best hikes around detroit lake area?

[guamsean]

i'm meeting some folks from mid-valley for the weekend and detroit lake is halfway point, i've never camped there but looks nice, we're car camping and looking for a couple sweet day hikes not too far from campground. any suggestions for hikes and specific camping areas at the lake are appreciated.

[retired jerry]

Detroit Lake State Park is probably full

If you go to the far end of the lake (east end) turn right onto forest service road, couple forest service campgrounds next to lake, probably full

Keep going on highway 22, couple forest service campgrounds right off highway along Santiam River, probably full

Marion Forks campground is further along highway 22, less likely to be full

There are a bunch of good hikes in the field guide - "field guide", "central oregon", "detroit area" or "Mount Jefferson Wilderness area"

[johnspeth]

The Tumble Creek trail has just about the best bang to easy access ratio around. It's about a mile west of Detroit. You can hike to Dome Rock or Tumble Lake. You can even drive to Dome Rock from Detroit.

https://www.oregonhikers.org/field_guid ... _Lake_Hike

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/willame ... recid=4259

[guamsean]

what is this 'full' you speak of?

thanks for info. i'll try to nail something down tomorrow a.m.

it doesn't have to be detroit lake. friends live in Vida, i live in clackamas, they wanted to day hike silver falls tomorrow mid-morning (i have dog so can't do that trail), i've been designated campground-finder anywhere amid those three points. suggestions?

i realize it's mid-july and most things are full. thanks

[justpeachy]

If the campgrounds along Blowout Road and Highway 22 are full you could look for dispersed camping down any number of side roads off Highway 22 beyond Detroit. There are a number of Forest Service roads on both sides of the highway and while it may take a bit of driving down one then another to find a site, that may be your best bet.

You can even drive to Dome Rock from Detroit.

Not quite. There is no road to the summit of Dome Rock, but you can drive closer to it and start at the trailhead on Road 2223. This is a much shorter hike than the one starting from the highway below.

If you have a clear day the hike up to Stahlman Point has pretty nice views.

[retired jerry]

you can check all those campgrounds. with covid they may be more or less full

Marion Forks is sort of obscure, less people know about it. It used to not be an official campground. Plus, they recently built some more sites. I don't believe there's any drinking water. You could get water out of the Marion Fork but should probably treat it.

[jessbee]

There are other lovely trails at Silver Falls state park that DO allow dogs, just not the main waterfall trail just in case you didn't know.

[guamsean]

thanks for all the great tips! and no, didn't read far enough on Silver Falls site to realize dogs are permitted on other trails. we're shooting for elkhorn campground and if nothing, FS roads. thanks again. have a great weekend!