Staring out across the chunky lava field to Clear Lake beyond, I tried to picture this spot 3,000 years ago. Then there was no lava field and no lake, just the McKenzie River flowing through an ancient forest. When lava flows dammed the river 3,000 years ago, Clear Lake grew behind the lava dam, and the forest sank below the lake’s surface.
Incredibly, the forest is still there. Clear Lake’s water is so cold that the forest below it decays very slowly. It’s like a time capsule.
In today’s post, I’ll share the highlights of the Clear Lake hike, a unique hike with a startling volcanic past that ranks among the best Oregon hikes. If you’d like a virtual tour, stay tuned for our video of the Clear Lake hike highlights at the end of this post.
If you start the Clear Lake hike a couple miles downstream of Clear Lake itself, you’ll also see the two enormous McKenzie River waterfalls (Sahalie and Koosah Falls). After the waterfalls, the hike circles Clear Lake in a 5-mile loop and then returns past the waterfalls to the trailhead, totalling 9 miles.
Getting to the Clear Lake Hike
The trailhead for the Clear Lake hike is in central Oregon, about a 2 1/2-hour drive southeast of Portland or an hour and 15 minutes east of Eugene. You can find it by navigating to the Waterfalls Loop Trailhead on Google Maps.
Camping Near the Clear Lake Hike
Since it’s a bit of a drive from Portland, we made a weekend of it and camped at nearby Ice Cap Campground. The campground is right next to the trailhead (we walked from our campsite)!
It was a very rainy weekend, so camping was an adventure. Luckily our tents didn’t leak! After hurriedly cooking soup on the camp stove, we spent the evening sheltering in the tent, listening to a mystery audiobook and the sound of the rain pattering on the tent roof.
A good rainy day alternative is the Clear Lake Resort, where you’ll find cabins right along the edge of Clear Lake.
Whether you camp or opt for cabins, I’d recommend making this a weekend trip if possible, because Clear Lake and the McKenzie River waterfalls are just part of the 26-mile McKenzie River National Recreation Trail. The McKenzie River Trail includes the spectacular Oregon Blue Pool, hot springs, and old-growth forest. We did the Clear Lake hike on the first day of our trip and the Oregon Blue Pool on the second day.
Sahalie and Koosah Falls
If you begin the Clear Lake hike from the Waterfalls Loop Trailhead, you’ll soon come upon Koosah Falls (photo below). This waterfall fans out into multiple streams, and the mist from the impact supports a lush, mossy canyon. Channels of water appear to spontaneously sprout from the canyon wall, hinting at water moving through the pores in the underlying lava rock.
Upstream from Koosah Falls, the trail soon reaches the likewise enormous Sahalie Falls. We appreciated getting to see both of these iconic McKenzie River waterfalls from afar and also from above, as the trail passes by the top of each of them.
Clear Lake
Once you reach Clear Lake itself, you can hike around it in either direction. We chose counterclockwise, hiking along the eastern edge first. The eastern side is where the lava flowed in, and you can still see the lava fields today. The forested west side of the lake, untouched by lava, offers a sharp contrast.
For the best views of the preserved, underwater trees, you can rent a rowboat or kayak from the Clear Lake resort. We stayed at the shore this time, but I look forward to returning and experiencing Clear Lake from the water.
The Great Spring
Much of Clear Lake’s water appears to spontaneously generate from a spring that feeds into the north side of the Lake. The Clear Lake hike passes right by this “Great Spring,” a stunning blue-green pool. It’s reminiscent of the nearby Oregon Blue Pool, but smaller and with greener hues. From the edge of the Great Spring, you can see the entry point where water bubbles up from the stones along the bank and enters the pool.
Little Nash Crater
The eruption that created Clear Lake came from nearby “Little Nash Crater.” Intrigued, we looked it up on Google Maps and drove over the next day to see what Little Nash Crater looks like. Today, it’s a bizarre moonscape of red lava rock. It’s definitely been disturbed–perhaps it’s being used as a gravel mine?
Our video tour of Oregon’s Clear Lake hike
If you do the Clear Lake hike or explore the surrounding area, let us know in the comments about your experience and any recommended nearby adventures!
Other Adventures in the Pacific Northwest
Thanks for joining us on the Clear Lake hike! For more travel ideas in the Pacific Northwest, check out our PNW Trip Planner. You can find adventures near you and filter by season and difficulty level. There are weird and wonderful things to explore any time of year. The trip planner links to blog posts to help you plan your next adventure.
Happy exploring!
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