It’s no wonder tourists — and even some locals now and then — want to go to the top of Lava Butte. The view from the 5,000-foot-plus cinder cone is spectacular in every direction.

Yet all that love is a problem for the butte, which rises just over 500 feet above the surrounding landscape. The road to the top is narrow and the parking lot there is small, and the result is that the U.S. Forest Service must hand out appointments to would-be visitors, with waits up to two hours on a busy day.

That may change this summer.

The Forest Service and Cascades East Transit are discussing a plan that would ban cars from the butte itself. Instead, visitors would pay $1.50 to ride a CET bus to the top and back.

The trip is worth the price. Lava Butte is easily one of the most prominent sights in the area. Like Pilot Butte to the north, it’s a cinder cone volcano; unlike Pilot Butte, it includes a crater at the top. Part of the Newberry Crater National Monument, Lava Butte sits by the Lava Lands Visitor Center. The butte’s parking lot holds only 10 cars, and demand is strong enough in summer to limit visitors to a 30-minute stay.

So far, no deal between the Forest Service and the bus service has been struck, with fees still an issue.

That’s understandable. CET wants to expand its revenue base, not stretch its thin resources further, and it’s unwilling to take on a project that ultimately will cost it money. Unless it can be ensured that if fares do not cover expenses the Forest Service will, it could walk away from the plan. It’s a reasonable position to take.

We do hope something can be worked out, however. A shuttle to the top would make the trip more pleasant for more people. Finding a way to provide it is well worth the effort.