Sometimes you just want a taste of camping in the backcountry. Maybe a simple hike into the woods, a single overnight under the stars, coffee and breakfast by a lake and then a return home. Easy one-night backpack trips are good for the family, the beginner or those of us who don’t have quite the same spring in our step that we once did. Try one of these three trips for a sleepover in the woods this summer season.
Teddy Lake
Teddy Lake is off easily accessed Cascade Lakes Highway, but it’s one of the more lightly trafficked trails in the area. The lake is about four miles from the Winopee Trailhead at Cultus Lake, 39 miles west of Bend on Highway 46. Choose a campsite in the trees just above the lake, take a swim before dark and then enjoy the seclusion as the sun sets over the mountain.
Distance: 8 miles roundtrip
Hiking level: Moderate
Parking: $5 day pass or NW Forest Pass at Winopee Trailhead at Cultus Lake
Open: May to September
Little Three Creek Lake
Three Creek Lake is tucked at the base of the Cascade Range and Tam McArthur Rim, accessed from Sisters on the west side of the mountains. It’s known for an alpine ecosystem, clear blue waters and rocky beaches. Little Three Creek Lake is a short hike from Three Creek Lake, perfect for an easy backpack outing. Start your hike at the Driftwood Campground entrance at Three Creek Lake, sixteen miles west of Sisters via Forest Service Road 16. The trail to Little Three Creek Lake is 1.3 miles. Set up camp and take out the fishing pole for some evening trout fishing.
Distance: 2.6 miles roundtrip
Hiking level: Easy
Parking: $5 day pass or NW Forest Pass at Driftwood Campground
Open: May to September
Sisters Mirror Lake
A favorite off of Cascade Lakes Highway is the trail to Sisters Mirror Lake, which connects to the Pacific Crest Trail and offers many variations in length from an out-and-back to a loop. Set forth from the Sisters Mirror Lake trailhead, thirty miles west of Bend on Highway 46. The hike features glimpses of lava flows, a forest of mountain hemlock, small streams and peekaboo views of South Sister. Set up camp at Sisters Mirror Lake, a shallow pool set in a large meadow, or one of the many smaller lakes that surround it, all near the intersection with the Pacific Crest Trail.
Distance: 6.6 miles roundtrip
Hiking level: Moderate
Parking: $5 day pass or NW Forest Pass at Sisters Mirror Lake Trailhead
Open: May to September
