Sparks Lake
South Sister from Sparks Lake
Easy (to Davis Canyon)
1.6-mile loop
50 feet elevation gain
Open early July to early November
Easy (to lava knoll)
2.8-mile loop
150 feet elevation gain
Oregon’s late photographer laureate, Ray Atkeson, knew the weird lava shore of Sparks Lake was the best place to take stunning shots of South Sister. Now it’s also one of the best places to take kids for a hike, on a trail that squeezes through lava canyons and emerges at the lakeshore’s startling reflections of snowpeaks.
From Bend, drive . . .
This chapter is an excerpt from 100 Hikes : Central Oregon Cascades