Cultus Lake
Moderate (to Cultus Lake)
4.4 miles round trip
1100 feet elevation gain
Open July to mid-October
Use: hikers, horses
Moderate (to Lake Wapiki overlook)
6.8 miles round trip
1600 feet elevation gain
The Indian Heaven country features alpine meadows, sparkling lakes, and world-famous huckleberry fields—but because this Wilderness lacks a major Cascade mountain it seldom draws crowds. The trail to Cultus Lake makes up for this by sneaking views of not-so-distant Mt. Adams. And if you hike an extra 1.2 miles through the heather you’ll get even better views from craggy Lemei Rock, an ancient volcano that cups Lake Wapiki within its crater. Until the 1920s Indians came to this high country each August to pick berries, hunt, and race horses. Natural and set wildfires maintained the berry fields and meadows. Even today the non-Wilderness huckleberry fields northeast of Highway 24 are reserved for Indians. Then as now, mosquitoes are a problem in July. Drive Interstate …
Other Options Two moderate loop trips also begin with . . .
This chapter taken from the book 100 Hikes: Northwest Oregon