Burnt Lake Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Start point: North Burnt Lake Trailhead
- End point: Burnt Lake
- Trail Log:
- Hike Type: In and out
- Distance: 6.6 miles
- Elevation gain: 1420 feet
- High Point: 4,100 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Seasons: Summer into Fall
- Family Friendly: Yes, for older kids
- Backpackable: Yes
- Crowded: Yes
Contents |
Description
The rough and rutted road to the North Burnt Lake Trailhead never deterred the throngs of day hikers and weekend backpackers that head up the Burnt Lake Trail. The road was repaired and graveled over in 2015; thus expect even very low clearance vehicles to make it to the trailhead these days. Overnighters at Burnt Lake need to camp in one of the designated sites as the lake shores have seen much traffic: restoration is underway, so avoid sensitive areas. The trailhead is accessible early in the season, but the bowl wherein Burnt Lake nestles holds snow until much later, which means route finding can become an issue, especially if you plan to continue up to East Zigzag Mountain. This is an excellent hike for forest wildflowers in June/July.
Burnt Lake is named after a 1904 forest fire. An even larger blaze, accidentally started by a local homesteader in 1906, scorched a wider area around the lake. In those days, the forest understory was more open, but most of the big trees remaining were killed by the 1906 fire.
The Burnt Lake Trail #772 begins wide and gentle on an old road track in a lush forest that was burned over in the late 19th century. Start to the right of the trail sign, where you pass through a stile. The principal tree cover here is Douglas-fir, western hemlock, silver fir and vine maple. Review the map board and sign in at the wilderness permit box. Burnt Lake Creek runs down to the right and is shaded by red-cedar. Large, scorched stumps, mainly cedars, are all that remain of the magnificent old-growth forest. Lady fern, devil's club, sword fern, starry solomon plume, oxalis, and bunchberry form a lush groundcover. Gradually ascend. A spur to the right leads down to a tributary of Burnt Lake Creek. Cross the creek after this and round another large cedar snag. Then, cross several small creeks using plank walks. Another spur to the left leads down into the Lost Creek valley for views from the top of multi-tiered Lost Creek Falls and a campsite. To get a head-on view of the falls requires more of a scramble and bushwhack to the creek bed.
The trail switchbacks up from here and makes a traverse, crossing a creek and then becomes a long gradual ascent. Brooklets gush from springs above the trail. The path dips to cross a creek reeking of skunk-cabbage. The trail crosses a plank bridge and enters a Sitka alder clearing. Cross Burnt Lake Creek and head up to Burnt Lake, keeping right. At a spot marked B, No Camping Here, one can go left to the shore and get a classic view of Mount Hood reflected in the still waters. The montane forest encircling the lake is composed of silver fir, cedar, hemlock, Sitka alder and mountain ash. The trail heads up to a junction with the circular path around the lake. You can take this path, which is very brushy in spots, around Burnt Lake to reach other designated campsites. There are at least five small tarns in the vicinity of the lake: the largest, reached by a short, brushy bushwhack, are at the foot of a talus slope just southeast of the lake.
Many day hikers, and most of those camping overnight here, will continue to the viewpoint on East Zigzag Mountain (See the East Zigzag from Lost Creek Hike). Be cautioned, however, that early in the season, when the slopes are still snow-covered, it is very easy to go off track on the way back down from East Zigzag Mountain and find yourself plunging into the trailless drainage of the West Fork of Burnt Lake Creek.
Fees, Regulations, etc.
- Northwest Forest Pass required at trailhead. Pass must be acquired beforehand as they are not sold at the trailhead.
- Self-issued wilderness permit
- Designated camping only at Burnt Lake
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
- Green Trails Maps: Government Camp, OR #461
- Adventure Maps: Mt. Hood Area
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Zigzag Ranger District
- Discover Your Northwest: Mt. Hood National Forest North: Trail Map & Hiking Guide
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Mt. Hood National Forest
- National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map: Mount Hood
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Burnt Lake Hike
- Burnt Lake 5/23
- Burnt Lake 9/16
- Burnt Lake 4/7
- Burnt Lake / Lost Creek Falls 7/20
- Burnt Lake 10/10/14
- Burnt Lake 1/26
- Thunderstormy Burnt Lake / Lost Creek Falls 8/22
- Burnt Lake with daughter and her friend (7/5 - 7/6)
- Burnt Lake May 31 - just some cell phone photos
- First Solo Trip - Burnt Lake to Zigzag
- Burnt Lake 7/5
- Burnt Lake Tuesday 23rd
- Burnt Lake 11/2
- Burnt Lake 6/15
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Burnt Lake Hike
- Yay! Burnt Lake Road has been repaired!!
- Lolo pass road to burnt lake
Guidebooks that cover this hike
- PDX Hiking 365 by Matt Reeder
- 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Portland by Paul Gerald
- 105 Virtual Hikes of the Mt. Hood National Forest by Northwest Hiker
- Best Hikes Near Portland by Fred Barstad
- Hiking Mount Hood National Forest by Marcia Sinclair
- One Night Wilderness: Portland by Douglas Lorain
- Afoot & Afield: Portland/Vancouver by Douglas Lorain
- 100 Classic Hikes in Oregon by Douglas Lorain
- Portland Hikes by Art Bernstein & Andrew Jackman
- 100 Hikes in Northwest Oregon & Southwest Washington by William L. Sullivan
- Exploring Oregon's Wild Areas by William L. Sullivan
- Hiking Oregon's Mount Hood & Badger Creek Wilderness by Fred Barstad
- 100 Oregon Hiking Trails by Don & Roberta Lowe
- 70 Hiking Trails: Northern Oregon Cascades by Don & Roberta Lowe
- 62 Hiking Trails: Northern Oregon Cascades by Don & Roberta Lowe
- Oregon's Columbia River Gorge: Camping & Hiking by Tom Stienstra & Sean Patrick Hill
- Oregon Hiking by Sean Patrick Hill
- Pacific Northwest Hiking by Scott Leonard & Sean Patrick Hill
- Best Hikes With Dogs: Oregon by Ellen Morris Bishop
More Links
- Burnt Lake Trail #772 (USFS)
- Burnt Lake Hike (Linda's Lens)
- East Zig Zag Mountain via Burnt Lake Hike (Northwest Hiker)
- Mt Hood Wilderness -- Burnt Lake - Oregon, United States (Every Trail)
- Burnt Lake + Zigzag Mountain (Outdoor Project)
- A Refreshing Day Hike (Mt. Hood Magazine)
- Portland, OR: Burnt Lake (Backpacker)
- Burnt Lake (Portland Monthly)
- Burnt Lake (Oregon Adventures)
- Waterfalls - Lost Creek Falls (Oregon Waterfalls)
- Lost Creek Falls (Northwest Waterfall Survey)
- Burnt Lake (Cascade Ramblings)
Page Contributors
- bobcat (creator)