followed the path through some green meadows to the junction with Glacier Way. This steep, 0.6-mile trail took us along White Branch Creek to a junction with the Pacific Crest Trail.

We walked a mile of the PCT along some of the most incredible high-country scenery we have ever encountered. The trail led through shiny obsidian rock and skirted the creek and several small ponds. The otherworldly landscape was dominated by Middle Sister, which rose above the surrounding cliffs.

We arrived a spot where snow melt had formed a small glacial pool. Farther along the trail was an even larger pool, where we stopped to eat our lunches from our packs.

Where the PCT meets the east end of the Obsidian Trail, a perfect little waterfall splashes over a low cliff. Obsidian Falls is not the most massive or impressive waterfall, but it just seems to fit perfectly in this special corner of the Three Sisters Wilderness.

Day tripper

A few other hikers gathered in the area, some walking right up to the base of the falls. We encountered about a dozen other hikers and backpackers during the day.

Back on the Obsidian Trail, I ruminated on the benefits of being a day hiker — I could spend a few hours walking through this amazing place, just an hour from Bend, then go home to my bed that night. Still, backpackers had the luxury of spending more time in such a special locale.

Down the cliffs and back through the forest, we arrived back at the Obsidian Trailhead thoroughly exhausted by the hike and impressed by the scenery.

The 11-mile trek required nearly five hours and included 2,700 feet of elevation gain — and plentiful mountain memories.