Black Crater is a steep-sided shield volcano in the Cascade Range of central Oregon, located north of the Three Sisters and east of McKenzie Pass. Ice Age glaciers carved a large cirque into the northern flank of the mountain, and snow often lingers in its shady depths until late summer. A United States Forest Service fire lookout tower was built on the summit in 1925, but was eventually destroyed and only remnants of the foundation remain today. A trail heads for the summit from the northwest on Oregon Route 242, eventually wrapping onto the northeast side for the upper part of the ascent.