The Cascade Lakes are a collection of lakes in central

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idah ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

. The 12 lakes and two reservoirs are found along the Deschutes river, east side of the Cascade Range in

Deschutes County, Oregon Deschutes County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 198,253. The county seat is Bend. The county was created in 1916 out of part of Crook County and was named for the Deschutes ...

. The lakes begin west of

Mount Bachelor Mount Bachelor, formerly named Bachelor Butte, is a dormant stratovolcano atop a shield volcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the Cascade Range of central Oregon. Named Mount Bachelor because it stands apart from the nearby Three Sisters, i ...

, just beyond the

Mount Bachelor ski area Mount Bachelor ski resort (stylized as Mt. Bachelor) is a ski resort located in Central Oregon, approximately west of Bend, along Century Drive Highway. The ski area is on the northern side of Mount Bachelor, a stratovolcano rising atop a volca ...

. The first lake in the chain is Todd Lake. Heading west and south, Todd Lake is followed by

Sparks Lake Sparks Lake is a natural body of water near the crest of the central Cascade Range in Deschutes County, Oregon, Deschutes County in the U.S. state of Oregon. The lake is about west-southwest of Bend, Oregon, Bend along the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byw ...

, Devils Lake, Elk Lake,

Hosmer Lake Hosmer Lake is a natural body of water in the central Cascade Range in the U.S. state of Oregon. Nearly above sea level, the lake is part of a volcanic landscape about west-southwest of Bend along the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway. In 1962, the ...

, Lava Lake, Little Lava Lake,

Cultus Lake Cultus Lake may refer to: * Cultus Lake, British Columbia, Canada *Cultus Lake (Oregon), United States *Little Cultus Lake Little Cultus Lake is a natural lake in Deschutes County, Oregon, Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. Near its larger a ...

and

Little Cultus Lake Little Cultus Lake is a natural lake in Deschutes County, Oregon, Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. Near its larger and more popular twin Cultus Lake (Oregon), Cultus Lake to the north on the other side of Cultus Mountain, it is located in t ...

. At the south end of the chain are Crane Prairie Reservoir, North and South Twin Lakes,

Wickiup Reservoir Wickiup Reservoir is the second-largest reservoir in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located southwest of Bend, and is the largest of the Cascade Lakes. Wickiup Reservoir is close to the Twin Lakes, Davis Lake, Crane Prairie Reservoir, Cultus ...

, and

Davis Lake Davis Lake straddles the border between Deschutes County and Klamath County in the U.S. state of Oregon. A relatively large and shallow lake in the Deschutes National Forest, it is located toward the south end of the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway, ...

. The Cascade Lakes are accessed via the

Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway The Cascades Lakes Scenic Byway (Forest Route 46) is a National Scenic Byway in central Oregon in the United States. It runs for in the rugged country of Deschutes and Klamath counties on the east side of the Cascade Range. It offers particu ...

(also known as ''Century Drive'' and ''Forest Service Road 46''). The byway is closed in the winter due to snow accumulation.Gyorgyfalvy, Robin Lee
"Description"
''Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway Corridor Management and Interpretive Plan 2011'', Deschutes National Forest, United States Department of Agriculture, Bend, Oregon, 2011, p. 6. There are over 150 lakes on the Deschutes National Forest. Most are small upper elevation lakes of varying sizes, accessed via the many miles of trails. Tourist activities in the area include: *

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques ...

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A His ...

into the

Three Sisters Wilderness The Three Sisters Wilderness is a wilderness area in the Cascade Range, within the Willamette and Deschutes National Forests in Oregon, United States. It comprises , making it the second largest wilderness area in Oregon, after the Eagle Cap Wilde ...

along the many trails in the

Deschutes National Forest The Deschutes National Forest is a United States National Forest located in parts of Deschutes, Klamath, Lake, and Jefferson counties in central Oregon. It comprises along the east side of the Cascade Range. In 1908, the Deschutes National ...

*staying at any of the rustic resorts along the route * snowmobile riding on the Cascade Lakes Highway during winter when the road is closed

References

External links

Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway
{{authority control Lakes of Deschutes County, Oregon Lakes of Oregon Deschutes National Forest Protected areas of Deschutes County, Oregon

See also

References

External links