The Spring Hiking Triad for the Santiam Pass Area – Suttle Lake – Central Oregon – 4K

My goal of these wilderness trail videos is to 1) show reverence for the beauty of the land, and 2) give YOU actionable trail information that can assist you in planning your own hike here.

This was a day-hike in Central Oregon, Deschutes National Forest, Suttle Lake, starting at the Day Use Area next to Suttle Lodge & Boathouse and circumnavigating the Suttle Lake Shoreline Trail going Counterclockwise for 3.6 miles. The trail is mostly right on the Shoreline of Suttle Lake and goes by three campgrounds - Links Creek, South Shore, and Blue Bay, as well as several boat ramps before going through the Suttle Lodge & Boathouse grounds and returning to the Day Use Area Trailhead and Parking. The elevation is around 3400 - 3500 ft, there is around 200 ft of elevation gain spread across the entire hike from the natural machinations of the trail. This trail is accessible in March or April each year based on the snow levels, so is a great Spring hike. The sky was overcast and it sprinkled a little bit. This was hiked on 4/28/2022 and there were of course NO Mosquitoes. As far as road conditions, it's highway to the turn off for Suttle Lake which is a well paved road until the parking lot, so it was a very easy and safe driving route. In my opinion, the road most definitely DOES NOT require 4-Wheel Drive, however do watch for road conditions, particularly snow/ice depending on the time of year.