Oregon · Hiking · Near Sisters

Clear Lake

Clear LakePhoto: Bonnie Moreland (free images), Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)
5.0 mi
round trip
4,645 ft
climb
3,105 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Oct
best months

Caution today

Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is marginal · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 7 h ago

Is Clear Lake open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Willamette National Forest. It doesn't name Clear Lake, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Willamette National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Clear Lake is a 5-mile out-and-back hike in the McKenzie River Ranger District of Oregon's Willamette National Forest. The trail is managed by the Forest Service, and the route rises about 146 feet from a low point of 3,018 feet to a high of 3,105 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Santiam Junction weather station, which sits about 645 feet higher than the trail, show July and August highs around 76°F with lows near 42°F. Winter there is cold, with highs in the mid-30s. The trail's natural surface allows bikes, and the route stays moderate in grade. It works as a standalone outing or a link in a longer trip. Prairie View Loop is just 0.6 miles away, and Coldwater Cove campground is about 1.5 miles off. The McKenzie River, roughly 4 miles away, offers paddling, and the Oregon Volcanoes climbing area is about 9 miles out.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Cold Water Cove - Willamette NF

    Campground

    Campground · 1.3 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Crockett Lodge

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 1 mi
  • If it rains

    Kiwanis club

    Attraction

    In town

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors

More in Sisters

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · May–Oct

    Best time to visit Clear Lake

    Best months: May–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      38° / 24°

    2. Feb

      41° / 24°

    3. Mar

      44° / 26°

    4. Apr

      49° / 29°

    5. May

      58° / 35°

    6. Jun

      65° / 38°

    7. Jul

      76° / 42°

    8. Aug

      76° / 42°

    9. Sep

      69° / 39°

    10. Oct

      56° / 33°

    11. Nov

      42° / 28°

    12. Dec

      36° / 23°

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Santiam Junction, OR, 4.7 mi away at 3,750 ft. The station sits about 600 ft higher than this place, so expect it a little warmer here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

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WaterfallsPhoto: acaben, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

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Santiam Wagon Road EastPhoto: Bonnie Moreland (free images), Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

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LAVA LAKE ACCESS EASTPhoto: Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

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