Serene Lake Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Start point: Frazier Trailhead
- End point: Serene Lake
- Trail Log: Trail Log
- Hike Type: Out and back
- Distance: 6.6 miles
- Elevation gain: 900 feet
- High point: 4,615 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Seasons: Summer-Fall
- Family Friendly: Yes
- Backpackable: Yes
- Crowded: No
Contents |
Hike Description
This hike includes four beautiful blue alpine lakes and is a recommended excursion for first time backpackers. It is also a shorter alternative to the nine-mile Rock Lakes-Serene Lake Loop Hike. Note that mosquitoes can be bad at Serene Lake through mid-summer.
The trail leaves from the Frazier Trailhead and starts out with 0.8 miles of moderate downhill hiking through a huckleberry understory. You will come to a junction which says "Middle and Upper Rock Lakes." This is a worthy side trip of only 0.2 miles and it features two great fishing holes (as well as quite a few campsites).
If you take this side trail, it climbs up the hillside to the Middle Rock Lake. This is the biggest of the rock lakes. Continuing on this trail, you will stay along the lake shore another 0.2 miles, and then the trail starts to get brushy as you near a swampy area. If you can, keep following this trail through the bushes until you get to open forest again. Upper Rock Lake is just 100 yards up the hill from here (there is one campsite up there). When you are done exploring the Middle and Upper Rock lakes, backtrack to the junction and continue downhill. Just 100 yards down the trail you will find another spur leading to Lower Rock Lake on the right. This lake is about 100 yards down the side trail (there is also one campsite here).
Back on the main trail, you will pass a swampy area to the right, and then climb about half a dozen switchbacks up the hill. On top of the switchback hill, you are at the final stretch before Serene Lake. This part is fairly level. You should come to a junction about three miles from the trailhead labeled "Serene Lake" to the left. This side trail leads to a view of Serene Lake, but it's not the best view. For the better view and the campsites, continue on the main trail another 0.25 miles. There will be several campsites on this shore of the lake and a trail which leads around the lakeshore. If you prefer, there is a viewpoint about 1.5 miles up the main trail from Serene Lake. From there you can see Mount Hood and a few other Cascade summits. This also adds another 300 feet of elevation gain to your hike. Return the way you came.
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
- Serene Lake Trail #512 (USFS)
- Green Trails Maps: High Rock, OR #493 and Fish Creek Mtn, OR #492
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Clackamas River 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
- Adventure Maps: Mt. Hood Area
Regulations or Restrictions, etc.
- Self-issued wilderness permit at trailhead; wilderness rules apply
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Serene Lake Hike
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Serene Lake Hike
- VERY Old School: Serene Lake - July 1970
Guidebooks that cover this hike
- PDX Hiking 365 by Matt Reeder
- 100 Hikes in Northwest Oregon & Southwest Washington by William L. Sullivan
- Portland Hikes by Art Bernstein & Andrew Jackman
- 105 Virtual Hikes of the Mt. Hood National Forest by Northwest Hiker
- 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
More Links
- Serene Lake Trail #512 (USFS)
- Serene Lake Trail 512 (Trail Advocates)
- Rock Lakes - Serene Lake Loop Hike (Northwest Hiker)
- Rip & Go: Rock and Serene Lakes Loop – Mt. Hood National Forest, OR (Backpacker)
- Serene Lake Loop - Backpacking/Camping (RootsRated)
- Serene Lake to Cache Meadow Loop Hike, Roaring River Wilderness, Mount Hood National Forest (Base Camp: Bronco)
- Serene + Rock Lakes (Outdoor Project)
- Serene Lake (All Trails)
- Rock Lakes Basin a welcome rarity in the Mt. Hood area (Trails, Trials & Trivialities)
- An Oregon Classic (WyEast Blog)
Contributors
- Pyles_94 (creator)