COVER STORY
Thursday, June 3, 2021 • The BuLLeTIn
GO! MAGAZINE • PAGE 11
Take a detour to Clear Lake this summer
Story and photo by MAKENZIE WHITTLE • The Bulletin
F
or four years of my life, State Highway 126 was like a second home due to how many times I drove back and forth from Bend, my hometown, to Eugene,
where I attended the University of Oregon. I came to know every curve in the road, every tree-filled hill and valley, every incredibly short passing lane and
where the best places were for a pit stop.
But in all those travels back and forth
across the mountain, I never made the de-
tour to the gorgeous Clear Lake. Sure, I
had been there before, but not for years. It
was just one of those places that was always
there, and I never stopped at on my drives.
After last year’s devastating wildfires,
and missing out on several of those “always
there” places, it’s worth adding a few extra
miles or steps to explore the just-off-the-
road spots like Clear Lake and appreciate it
all the more.
IN THE NAME
Oregon is full of unimaginative names
for things — including this crystal clear lake
just off Highway 126 near its junction with
U.S. Highway 20. But even though the nam-
ing committee may have been feeling uncre-
ative the day they named Clear Lake, there
really isn’t anything else it should have been
named.
Clear Lake was created about 3,000 years
ago, when lava from nearby Sand Moun-
tain flowed down to the McKenzie River,
met with the cold water here and dammed
the water, creating the lake we see today.
The ancient forest that once surrounded the
river here was also submerged, and thanks
to the near-freezing temperatures of the
lake, are well preserved under the 120 feet
of water.
Today, Clear Lake marks the headwaters
of the McKenzie River and maintains its
sparkling clarity, making it a perfect place
for freshwater diving, good fishing, varied
hiking trails, and a relaxing spot to spend
the day or a weekend.
With the lake’s green and turquoise waters
and a clarity of up to 200 feet, taking a boat
out is like gliding on glass at times. You can
even spy brook, cutthroat or rainbow trout
just below the surface from the comfort of
your nonmotorized vessel.
The lake today is host to a resort full of
quaint cabins, a general store with rowboats
and kayaks on one side and a 32-site Wil-
lamette National Forest-managed camp-
ground on the other. Both Clear Lake Resort
and Cold Water Cove Campground require
reservations (the campground also has some
first come, first served sites) and are heavily
used during the summer. The Clear Lake
Resort restaurant is currently closed, and
boat rentals are limited to half- or full-day
rentals only.
Mist lingers on the southeast corner of Clear Lake.
A VARIED WALK
The Clear Lake Loop trail circumnav-
igates the 142-acre lake and showcases
the varied landscape and the history that
formed this stunning specimen.
Beginning from the day use area at the
resort and working counterclockwise, the
5-mile trail is fairly easy for walkers and bik-
ers with one section through the lava field
where things get slightly more technical
(though not difficult).
Starting off, the trail passes a picnic shel-
ter created by the Civilian Conservation
Corps during the New Deal then continues
along the hillside next to the lake through
old-growth Douglas fir, western hemlock
and cedar trees. Closer to the ground vine
maple, Oregon grape, trillium, fern and
other foliage grow in abundance. The wider
trail is soft underfoot with compact duff
from the forest and is pleasantly springy.
Take time to admire the greenness here as
the trail slowly loops around the southern
edge and over the brilliantly blue-green
McKenzie River as it begins its long journey
west toward Eugene and its eventual conflu-
ence with the Willamette.
The trail then narrows and becomes a
little rockier as it nears the water. It eventu-
ally passes by the Cold Water Campground,
where campfires and propane stoves brew
coffee and the savory smell of sausages wafts
down in the morning.
Then the dirt trail is traded for pavement
through the lava field and the view opens up
for a perfect look at the lake and the resort
on the other side. On summer weekends,
the lake is full of fishermen and leisurely
kayakers or stand up paddle boarders float-
ing across the frigid surface.
The trail through the lava is not fully
paved, as it eventually turns into a mix of dirt
and the sharper 3,000-year-old a’a lava rock.
Eventually the forest returns and the trail
skirts around the jaw-droppingly beautiful
Great Spring, where water bubbles from the
rock hillside into a deep and crystal blue
pool below. A great place to stop for a water
or lunch break.
From here the trail continues over creeks
that feed the lake including Fish Lake Creek
and connects with the McKenzie River Trail,
then over another creek, complete with
small waterfalls, and back to the resort area
with views of the backside of the Three Sis-
ters along the way.
Clear Lake has enough natural beauty
and square footage to make a day or week-
end trip worthy of taking a beat to enjoy it,
whether it’s your destination or a stopover
on the way to or from the Valley.
e e
Reporter: 541-383-0304, mwhittle@bendbulletin.com
LES NEWMAN’S
QUALITY OUTDOOR WEAR
On NE Franklin Avenue across from Les Schwab
541-318-4868