Clear Lake
​Hike details:
Mileage: 5 mile loop w/ 560 ft. elevation gain
Approximate hike time: 2 hours 10 minutes w/ an average pace of 2.3 mph
Difficulty: Easy
Trail usage: High on weekends during all seasons, medium on summer and fall weekdays, low during the winter and early spring weekdays
Highest elevation: 3,100 ft. Lowest elevation: 3,020 ft.
General location: 21 miles north of McKenzie Bridge - Willamette National Forest
Accessible: April through early December for hiking, mid-December through early March for snowshoeing or cross-country skiing
(Best time to go is end of September to mid-October when the foliage along the lake is changing color).
Permits required: N/A
Pit toilet at trailhead: Yes
Trail allows: Dogs, mountain biking (on the McKenzie River Trail only - not on the whole loop), snowshoeing and cross-country skiing
Possible dangers: N/A
Approximate hike time: 2 hours 10 minutes w/ an average pace of 2.3 mph
Difficulty: Easy
Trail usage: High on weekends during all seasons, medium on summer and fall weekdays, low during the winter and early spring weekdays
Highest elevation: 3,100 ft. Lowest elevation: 3,020 ft.
General location: 21 miles north of McKenzie Bridge - Willamette National Forest
Accessible: April through early December for hiking, mid-December through early March for snowshoeing or cross-country skiing
(Best time to go is end of September to mid-October when the foliage along the lake is changing color).
Permits required: N/A
Pit toilet at trailhead: Yes
Trail allows: Dogs, mountain biking (on the McKenzie River Trail only - not on the whole loop), snowshoeing and cross-country skiing
Possible dangers: N/A
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Description:Clear Lake is a popular place to recreate whether it be hiking, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, mountain biking, or snowshoeing/cross-country skiing in the winter time. Clear Lake was formed 3,000 years ago when lava flowed from nearby Sand Mountain and dammed the McKenzie River. This created a clear, cold lake where you can still see petrified tree snags from long ago below the surface of the water. Clear Lake has a maximum depth of about 56 feet and here you will find rainbow trout and eastern brook trout which are stocked and there are some native cutthroat trout in the lake as well.
To do the loop around Clear Lake, you will park at the lodge (the day use area with the bathroom is just to the right of the lodge) and hike to the left of the lodge. Pass the cabins that you can rent out, and this is where you find the trail. After 0.7 miles you will come to a bridge that crosses Ikenick Creek. |
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Cross the bridge and continue on for 0.5 miles until you come to another bridge that crosses Fish Lake Creek. Right before the bridge you will see a sign on the left for the McKenzie River trailhead. This is where mountain bikers start when they do the entire 26 mile long McKenzie River Trail. If you are here in the winter and there is snow on the bridge, it is recommended that you take off your skis or snowshoes and cross the creek bed instead of the bridge. There is rarely any water in this creek except in spring. It is not recommended that you cross the bridge with snow on it. The bridge is pretty narrow, and the snow can pile up past the railings, which means you can easily slide off and fall 20 feet into a dry rocky creek bed.
After the bridge, you will head uphill a bit more (the incline is more noticeable in the winter with snowshoes than in the summer on a dry trail), until you come to your first view of Clear Lake. Looking at the lake from this angle is pretty cool and on a clear day you can see the Three Sisters in the background. |
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From the bridge it is 0.5 miles to the Great Spring. If you thought that Clear Lake was blue, you will be awestruck when you see the Great Spring. In the summer you are able to climb down a steep embankment and you can sit right at the spring's edge. You can see all the way to the bottom of this clear blue spring and see ancient tree snags.
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(The Great Spring in the fall)
(The Great Spring in the summer)
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(The Great Spring in the winter)
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About 0.3 miles past the Great Spring, you will start seeing amazing views of the entire lake. There are no motorboats allowed on Clear Lake so it is always nice and quiet. You can rent row boats at the lodge during the late spring, summer and early fall season, and the fishing here is pretty good. The lake is stocked with rainbow and eastern brook trout, and there are also some native cutthroat trout. There is a 1 mile of a lava section, where they have paved the path in some places so that no one has to clamber over the sharp lava rocks. You can even mountain bike here, since this section of the trail is part of the McKenzie River Trail. The lava section is much more difficult to navigate in the winter, and unless there has been a lot of snowshoe or ski traffic before you, you will most likely have to blaze your own trail.
(the lava section in the fall)
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(the lava section in the winter)
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The Clear Lake loop is highly recommended for everyone! It is one of the most well maintained trails, pretty flat and not very challenging, which allows you and the whole family to easily enjoy the beauty around you. This is the perfect place to hike in fall (late September to mid-October) when the leaves are changing color but there is still sun out which makes the lake look extra clear. If you can, it is cool to do this hike during all 4 seasons to see how it changed. This is one of Oregon's most beautiful hikes, so expect there to be quite a few people hiking here on weekends during the spring, summer and fall.
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Directions:
From Bend
- Drive north on US-97 and then merge onto US-20 west towards Sisters. At Santiam Junction stay to the right and merge onto OR-126/20 and then stay left at the next junction and continue on OR-126 towards Eugene. Between mileposts 3 and 4 look for a sign that says Clear Lake Resort, and turn onto a narrow paved road that winds down to the lodge. *In the winter if you don't have 4 wheel drive or a car that has decent traction in the snow, do not park down at the lake. They do not plow this access road to the lodge and it is pretty steep. You can park across the highway at the sno park (to park here you will need a sno park pass though). (Total of 58 miles)
- Drive OR-126 20 miles east of the town of McKenzie Bridge. Between mileposts 3 and 4 look for a sign that says Clear Lake Resort, and turn onto a narrow paved road that winds down to the lodge. *In the winter if you don't have 4 wheel drive or a car that has decent traction in the snow, do not park down at the lake. They do not plow this access road to the lodge and it is pretty steep. You can park across the highway at the sno park (to park here you will need a sno park pass though). (Total of 73.4 miles)
- Drive on OR-22 east towards Detroit. At Santiam Junction stay to the right and merge onto OR-126/20 and then stay left at the next junction and continue on OR-126 towards Eugene. Between mileposts 3 and 4 look for a sign that says Clear Lake Resort, and turn onto a narrow paved road that winds down to the lodge. *In the winter if you don't have 4 wheel drive or a car that has decent traction in the snow, do not park down at the lake. They do not plow this access road to the lodge and it is pretty steep. You can park across the highway at the sno park (to park here you will need a sno park pass though). (Total of 92.4 miles)
- It is a total of 138 miles via Salem.
- It is a total of 237 miles via Eugene.
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To get a more in-depth and personal view of this hike, watch the YouTube video.
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*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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