Evening reflection of Mount Hood at Lost Lake (Tom Kloster)

Lost Lake Resort camp store(Tom Kloster)

• Hikes including this destination:
  • Buck Peak Hike   (TH | <—   —> | LOG)
  • Lost Lake Butte Hike   (TH | <—   —> | LOG)
  • Lost Lake Loop Hike   (TH | <—   —> | LOG)
• Weather forecast: NWS/NOAA
• Maps: Oregon Hikers Maps Google Maps
• Latitude, Longitude: 45.48998, -121.82278
• Elevation: 3,140 feet
• Area: 240 acres
• Depth: 167 feet

Description

Lost Lake has been a favorite tourist destination for more than a century. In the early days, the rough road from Hood River led to rustic cabins and camping, with fishing from rowboats. Today, the rowboats are still there -- and motorized boats strictly prohibited -- but a paved highway winds up the grade from Hood River to the lake. A $6 entrance fee helps a non-profit organization maintain the old lodge, cabins and other improvements around the lake.

The lake is an ideal introduction to the outdoors for families. The easy Lost Lake Loop Hike features lots of places for kids to poke sticks in the water, collect fir cones and delight in the extensive system of boardwalks that meander through ancient forests on the east shore and wetlands on the north side. Rowboats and canoes can be rented at the lodge, and there are several good swimming spots for kids along the lake shore.

Perhaps the greatest attraction at Lost Lake is simply the view of Mount Hood's beautiful northwest face. The view from the north lake shore, with the reflected mountain framed in western red cedar boughs, has appeared on countless calendars, postcards, key chains, t-shirts, souvenir mugs and fine art prints since the early 1900s. Oregon's Ray Atkeson was drawn back to Lost Lake time and again, and captured some of the most memorable views of Lost Lake. The best time to photograph Lost Lake is in the early morning or late afternoon and evening, when soft light and long shadows make the scene particularly dramatic.

Trip Reports

• Search Trip Reports for Lost Lake

• Lonely day at Lost Lake - 10/4/2006
• Lost Lake Loop - 6/24/2006
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Related Discussions / Q&A

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Guidebooks that cover this destination

• 60 Hikes within 60 Miles of Portland, by Paul Gerald
• 100 Hikes in Northwest Oregon - by William Sullivan

More Links

• Lost Lake Resort and Campground

Page Contributors

• Splintercat (Tom Kloster) (primary)