A Lake That’s Clearly Worth Exploring

One of the best weekend getaways I’ve had recently was my stay at Belknap Springs and my day spent at Clear Lake. My sister, my mom and I got a hotel room at the historic and charming Belknap Hot Springs Lodge for a Friday and Saturday night. The lodge is located right on the beautiful McKenzie River, whose constant rush of water is a delight to hear while relaxing in the hot spring just a few feet from the river banks.

For those looking to camp near the resort, there are some amazing sites across the river from the lodge, some of which sit right along the river, and all of which have plenty of privacy. Because a lot of the sites are around a half a mile from the parking lot, the resort has large rolling carts for rent so you can haul out all your gear. Pretty spiffy!

The other great thing about staying the night at Belknap Springs was that we were only about a 15 minute drive from Clear Lake, where we were planning on exploring all day on Saturday. Clear Lake tends to get pretty busy in the summer, and parking can be limited, so it was nice to get a head start on the folks coming from further away. By around 9:30 in the morning, we had clinched our parking spot and were ready to unload our inflatable stand-up paddleboard and other lake-going essentials.

We decided it would be best to paddle in the morning while it was calm, then save our hike around the lake for later in case the winds started to pick up. Once we had set up our chairs on the little beach near the dock, my sister and I got our arm workout in for the day as we took turns inflating the SUP. Heads turned as my sister scrambled to close the valve after swiftly removing the pump when we had reached an acceptable PSI. The rush of the hard-earned air we had pumped into the chamber was deafening to hear amidst such a quiet morning on the lake. Oh, the joys of inflatable watercraft.

Once we had successfully inflated our SUP and lathered up with sunscreen, we were ready to get paddling. But first, our feet had to brave the cold of the near-freezing water. It’s true – Clear Lake averages 37 degrees F all year round. The lake is predominantly fed by snowmelt from Mt. Washington, which trickles underground over the course of several years, filtering through the old basalt lava until it finally reaches the lake in the form of springs. It’s these coldwater springs that allow Clear Lake to be so, well, clear, as the silt and debris typically carried by creeks and streams aren’t present in these lava rock-filtered waters. My entire body tensed up and I let out an audible squeal as I waded through the water with the paddleboard. Get on quick, but don’t fall off!

After my sister and I finally steadied ourselves on the board, we set off for the southern area of the lake. Clear Lake is sort of split into two parts by a narrow bottleneck, with a smaller section to the north and a larger section to the south. Both areas are worth exploring by watercraft, as the north section features one of the main springs that feeds the lake, while the southernmost side drains into the headwaters of the McKenzie River, which supplies the city of Eugene with quality drinking water. As we paddled along, we oohed and aahed at the clarity of the water below us, enhanced by the thick white ash deposits left behind from the lake’s volcanic past. This lake sports many shades of blue-ish green, from deep emerald to eye-catching turquoise – we couldn’t get enough of it.

Every once and a while, we’d come across a dark figure in the water lurking close to the surface. Having visited the lake before, we knew this was one of the main attractions of the lake: an “underwater forest,” as most like to call it. The dark figure was in fact one of many standing trees submerged and preserved under the cool water.

According to the U.S. Forest Service’s website, this landscape used to be a “densely forested drainage dissected by a rumbling white-water river” about 3,000 years ago, until the eruption of nearby Sand Mountain produced a lava flow that blocked the river and caused it to back up, eventually forming a lake whose waters submerged the surrounding trees up to 120 feet.

The best way to see these trees up close is to become a certified diver and explore them underwater, which a group of people were in fact doing when we first arrived at the lake that day. The next best thing to diving is, of course, paddling! These preserved trees can be found all over Clear Lake, and may even poke out above the surface if the water is low enough. Don’t be alarmed, it’s not Nessie.

After a morning of paddling and lunch on the lakeshore, we decided to hike the Clear Lake Loop Trail in a clockwise direction. Totalling about five miles, the trail stays pretty close to the lake and is easy for most hikers with a little experience. As we meandered through the inlets surrounding the northern section of the lake, we eventually reached a clearing in the trees where we could see North, Middle, and South Sister towering over the water. Snapping the obligatory photos, we pressed on, marveling at the teal waters below and the old growth forest above. Some of the trees we hiked by were massive, boasting impressive fire scars from who knows how long ago.

Walking through the woods, we then came across the Great Spring, a crystal clear pool of water surrounded by lava rock and greenery, feeding into the lake via a small stream. I couldn’t believe how pristine the water was, let alone the fact that it was all coming straight out of the ground after years of trickling down below the surface from higher elevations. It sure looked good enough to drink – and it probably was.

We carried on through the forest until we reached the large lava flow that once spewed from Sand Mountain just east of us. The trail twisted around rock outcrops and along the lakeshore, offering me a chance to dip my feet in to cool off. This section of the trail is a stark contrast from the rest of the hike, as there is a lot less vegetation and shade, yet the lake views are so consistent as there are no trees to obstruct them. There’s even a segment of the trail through the lava flow that’s paved, a welcome break from the jagged volcanic rocks we had been navigating thus far. Soon enough, we had reached Coldwater Cove Campground on the southeast end of the lake, where the old growth forest dominates for the remainder of the hike.

As we approached the south end of the lake, we could see a wooden footbridge up ahead. We had arrived at the head of the McKenzie River! The bridge crosses right about where Clear Lake funnels into the river. The water below us was so calm and glossy – it reflected the trees and sky above beautifully. I wondered how long it would take for the water I was seeing in front of me to reach the breathtaking Sahalie and Koosah Falls, or the stunningly clear Blue Pool, just a few miles downstream.

After we crossed the footbridge, we knew we were on the home stretch. This section of the trail is very flat and straight in comparison to the rest of the hike, as the west side of Clear Lake is fairly uniform. As we walked along the shady dirt path, we continued to admire the towering Douglas-firs above us and the tiny flowers, mushrooms, and mosses below. My sister and I came across some bright green fuzzy lichen and naturally used them as fake mustaches and sideburns for a photoshoot taken by my mom.

Having walked about a mile or so after the footbridge, we had finally reached the end of the loop. With growling stomachs and sore feet, we loaded into the car and drove the short route back to Belknap Hot Springs Lodge for a relaxing evening of dinner and hot spring-dipping on the banks of the McKenzie River.

Clear Lake, along with Belknap Springs and other attractions along the McKenzie Highway, is a great place to stop and explore on your way to or from Eugene, or as just a day trip from Bend. While the cool water features of the McKenzie make for an enticing visit during the dog days of summer, the best way to beat the crowds and the heat is to make the trip out in September or October when the lake’s surroundings come alive with fall color. My favorite part of the drive along the McKenzie in the fall is the bright red vine maples that ignite against the surrounding dark lava rock. With the lava flow coming right down to the water at Clear Lake, the fall color is a spectacular sight to see during a paddle on or a hike along the trail.