Oregon · Hiking · Diamond Peak Wilderness

Pretty Lake

Pretty LakePhoto: Northwest Rafting Company, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
6.6 mi
round trip
6,833 ft
climb
5,887 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Oct
best months

Is Pretty Lake open right now?

Closure in the area

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

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

Pretty Lake is a hard hike in Oregon's Diamond Peak Wilderness, part of the Crescent Ranger District of Deschutes National Forest. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is a natural-surface out-and-back that starts at about 5,000 feet and climbs to about 5,900 feet over 6.6 miles. The steepest stretch comes at about 1.3 miles in, with a grade of 18 percent. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Odell Lake show July and August highs around 73 to 74°F with only about three wet days a month, while winter brings highs in the mid-30s and regular snow days. Horses are allowed on the trail, but bikes are not. The Metolius-Windigo Trail and Fawn Lake both lie about half a mile away, and Crescent Lake Campground is under a mile off. Odell Lake, about 4 miles away, offers fishing.

Local outfitters

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

  • Best time to go · May–Oct

    Best time to visit Pretty 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

      35° / 20°

      14 wet · 10 snow

    2. Feb

      38° / 21°

      13 wet · 9 snow

    3. Mar

      42° / 24°

      14 wet · 8 snow

    4. Apr

      46° / 28°

      11 wet · 4 snow

    5. May

      55° / 34°

      9 wet · 1 snow

    6. Jun

      63° / 38°

      6 wet

    7. Jul

      73° / 44°

      3 wet

    8. Aug

      74° / 42°

      3 wet

    9. Sep

      68° / 36°

      5 wet

    10. Oct

      55° / 30°

      9 wet · 1 snow

    11. Nov

      41° / 26°

      14 wet · 6 snow

    12. Dec

      34° / 20°

      15 wet · 10 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Odell Lake-East, OR, 2.7 mi away at 4,800 ft. The station sits about 1,100 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Metolius-Windigo TrailPhoto: Northwest Rafting Company, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Metolius-Windigo Trail

Next door

10.4-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 2,994 ft elevation gain.

SimaxPhoto: Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Simax

~2 min drive

2.06-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 389 ft elevation gain.

MAKLAKS NORDIC LOOPPhoto: functoruser, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

MAKLAKS NORDIC LOOP

~5 min drive

8.94-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 1,762 ft elevation gain and loss.

Pct - Oregon Section EPhoto: Bruce Fingerhood from Springfield, Oregon, US, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Pct - Oregon Section E

~11 min drive

74.69-mile point-to-point trail in Oregon with 6,842 ft elevation gain.

CRESCENT LAKE LOOP WESTPhoto: Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

CRESCENT LAKE LOOP WEST

~1 min drive

16.92-mile out-and-back out-and-back with 2,483 ft elevation gain and loss in Oregon.

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

CRESCENT LAKE LOOP EAST

~3 min drive

1.16-mile out-and-back out-and-back around Crescent Lake in Oregon.

Yoran Lake TrailPhoto: lamblukas, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Yoran Lake Trail

~10 min drive

8.9-mile out-and-back hike to Yoran Lake in Oregon with 1,640 ft gain.

WHITEFISH CREEKPhoto: lamblukas, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

WHITEFISH CREEK

~11 min drive

21.64-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 2,508 ft elevation gain/loss

Whitefish Creek TrailPhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Whitefish Creek Trail

~8 min drive

19.3-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 2,152 ft elevation gain and loss.

Metolius-Windigo TrailPhoto: holisticmonkey, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Metolius-Windigo Trail

~4 min drive

0.6-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 50 ft of elevation gain.