Oregon Hikers

Hey all, I love to get out away from the campgrounds and camp. My kids are 12,10,8, & 6. I'm looking for a 1-3mile hike-in where we can camp. Any kind of body of water is great, but because of mosquitoes in July, I'm thinking maybe something along a river would be better than a lake. We are located in the Eugene area and would love to keep the drive to around 2 hours or less. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

For your situation, I would recommend Pamelia Lake in the Mt. Jefferson wilderness. Just at 2 hours from Eugene. Enjoyable hike in along Pamelia Creek, about 2.3 miles in and 800 ft elevation gain. It is low enough elevation that the bugs shouldn't be bad in July, although this year with a healthy snowpack it may vary. There is good swimming and places to explore (go up Grizzly Peak for a challenge or over to Milk Creek for a great view of Mt. Jefferson). Also, the campsites are mostly big enough that multiple tents should fit. The only caveat is that you would need to reserve your group through recreation.gov as it is a limited entry area.

Pamelia Lake is a terrific suggestion. The hike in is a particularly nice forest hike. It is interesting to see where Pamilia Lake springs out of the ground some distance from the lake. If you have trouble getting a permit, Marion Lake would be a good alternative. It is a few miles south of Pamilia Lake and is somewhat larger. About 50 years ago I took two of my kids there on a backpack and they really liked it. We took a side trip to Prill Lake which, as I recall, had a nice view of Mt. Jefferson.