Length: 6 miles round trip Elevation Change: 1400' gain Season: Late Spring thru Fall Difficulty: Moderate Permit: NW Forest Pass Required Features: The Burnt Lake hike is extremely popular and for a good reason.
This hike begins as a gentle walk through a dense rain-forest type environment.
Then at two miles the trail makes its only major switchback and becomes much
steeper. The trail climbs this last mile out of the dense forest and into a
more open area with occasional views of the surrounding hills and Mt Hood.
The trail travels around Burnt Lake and there are many places where you can
access the shoreline for excellent view (and some fishing if you're interested).
If you stay over night, be sure to stay in designated areas.
For a bit of variety, either on your way up or on your way back down from Burnt Lake,
you might be interested in taking a very short side trip to a fun little waterfall.
The trail that leads to the falls is on the downhill side of the only major switchback
on the trail to Burnt Lake. See the map above for reference to the falls.
