Long-time outdoorsmen often have a “secret spot” in the wilderness—an alpine lakelet or a hidden wildflower meadow whose beauty they will gladly describe to you in glowing terms.  But ask them just where this paradise is and they only smile.

Many of these secret spots are hidden on the north flank of Broken Top.  And the real reason tenderfeet aren’t here is not the oath of silence but rather the difficulty of the hike.  Park Meadow, the gateway to this wonderland, is 5 miles along a tedious, dusty trail. Golden Lake, with a backdrop of four glacier-clad mountains, is another 1.7 miles—partly with no official trail at all.

From Highway . . .

This chapter is an excerpt from 100 Hikes : Central Oregon Cascades