Trip Report

It was a perfect fall day with a wonderful group of hikers. The air was crisp and the views were breathtakingly clear, with temps below 30 when we started, rising to the high fifties when we finished. The trail was quite crowded, and although we left Eugene at 6:30 AM we still had to park out on the highway because the parking lot was full.

We followed Fall Creek upstream through mountain hemlock forest and past massive obsidian boulders, with views that got more and more incredible as we got further into the Three Sisters Wilderness. We lunched on the lakeshore face-to-face with South Sister and Broken Top. After lunch, some of us stayed to relax and enjoy the views while the rest of us found, then lost, then once again found the trail around the largest of the Green Lakes, where we saw the lakes' source springs gushing from the base of South Sister. This loop around the lake is much less heavily trafficked than the main trail, giving us a break from the crowds, some close encounters with tiny frogs, and lovely views of Mt. Bachelor. The total distance, including the lake loop and limping out to the highway to get our cars, was somewhat over 12.6 miles.

I'd recommend this hike in August or September, when the permit system might keep the crowds down a bit. The other hikers were friendly and good spirited, but there were A LOT of off-leash dogs, making even the dog lovers among us uncomfortable. If you are hiking with children, with someone who has balance concerns, or with people who are afraid of dogs, you'll need to be prepared for this. Also, several of the log and rock crossings of Fall Creek were icy and slippery in the morning, and while all our group made it safely across, there were a few anxious moments.