Square Lake, Round Lake & Booth Lake
​Hike details:
Mileage: 4.8 miles round trip w/ 550 ft. elevation gain (to Square Lake and back)
9.4 miles round trip w/ 860 ft. elevation gain (to Square Lake & Round Lake and back)
8.3 miles round trip w/ 1,100 ft. elevation gain (to Square Lake & Booth Lake and back)
Approximate hike time: 2 hours 5 minutes w/ an average pace of 2.3 mph (to Square Lake and back)
4 hours 5 minutes w/ an average pace of 2.3 mph (to Square Lake & Round Lake and back)
3 hours 36 minutes w/ an average pace of 2.3 mph (to Square Lake & Booth Lake and back)
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Trail usage: Medium on summer weekends, low on weekdays
Highest elevation: 5,269 ft. Lowest elevation: 4,330 ft.
General location: 20 miles west of Sisters - Willamette National Forest - Mount Jefferson Wilderness
Accessible: June through November
(Best time to go is June and then again towards the end of September through November when the weather is cooler).
Permits required: Day trips - Free self issue wilderness permit June 15 - October 15 and Northwest Forest Pass for parking.
Overnight trips - Central Cascades Wilderness Permit June 15 - October 15 via recreation.gov and Northwest Forest Pass for parking.
Pit toilet at trailhead: Yes
Trail allows: Dogs, horses, camping
Possible dangers: This trail is very exposed to the sun so it gets extremely hot in the summer.
9.4 miles round trip w/ 860 ft. elevation gain (to Square Lake & Round Lake and back)
8.3 miles round trip w/ 1,100 ft. elevation gain (to Square Lake & Booth Lake and back)
Approximate hike time: 2 hours 5 minutes w/ an average pace of 2.3 mph (to Square Lake and back)
4 hours 5 minutes w/ an average pace of 2.3 mph (to Square Lake & Round Lake and back)
3 hours 36 minutes w/ an average pace of 2.3 mph (to Square Lake & Booth Lake and back)
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Trail usage: Medium on summer weekends, low on weekdays
Highest elevation: 5,269 ft. Lowest elevation: 4,330 ft.
General location: 20 miles west of Sisters - Willamette National Forest - Mount Jefferson Wilderness
Accessible: June through November
(Best time to go is June and then again towards the end of September through November when the weather is cooler).
Permits required: Day trips - Free self issue wilderness permit June 15 - October 15 and Northwest Forest Pass for parking.
Overnight trips - Central Cascades Wilderness Permit June 15 - October 15 via recreation.gov and Northwest Forest Pass for parking.
Pit toilet at trailhead: Yes
Trail allows: Dogs, horses, camping
Possible dangers: This trail is very exposed to the sun so it gets extremely hot in the summer.
(an example of what the Old Summit Trail looks like)
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Description:Square Lake can be accessed via the Old Summit Trail #4014 and is a short and easy family friendly hike, perfect for early summer. From Square Lake you can choose to continue on to Booth Lake, a wonderful place to camp, or Round Lake, perfect for an afternoon swim.
The hike starts out on the Pacific Crest Trail, heading northbound through bushels of bear grass and silvery tree snags that remain from the very large B&B Complex fire in 2003. After 0.2 miles you will come to a trail junction and you will take the Old Summit Trail #4014 to the right. |
(view of Mount Washington and the Three Sisters from Old Summit Trail)
The Old Summit Trail takes you around a small hill, and the old burn exposes epic views to the north of Mount Washington and the Three Sisters. After 1.5 miles you will come to small saddle and from here you can see Square Lake below with Three Fingered Jack in the distance. From the saddle, the trail takes you downhill for 0.65 miles to the banks of Square Lake. You will see a few decent backcountry camp spots on the north and south shores and the deep blue color of the lake is very inviting, especially on a hot summer day. Square Lake also has trout, so bring the fishing pole, a hammock and a book and enjoy a relaxing afternoon.
(view of Square Lake and Three Fingered Jack)
(Square Lake)
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If you want to continue your hike, at the north end of Square Lake you will find a trail junction. If you want to go to Round Lake, you will take the Round Lake Trail #4012 to the right. This dusty trail takes you through lots of snowbush, which blooms in June. These flowers have an incredibly potent smell! After 2 miles you will arrive at a gravel road that skirts around the edge of Round Lake. At the west side of the lake you will see Round Lake Christian Camp and at the east side of the lake there is primitive Round Lake Campground. This lake is smaller than Square Lake and you have to share it with the church camp and folks camping at the campground, so unless you are here in the early season or in the fall, this lake will not be secluded.
For a more private lake experience, head over to Booth Lake instead. From the Square Lake trail junction you will continue north on the Old Summit Trail for 1.75 uphill miles. Booth Lake is stunning and sits at the base of a ridge. You can see Three Fingered Jack looming above, and it is generally pretty quiet here. Keep in mind that there are no big trees here so you will be in the sun the entire day. Make sure to bring a sun hat when hiking in this area and apply that sunscreen! If you have an overnight permit and have backpacked in, there are places to set up camp at Booth Lake as well. |
(approaching Round Lake)
(Booth Lake and Three Fingered Jack)
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(Booth Lake)
Whether you are simply going to Square Lake, or also going to Round Lake or Booth Lake, you will head back the way you came on the Old Summit Trail. This southeast side of Three Fingered Jack is underrated and doesn't get visited as much as Minto Lake, Jack Lake, Canyon Creek Meadows or Santiam Lake. This is an easy hike and it is truly the perfect place to bring the whole family in the early summer season.
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(view of Square Lake, Mount Washington and the Three Sisters on your way back from Booth Lake)
Directions:
From Sisters
- Drive on US-20 W for a total of 20.2 miles, then turn right at a sign for Pacific Crest Trail. Drive 0.5 miles up to the circular parking area. (Total of 20.7 miles)
- Drive on OR-22 E for a total of 80.2 miles, then make a slight left onto US-20 E for 5.4 miles. Turn left at a sign for Pacific Crest Trail. Drive 0.5 miles up to the circular parking area. (Total of 89.6 miles)
- Drive on OR-126 E for a total of 68.2 miles, then merge right onto US-20 E for 8.8 miles. Turn left at a sign for Pacific Crest Trail. Drive 0.5 miles up to the circular parking area. (Total of 86.2 miles)
- Total of 43.2 miles via Sisters.
- Total of 215 miles via Bend and Sisters.
-This trail write-up was last updated in 2022-
*All pictures are taken by Franziska Weinheimer
*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.