Oregon Outside: Backpacking Burnt Lake
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A good place for some quiet reflection. Photo: Kale Williams/Axios
One of Oregon's best beginner backpacking trips is tucked into Mount Hood's west flank, just an hour from Portland.
The big picture: Burnt Lake is a great entry point for beginning backpackers looking to dip their toes in the backcountry, with just enough challenge to feel like an adventure.
Zoom in: The 3.5-mile trail winds through old-growth forest scarred by the 1904 blaze, with gentle grades and plenty of shade.
- A short climb at the end delivers you to the tree-lined lake, where the eastern shore offers postcard views of Mount Hood.
💠My thought bubble: This was the first backpacking trip I took after roughly a decade off from backcountry exploring, and it reminded me what I love about Oregon.
- The trail gains just under 1,500 feet of elevation — enough to make you feel it, but not enough to wipe you out.
- If you've got the chutzpah, set up camp and then take a side quest past the lake and up Zig Zag Mountain. It's a thigh-burner, but the views are worth it.
If you go: Arrive early. Designated campsites fill fast on weekends — so does the trailhead parking.
- And, as always, make sure you leave no trace.