Oregon's Picturesque Lake In The Cascade Mountains Offers A Peaceful Nature Escape

Oregon's deep, ancient forests draw outdoorsy travelers for bucket-list-worthy outdoor adventures, including spectacular hikes, fishing, and hiking trips. However, at Clear Lake — a natural wonder in the heart of the Cascade Mountains — you can visit a forest so literally deep that it's 100 feet underwater. 

Formed 3,000 years ago after a volcanic eruption created a natural dam on the McKenzie River, 142-acre Clear Lake preserves and covers an ancient forest with crystal-clear water. The green forest stands frozen in time as a relic of the past on the lake bed, and can be explored by divers who are prepared for cold water. Nature lovers will likely find plenty to love about Clear Lake, whether it's looking down into the water, paddling across the lake's mirror-like surface, or relaxing in the crowd-free environment. Anglers will likely find their happy place reeling in trout without the noise of motors in the distance. However, you will be competing with bald eagles and osprey for the catch of the day. If you'd like to wake up to beautiful morning views on the lake, camping and staying at the lake's charming county-run resort are also options. Visitors to the Clear Lake Day Use Area will have to pay $10 for vehicle entry parking.

Clear Lake is less than two hours away from Eugene and Salem, and a little over an hour west of Redmond and Bend, an outdoor gateway with small-town charm. If you're flying in, both Eugene Airport (EUG) and Redmond Municipal Airport (RDM) have flight connections throughout the West.

While Clear Lake may look as blue as some of the best tropical vacation destinations on the planet, it's a bone-chilling 43 degrees Fahrenheit most of the year. Still, the lake is a popular destination for a quiet day paddling on the water, or scuba diving or snorkeling beneath the surface — with a wetsuit, of course. Visitors can bring their own paddlecraft to float the day away on the lake's scenic glass-like surface, though there is a $5 launch fee. If you're not bringing your watercraft, rental kayaks and row boats are available at the Clear Lake Resort, however, they're first-come, first-served. For would-be divers, rental equipment, including cold-water wetsuits and tanks, is available in Eugene at Eugene Skin Divers. Most open-water dives go down to about 40 feet. 

If you'd rather take in the stunning lake views from land on your nature escape, take a beautiful walk along the flat, 4.6-mile long Clear Lake Loop Trail. The family-friendly trail circumnavigates the lake and passes through old-growth forests. Hikers will also walk near the Great Spring, where Clear Lake and the McKenzie River bubble up to the surface. Hikers eager to enjoy a full day on the trail can trek south to Sahalie Falls and Koosah Falls; two waterfalls on the McKenzie River fed by the lake. Continue on the trail, and you'll reach neighboring Carmen Reservoir, another scenic lake in the Cascade Mountains.

If you're looking to spend the night in serene nature, you'll find a handful of options around Clear Lake. From May through October, the Cold Water Cove Campground on the east lake shore is open for tent and RV camping and has lakeside views and plenty of shade to stay out of the sun (or rain). The campground has 34 total campsites, a boat launch area, restrooms, and water through two hand pumps. Electricity is not available. Past campers noted that the nearest access from the camping area to the lakeshore is downhill and traverses a rocky path. For easier access, there is a boat launch area at the other end of the campground. Campsites are reservable in advance on Recreation.gov and are also first-come, first-served. 

For more comfort on Clear Lake, stay at the Clear Lake Resort, operated by Linn County Parks. Accommodations at the resort range from more rustic yurts and cabins without water and restroom facilities to cabins with full restrooms and showers. The cabins are furnished, however you will have to bring your own bedding, sleeping bags, and cooking utensils. Another option for food is to dine at the resort's small restaurant. If you plan to visit after the campground closes for the winter, the cabins and yurts remain open year-round.

Travelers who are looking to really go deep (pun intended) in the Beaver State have other options to explore after a quiet escape on Clear Lake. Venture over to Crater Lake National park to explore the deepest lake in the U.S., or head across the state to Hells Canyon on the Oregon-Idaho border, the deepest canyon in the United States.