Lakes around Mt. Hood

Hi everyone!

My bf and I planned to schedule a day trip sightseeing the Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Hood loop in early June. Is there a nice, scenic lake near Mt. Hood that isn%26#39;t too far out of the way from our loop? And what route would be best to take? [i.e., Portland-%26gt;Gorge-%26gt;Mt. Hood-%26gt;Lake or Portland-%26gt;Gorge-%26gt;Lake-%26gt;Mt. Hood]?

Mahalo in advance! =)

Lakes around Mt. Hood

Timothy Lake + Little Crater Lake = good times.

Portland-%26gt;Mt. Hood-%26gt;Lake(s)-%26gt;Gorge.

Lakes around Mt. Hood

Aloha!!

I agree with Oregone...Timothy Lake and Little Crater Lake are a good bet. Little Crater Lake is one of my favorite places to go up there.

If you are pressed for time, and don%26#39;t want to go all the way to ';Timmy'; Lake, Clear Lake is nice. There might be some tadpoles in Frog lake, though it could be a little early for them.

I generally do the trip in the opposite direction that Oregone suggested though...that will put you in Hood River around lunch time, depending what time you leave in the morning and how many stops you make along the historic highway.

Portland%26gt;Gorge%26gt;Lake(s)%26gt;Mt. Hood

Keep in mind, the lakes mentioned are all east of Government Camp.

Wow! I love all of the helpful advice and information on this board! I had heard of Timothy Lake but not Little Crater. I%26#39;m so glad I asked because I had to cancel the actual Crater Lake out of our plans and now I have a do-able alternative.

Thank you DE%26#39;s! =)

Timothy Lake and Little Crater Lake are good choices. But there is also Trillium Lake which is the lake you can see from Timberline Lodge. It has a nice area with picnic tables if you want to bring your lunch to eat while you enjoy the view of Mt. Hood. Drive on past Trillium Lake and you have Frog Lake and Clear Lake. All three of these are closer to Mt. Hood than Timothy Lake.

I would recommend that you drive Portland, Gorge, the Mt. Hood Loop, and then a lake of your choice.

Joan from http://www.great-oregon-vacations.com

';I had to cancel the actual Crater Lake out of our plans and now I have a do-able alternative.';

Little Crater Lake is exactly the same as Crater Lake if you stand REALLY far away.

And you%26#39;re two-thirds of the way through a bottle of Crater Lake Vodka.

And it%26#39;s night.

Still chuckling, thanks, Oregone.

I%26#39;ll ask a couple of questions on your behalf.

If we plan on swimming in the lakes, what is water temperature in June?

Will there be mosquitoes in the area or is it too early?

Little Crater Lake is not an actual lake, it is an artesian well. You can probably walk around it in less than 5 minutes, if that. Though there really isn%26#39;t a trail around it, just to it. Most beautiful crystal clear water you will see.

http://www.ohwy.com/or/l/litcratlkcg.htm

Oregone: I read your description to hubby and he is still laughing.

I really wouldn%26#39;t swim in any of the lakes in early June, unless we have had some unusual hot weather for about two weeks. In late July or August, when we have had a few 100 degree days down here, it turns to almost bathwater.

Just use mosquito repellent and the mossies won%26#39;t bother you.

Mirror Lake is one of my favorites. You have to hike in a bit to get to it but it is an easy hike, however, I just did it this past weekend and there was a LOT of snow and the lake is still mostly frozen.

The trail head is near Gov%26#39;t Camp and the hike is about 3.2 miles round trip. You can still catch the ';mirror'; effect in the part that is unfrozen and it makes for some incredible photographs!