Canyon Creek Meadows Loop Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
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- Start point: Jack Lake Trailhead
- Ending point: Upper Canyon Creek Meadow
- Hike type: Partial loop
- Distance: 7.5 miles round trip
- Elevation gain: 1560 feet
- High point: 6,485 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Seasons: July - September
- Family Friendly: Yes, for older kids
- Backpackable: Yes
- Crowded: Yes, on weekends
Contents |
Hike Description
The Canyon Creek Meadows Hike is a favorite of many Oregon hikers, for a good reason. The trailhead is just 45 minutes out of Bend, and it features meadows, waterfalls, creeks, and a close-up view of Three Fingered Jack. (Views of TFJ are best in the morning, with the sun behind you.) Upper Canyon Creek Meadow is a large flat area directly under the 7841 foot summit pillars of Three Fingered Jack. In July and August, a profusion of wildflowers may be blooming along the trail and in the meadows. Note that the loop part of the hike is compulsory in order to reduce traffic on the busy trails.
From the Jack Lake Trailhead, follow the trail around the east side of Jack Lake in forest scorched by the 2003 B & B Complex Fire. Take a left at a junction: to disperse impact in the meadows area, the lower part of the hike is prescribed as a one way loop. You'll return on the other trail on your way back. The trail begins climbing, alternating between stands of burnt forest and firs/hemlocks. Two miles from the junction, you will be at Lower Canyon Creek Meadow. The views are good, but they get better if you continue on. The other side of the loop connects here, your track back to the trailhead.
Continue straight, heading directly towards Three Fingered Jack. You will climb some more, and pass several meadows with some lush creek scenes. A mile past the junction, you will end up at one destination, the Upper Meadow. Explore around, take pictures, or set up camp and enjoy the amazing view as the sun sets.
If you still have energy, the trail continues for another half mile up to an overlook above a turquoise-hued glacial lake, and then up to a saddle on the east shoulder of Three Fingered Jack. It is a worthy side trip, but it is steep, exposed, and crumbly at times, so proceed with care. This side trip is not recommended for younger children. The continuation will give you another mile and 500 feet of elevation gain. (It is about 6 1/2 miles round trip to Upper Canyon Creek Meadow.) Views from the shoulder stretch south along the Cascades to Mount Washington and the Three Sisters, and Mount Jefferson stands out to the north.
After you return to the lower meadow and the upper junction, turn left to descend along a different route, passing small waterfalls, crossing Canyon Creek, and then reaching a junction with the Old Summit Trail #4014 for Wasco Lake and the Eight Lakes Basin. (A side trip to Wasco Lake, entirely within the B & B Burn area, adds 1.4 miles to the outing: see the Wasco Lake Hike.) Turn right to recross Canyon Creek and traverse back to the trailhead on the Old Summit Trail.
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
- Canyon Creek Meadows (The Sisters Country)
- Green Trails Maps: Mt Jefferson, OR #557; Whitewater River, OR #558; Three Fingered Jack, OR #589
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Sisters Ranger District
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Deschutes National Forest
- Pacific Northwest Recreation Map Series: Willamette Cascades
- Pacific Northwest Recreation Map Series: Central Oregon Cascades
- Geo-Graphics: Mount Jefferson Wilderness
- National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map: Mount Jefferson, Mount Washington
- Adventure Maps: Mount Jefferson, Bull of the Woods & Opal Creek Wilderness Trail Map
Fees, Regulations, etc.
- Vault toilet, picnic tables
- Northwest Forest Pass (or America the Beautiful Pass) required at the trailhead
- Central Cascades Wilderness Permit required: $6 overnight permit; $1 per person day use (June 15th - October 15th)
- Self-issued wilderness permit; wilderness rules apply
- No camping within 100 feet of water or trails. Please respect the environment and other hikers
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Canyon Creek Meadows
- Three Fingered Jack backpack, Sept. 2021
- Three Fingered Jack Loop and Canyon Creek Meadows
- Three Fingered Jack East Canyon Meadows July 3rd
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Canyon Creek Meadows
Guidebooks that cover this hike
- Extraordinary Oregon! by Matt Reeder
- 101 Hikes in the Majestic Mount Jefferson Region by Matt Reeder
- Day Hiking: Bend & Cental Oregon by Brittany Manwill
- 100 Hikes: Central Oregon Cascades by William L. Sullivan
- Oregon Favorites: Trails & Tales by William L. Sullivan
- Trips & Trails: Oregon by William L. Sullivan
- 52 Hikes for 52 Weeks by Franziska Weinheimer (Hike Oregon)
- 100 Classic Hikes in Oregon by Douglas Lorain
- Oregon's Best Wildflower Hikes: Northwest Region by George Wuerthner
- Oregon's Wilderness Areas by George Wuerthner
- Best Easy Day Hikes: Bend & Central Oregon by Lizann Dunegan
- Best Hikes Near Bend by Lizann Dunegan
- Hiking Oregon by Lizann Dunegan
- Hike America: Oregon by Lizann Dunegan
- Oregon: The Creaky Knees Guide by Seabury Blair, Jr.
- Hiking Oregon's Central Cascades by Bruce Grubbs
- Central Oregon: Walks, Hikes & Strolls for Mature Folks by Marsha Johnson
- Oregon Hiking by Sean Patrick Hill
- Pacific Northwest Hiking by Scott Leonard & Sean Patrick Hill
- Oregon's Southern Cascades: Camping & Hiking by Tom Stienstra & Sean Patrick Hill
- 60 Hiking Trails: Central Oregon Cascades by Don & Roberta Lowe
- Hiking Central Oregon & Beyond by Virginia Meissner
- Trail Running: Oregon by Lizann Dunegan
- Trail Running: Bend & Cental Oregon by Lucas Alberg
- Best Dog Hikes: Oregon by Adam Sawyer
More Links
- Jack Lake Trailhead (USFS)
- Canyon Glacier Trail (#4010) (USFS)
- Old Summit Trail - Mt. Jefferson (USFS)
- Canyon Creek Meadows (The Ruddy Hill Press)
- Canyon Creek Meadows (wanderingyuncks)
- Canyon Creek Meadows (Hike Oregon)
- Backpacking to Canyon Creek Meadow, Oregon (Snows Out West)
- Canyon Creek Meadows (Roaming Log)
- Canyon Creek Meadows (TrailsNW)
- Hiking the Canyon Creek Meadows Loop in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness (SoCal Hiker)
- Canyon Creek Meadows (Outdoor Project)
- "Many hiking options in Canyon Creek Meadows" (The Nugget Newspaper)
- "Beat the crowds and visit Canyon Creek Meadows in winter" (Statesman Journal)
- Canyon Creek Meadows (OregonWildflowers.org)
- Canyon Creek Meadows (Three‑Fingered Jack) (Northwest Wildflowers)
Contributors
- Jamey Pyles (creator)