First solo hike in Oregon! (kinda)
Suttle Lake Trail - Hike #32!
Suttle Lake is a small resort lake in the Deschutes National Forest. Most visitors come to the lake to either stay at the quaint Suttle Lake Lodge, camp along the southern shores, or come for the day. Activities include water skiing, swimming, canoeing, fishing, and hiking.
We stopped in for lunch at a small restaurant on the water. Afterward, I took off on foot while they drove to the western end of the lake and wait for me to meet them. We packed the walkie talkies so we would be in communication along the way.
Plants, flowers, and birds are all along the trail, which never strays more than a few yards from the water’s edge. The trail is marked as an official hiking trail and not just a foot path between the three or four camping areas along the lake. What that means is that you won’t find someone on a bike or a horse, or carrying a canoe down to the water from the trail. Signs are posted along the trail to make sure there aren’t any misunderstandings about this.
It was a bit strange though to walk through campsites along the trail. I found campers reclining in beach chairs facing the water just off of the trail. In these instances, I felt like the guy in the middle of the movie theatre who had to go to the restroom, apologizing as he made his way down the row, momentarily blocking others view of the film. But most were very pleasant and curious about my hike. I suppose that not too many people come to the lake for hiking, despite the dedicated trail. I only saw two or three other hikers on the trail myself.
About two miles into the three-mile hike, Dad surprised me on the trail. He wanted to experience the trail with me and I was happy to see him. We hiked the remaining mile until we met Mom at the car.
Thoughts about the hike:
- There weren’t many mosquitoes on this trail, despite the proximity to the water.
- The final stretch of the trek required an unexpected detour. Apparently, a small footbridge over Link Creek had been washed out and what should have been just 100 yards of hiking ended up being an additional quarter of a mile.
- The name of the lake, “Suttle Lake” is actually an incorrect name. It was stumbled upon by settlers in 1859, who named it Butte Lake. Seven years later, a pioneer named John Settle “discovered” it again and named it it after himself, not realizing it was already named. But neither would win the name game, for over the years the lake has been misspelled so many times, it has subtly changed to “Suttle” and Oregonians settled on the name Suttle Lake in the end.
- Although the Lodge at Suttle Lake looks old, it was actually built in 2005. But the area has had similar lodging going back to the 1920s. Some say that the Point cabin, located right on the water, is haunted. Originally built in 1925, it has burned to the ground (and later rebuilt) three times. The last one was destroyed in 1941 and finally rebuilt with the lodge in 2005.
Hike #32 Trip GPS Stats:
- Date of hike: July 19th, 2009
- Location: Suttle Lake, Deschutes National Forest, near Sisters, Oregon
- Length: 2.9 miles
- Duration: 1 hour, 52 minutes
- Average speed: ±1.5 mph
- Altitude at start: 3,457 feet
- Altitude min.max: 3,457/3,477 feet
This map was made with the data my GPS captured on the hike.
For a more detailed trip report map, check this out.
Photos:
A small lagoon on the eastern edge of the lake.
Great Basin Wood Nymph (Cercyonis sthenele) taking flight.
A forgotten pair of sandals makes for a photo opportunity.
A wild rose in the shade
I love how all the leaves of this plant are facing the sun.
Marsh forget-me-not (Myosotis scorpiodes)
My dad on the trail
Sportin' the hiking card.
Suttle Lake in Blue.