2.3 hr
Overview
After the completion of the Army Corps of Engineers William L. Jess Dam in 1977, Lost Creek Lake began forming, drowning a section of the Rogue River. This hike takes you along the north shore of the lake to an interesting box canyon formed of blue-green rhyolite deposits from the eruptions of Mount Mazama, now Crater Lake . The Blue Grotto at the head of the gulch is the eventual destination, but the question of when to go depends on your particular goal. The trail can usually be hiked early in the year, which is when rains feed the instagrammable but ephemeral waterfall that splashes like a veil over the Blue Grotto . However, in winter lake levels are way down, leaving an ugly reservoir scar, and the trail can be slick and boggy in parts. Spring brings wildflowers, a leafing out of the oaks, and warmer temperatures; the waterfall may just be a trickle, however, or nothing at all, and the ticks run rampant. Summer will be very dry and hot, the lake buzzing with the roar of boat motors, but lake levels will at the their highest, and a dip in the pond will be just the ticket!
Trail Stats
7.9 km
116 m
604 m
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Photos
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Trail photo
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Trail photo
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Trail photo
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