Sisters Mirror Lake

South Sister from Wickiup Plain

  • Moderate
  • 6.6 miles round trip
  • 600 feet elevation gain
  • Open mid-July through October
  • Use: hikers, horses


  • Moderate (return via Wickiup Plain)
  • 8.3-mile loop
  • 700 feet elevation gain

More than a dozen alpine lakes are waiting to be discovered in the heather meadows and mountain hemlock groves behind Sisters Mirror Lake. The relatively easy hike to Sisters Mirror Lake gains just 600 feet of elevation, so you really might have energy enough to explore a bit once you get there. And if you’re disappointed that these lakes hardly mirror the Three Sisters, return on a loop through Wickiup Plain, where the snowy flank of South Sister looms like a wall.

Start by driving …

Only Sisters Mirror Lake has a reflection of South Sister, and then only of the very tip. To return on a loop with more views, …

This chapter is an excerpt from 100 Hikes/Travel Guide: Central Oregon Cascades.