Clear Lake in the Fall

This is a hike we have done as a family many times, but we can't find another one that is easier to see such nice sights so quickly. The issue is that many others have discovered this same thing, so we are often sharing the trail with many people. This day was no different because when we drove up in the early afternoon to the Clear Lake trailhead, there was not a parking spot to be found. There were cars parked in all sorts of odd places. Luckily, being a local in the area, I knew exactly where to park. I drove up about a half mile up the road and there was a dirt road that intersected the McKenzie River Trail. I parked the car and was the only one there. We continued downstream until we ran into the trail around Clear Lake. 

Even though the parking lot was very busy, the trail did not quite seem as busy. There were other things than hiking for people to do, like get out onto the lake in their boats. The real draw were the fall colors that were out in full force everywhere. We enjoyed them a lot especially Jacqueline. We walked south to start and that took us to the parking lot. After a short bathroom stop, we continued down the trail. This was a nice leisurely day for the runners in the family who could use a day off of running. We just walked which was a piece of cake. The trail took us by the outlet where we crossed over the start of the McKenzie River. Then we were back in the trees heading north. 

Here the trail got a little rough in places, but eventually it sent us out into the lava flow that made the lake. A couple of thousand years ago, Sand Mountain which is a volcano, erupted causing molten rock to come down and block up the lake. It is so recent, that you can still see stumps and trees in the lake from when it was formed. The trail by the lava flow is in nice shape, though, because this section is paved. This is also one of the more picturesque spots because you can really see the greens of the lake appearing. Then the trail goes back into the woods and takes you right by the Great Spring. Here, you can see where the water rushes out of the large aquifer that is underneath the Oregon Central Cascades. 

This is really what formed the McKenzie River as the volcanoes in central Oregon are so porous with their soil that most of the snow melt just goes underground rushing out in these large rivers. The Great Spring looks so cold and so clear that the waters of Clear Lake are some of the clearest in the world. The colors all around the Great Spring were really nice too. The trail continues on from here crossing a couple of very nicely built bridges before running into the McKenzie River trail again. We headed back up the trail the way we came to our car, still the only one parked on this dirt road. It was a very comfortable and easy 5-6 mile loop on a Saturday in October to see beautiful colors and have a great day as a family getting outside.