Immediately to the east lies Hayrick Butte, a prime example of a tuya; the two mountains' names were likely mistaken for each other, but stuck with them over time.

Hoodoo is sometimes considered a subfeature of the Mount Washington shield volcano, and it forms part of the Sisters Reach, which extends from South Cinder Peak to Crane Prairie Reservoir, running for 56 miles (90 km).

It reached the vegetation on the eastern and southern flanks of Hoodoo Butte, leaving patches of trees compared to the denser forest on the northern slope.

[7] Constructed towards the end of the Pleistocene epoch, these mountains are underlain by more ancient volcanoes that subsided due to parallel north–south faulting in the surrounding region.

[8] In the region stretching south from Mount Jefferson to Santiam Pass, shield volcanoes dominate, forming a broad ridge with cinder cones.

[10] Hoodoo Butte is part of the Sisters Reach, which extends from South Cinder Peak to Crane Prairie Reservoir, running for 56 miles (90 km).

Hoodoo Butte is one of the larger mafic volcanoes, along with Three Fingered Jack, North Sister, and the vents of the Mount Bachelor chain.

[14] The crater is open to the east as a result of its irregular topography, which led to uneven distribution of ejected material such that most of the volcanic rock that forms the edifice was deposited elsewhere.

It encompasses 800 acres (3.2 km2) with 34 trail runs, five chairlifts, a snow tubing park, night skiing,[2] lodges, rental and repair stores, and a day-care building.