Oregon Outside: Backpacking Canyon Creek Meadows
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Time your trip right and you'll be greeted by what feels like endless wildflowers. Photo: Kale Williams/Axios
My favorite one-night backpacking trip in Oregon features an easy hike, stunning views and, if you're lucky, an encounter with some mountain goats.
Why it matters: The Canyon Creek Meadows loop is the best bang-for-your-buck backpacking trip in the state.
Zoom in: You'll start at the Jack Lake trailhead, about three hours from Portland, for an easy jaunt through the forest before the trail opens up and then you get your first views of Three Fingered Jack.
- After a brief climb, you find yourself at the base of the mountain looking up 2,500 feet at the peaks above.
- The sprawling meadow is a tempting place to set up camp after the roughly 3-mile hike, but to protect the sensitive alpine plants you'll want to find a spot in the trees to make your home base.
- If you're up for a rock scramble, there's a trail that leads up to the saddle for some sweeping views of the surrounding central Cascades.
The hike out the next day is an easy 3.5-miles back to the trailhead, though it's through a burn scar so there's more sun exposure than your hike in.
Fun fact: Scan the mountainside and you might just spot some of Canyon Creek Meadows' resident mountain goats.
- The last time I was there, two of them wandered down into the meadow and I spent what felt like an entire afternoon watching them lazily graze on mountain grasses.
Plus: To treat yourself after a successful trip, stop by the Suttle Lake Lodge to grab a sandwich and a cold drink to sip lakeside.
If you go: A permit is required — both for day hikes and overnighters — and they can be hard to get, so make sure you snag one before you hit the trail.