Kangaroo Lake

Kangaroo Lake

  • Easy (to Pacific Crest Trail)
  • 2.8 miles round-trip
  • 700 feet elevation gain
  • Open July through October
  • Use: hikers, horses


  • Moderate (to Bull Lake)
  • 8.6 miles round-trip
  • 1470 feet elevation gain

Hidden in the Scott Mountains on a paved road less than an hour from Interstate 5, this beautiful mountain lake has lots of secrets—one of the nicest little campgrounds in Northern California, a wheelchair-accessible picnic beach that’s great for swimming on hot days, and an easy hiking path climbs past strange wildflower bogs to viewpoints. For a longer hike or a backpacking trip, continue on the Pacific Crest Trail to another little-known gem, Bull Lake.

To drive here from Oregon, take …

This chapter taken from the book 100 Hikes in Southern Oregon.