Clear Lake and Great Springs

*Water colors are not enhanced*
About 30 minutes West of Sisters, Oregon, is Clear Lake. Like the name suggests, the water in Clear Lake holds some very clear BLUE water! The water is very cold (around 36˚-43˚), which makes it hard for algae to thrive there. Because of that, you can see the 3,000 year old trees submerged in the lake, essentially preserved by the nearly freezing water.

On the North side of the lake is Great Springs. To get there, you can either walk along the hiking path that goes around the lake (4.6 mile loop), or rent a rowboat and paddle your way over. As you get closer to the spring, the water gets bluer and bluer. Finally you get to the little cove, and it appears that the water is flowing out of nowhere. In reality, the fresh spring water is coming from under the rocks! If you come out to Clear Lake, PLEASE go see Great Springs. You won't regret it! The beautiful blue color of the water compliments the green scenery that surrounds it in Late Spring, and the butterflies near the water are icing on the cake!

If you're looking to Spend the day out here, you can hike, boat (no motors), fish, or camp around the lake. Santiam Fish and Game regularly stocks the lake with trout, so if that's your thing - bring your fishing pole, rent a rowboat for the day ($30), and try your luck. Even if you don't catch anything, it's so beautiful you might not even care!

Tamolitch Pool

This is part 3 (and the final part) of my McKenzie River Trail posts! 

First I want to say this: The blue in the photos is completely untouched/un-enhanced. This is how the water photographed, and it's even more beautiful in person. 

 The Tamolitch Pool (also known as the Blue Pool) is the main reason I wanted to hike along the McKenzie River. I had seen pictures of it before, and had to see if it was really that beautiful for myself. After you hike past the waterfalls, you come to a dam, and after that the river seems to dry up. The trail has dried up river beds with fallen trees, no water, and in my opinion, is a pretty ugly part of the trail. After a couple miles though, you suddenly come to this stunning blue pool where the McKenzie River starts again. The river didn't really dry up, it just went underground, and when it reappears, it is pure and COLD! The water looks inviting and refreshing, but it sits around 40˚, which makes it hard to enjoy a leisurely swim. Although the Blue Pool looks shallow, it's up to 40 feet deep, and a popular place for people to cliff jump in the Summer. We ended up doing what we called an "offroad hike" and climbed down to the water. It's a bit of a hidden path if you don't know where to go, but with good shoes is very manageable for most fitness levels.

Pictures do not do this justice! If you are in the area, pack up some lunch, make the hike, and enjoy this beautiful hidden gem. You won't regret it!

Koosah Falls

View on Facebook HERE

This is part 2 of my McKenzie River Trail posts. Along the same waterfall trail (a shorter trail on the 26 mile McKenzie River Trail) is Koosah Falls. The 70 foot falls might be a little smaller than the nearby Sahalie Falls, but it is no less beautiful, or powerful! It took less than 15 minutes to see both falls, so if you come to see one, I think it's worth it to take a little extra time to see both. You won't regret it!
PS - Yes, the water is that blue!

Sahalie Falls

This weekend we ventured out of Bend, and made our way to the McKenzie River Trail. The trail itself is 26 miles (one way), but many attractions along the trail are very accessible, with parking areas in multiple convenient locations. One of those attractions is Sahalie Falls. On a normal day, Sahalie Falls is beautiful; this weekend it was absolutely stunning. (View on Facebook HERE)
Photo taken from the Sahalie Falls Viewpoint:

On the first leg of the hike, we walked down the opposite side of the river, and I was able to grab a little different perspective. The color of the water was incredible: