Backpacking to Blue Lake in Gearhart Mountain Wilderness

Not often do you get to backpack and camp between 7000 and 8000 feet in Oregon and still be under tree line as well as at a beautiful mountain lake with lots of wildlife. Also this fairly easy hike offers a nice day hike to Gearhart Mountain, a peak reaching over 8000 feet of elevation.

Gearhart Mountain Wilderness is off the beaten track a little ways. It's a great option as part of a multi-day trip to the south central part of Oregon. It offers a great experience especially with the ability to get into areas that exceed 7000 feet of elevation as your base camp, somewhat of a rare situation for Oregon backpackers.

The hike from this trailhead is about four miles and approximately 800 feet of elevation gain. It is graded fairly well and only a couple of steep sections exist during the hike in. The hike starts in a fairly level meadow and travels along a small creek with a couple of crossings (easy crossing on rocks/downed logs) then leaves the creek and heads upwards through a fairly ravaged beetle kill pine forest. Note this beetle kill forest is extensive along the length of the trail, but white pine is replacing the lodgepole and there is still great cover everywhere.

There are nice camping spots pretty quickly available on the right side of the trail after taking a right from the junction. There seem to be approximately 6 or so good spots along this side, with a few on the back side of the lake and nearly no good sites available on the left side of the lake. Most of the camping spots have a nice beach area which results in a nice separate warming spot on the sunny lake shore separated from the tent areas.

Animal activity at the lake is impressive, the fish seem very active and some smaller fish appear to be catch able from the shore. Float tubers can do well at this lake. A nice benefit is the bird activity at the lake, Osprey and Eagles fishing and challenging each other in the sky during late summer months.

A good day hike option is to the Notch below Gearhart Mountain’s Summit. This is an interesting hike in that while approaching 8000 feet of elevation the views are fairly restrictive until about the last mile of the hike. From lakeside camp sites the hike is approximately 10 miles round trip and 1000 feet of elevation gain. The trail junction is available on the back side of the lake and first dives down around the small hill by the lake before crossing a meadow area and then turning left to start gaining the ridge. Once on the Ridge there is a good steady grade as the ridge narrows and at about 3.5 miles in you begin to get some views back towards Blue Lake and beyond. Once getting within about ½ mile from the Notch the main goal comes into view, which is the jutting rock wall of Gearhart Mountain's Summit.

The Notch is a very cool confluence at the ridge which drops off on either side and gives spectacular views into the distance and mountains. From the Notch you can see, Steens Mt., Mt. Shasta, Mt. Thielsen, Mt. McLoughlin and more. Photography options are excellent at this spot. The rock wall that rises above you when at the top looks temping to climb, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Looking at the 250’ climb from the nearby hill you get the full sense of how dangerous that could be without the proper training and equipment.

If continuing to the summit the access route actually drops off the backside of the notch and into a valley before climbing a remote hill and then up a ridgeline to the top. This could be doable in a single day but be prepared for a 16 mile day should it be attempted.

The lake also has a wonderful night sky view, night sky photographers could get nice images of the Milky Way progressing in the sky over the remote hill which sits between the lake and the view of Gearhart Mountain. Visitors really can see all of the stars that the sky has to offer from this spot!

Directions:North Fork Sprague Trailhead is located one hour 20 minutes northeast of Bly. Take Oregon Highway 140 toward Lakeview, Oregon, and turn left onto Campbell Road. Then, turn right on Forest Road (FS) Road 34. Follow FS Road 34 then left on FS Road 3372. Continue on FS Road 3372 to trailhead. If coming from Paisley access is similar, use roads and recreation guide or local map for exact reference.

Bonus Adventures:If traveling through Silver Lake on Hwy 140 consider continuing to Summer Lake and Paisley to enter the wilderness. This path offers a nice setting of bird retreats and rest stops near Summer Lake as well as a hot spring.

The Hot Spring is a paid location ($10 per adult, $5 per child for day use), but a welcome oasis on the long drive. It offers a nice indoor pool with changing rooms as well as some small outdoor pools to experience the hot mineral springs, highly encouraged if you intend to head down to the wilderness!

Access: Hwy 31 @ Paisley / Hwy 140 @ Bly

Trailhead: North Fork Sprague Trailhead Link: http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea...

Forest Service Page: http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea...