A short and beautiful hike

Blow Lake, Oregon

If you’re looking for a short hike to a couple small, quiet lakes, try out the hike to Blow Lake and Doris Lake southwest of Bend. It’s only a mile to Blow Lake and another mile and a half from there to Doris Lake. There are 400 feet of elevation gain. You can park at the Six Lakes Trailhead along the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway. As the trail name implies, there are six wilderness lakes to explore here.

Doris Lake, Oregon

The elevation here is 5,310 feet and you pass through subalpine forest on your way to the lakes. Blow Lake is 45 acres in size. Windfall trees form a frame along one edge of the lake and can be seen resting on the bottom of this clear lake. Doris Lake, a mile and a half away, is slightly larger at 69 acres in size.

Fall foliage looked beautiful during late September. Huckleberry leaves showed a lot of color. Even the meadow grasses and sedges showed shades of red along their golden edges.

We didn’t see a lot of wildlife on that particular day but did see gray jays, red-breasted nuthatch, mountain chickadees, and ravens. Both lakes contain brook trout that can get up to 14” in size.

Be prepared on any trips you make into the backcountry and help to preserve its beauty for the rest of us. Thanks!