Demaris Lake

Distance: 10.8 miles.

Elevation Gain: 1,560 feet.

Demaris Lake is a small, unremarkable lake that sits deep in the Three Sisters Wilderness and isn’t worth the effort to try and visit. That may be your initial assumption if you notice this small, nondescript lake sitting in the forest below South Sister. And you may be partially right. The hike is long. Most of it travels through the scarred remains of the 2012 Pole Creek Fire. But the biggest reason for not visiting this lake is that it is found along the same trail as Camp Lake. Camp Lake is truly spectacular. Demaris Lake can’t compare to that. However, Demaris Lake is very beautiful in its own right. And because of the popularity of Camp Lake and the distance required for this hike, it has one very important quality hard to find in the Central Cascades. Solitude.

The hike begins from the Pole Creek trailhead off the Pole Creek road, a dirt and gravel road west of Sisters. Head out from the south end of the parking lot and begin hiking up the likely dry but very noticeable gully of Pole Creek. This channel just helps to illustrate the massive erosive power of water when you have no ground stabilizing vegetation left following a large fire. The first 3.5 miles or so of the hike travel through the Pole Creek Fire. The drudge through blackened trees and dusty ground can get a bit monotonous, but you can still find some hidden beauty. The fire has opened up the views to the mountains, making what use to be a buggy trek through dense lodgepole pine how a dusty trek through dead lodgepole pine with mountain views. Also, if your timing is right, the fireweed blooming through this stretch can be particularly spectacular. You will find no shade, however, so it can get hot during the summer.

You will reach Soap Creek at about the 2-mile mark into your hike. This stream used to sit in a small gully with a nice, log bridge going over it. The fire has caused massive amounts of sediment from higher up the creek to be deposited along this segment, resulting in the complete filling of the gully under the bridge. The bridge used to just sit on the ground with the creek flowing around it, but has since been destroyed. Luckily, the creek is extremely shallow and it is fairly easy to boulder hop across it.

It will be about another mile and a half after Soap Creek before you start reentering green forest. The trail keeps climbing slowly but steadily as you work your way towards the base of Middle Sister. At the 4.6 mile mark, you will reach the crossing of the North Fork of Whychus Creek. This murky stream generates its flow from the meltwater of the Hayden and Diller Glaciers on Middle Sister. There are a number of small waterfalls near the crossing as the creek crashes out of the mountains. The stream is also fairly easy to boulder hop across, keeping your feet dry.

Once across the creek, the trail will split, with the right fork heading to Camp Lake and the left to Demaris Lake. Once on the Demaris Lake trail, the forest will quickly deepen as you drop down onto the bench which the lake sits. After the initial descent, the trail travels slowly down until you find yourself on the banks of this beautiful little lake. A grassy meadow hugs the banks of the far side and views of South Sister and Broken Top loom over the lakes surface. If you head around the lake, you will even find some nice views of Middle and North Sister. The lake is fairly shallow, which helps to warm the water in the summer months, making it a great swimming destination. There are some nice places to pitch a tent if you decide to backpack in as well. And, like I said before, because most people opt to head to Camp Lake, there is a decent chance you will have this gem all to yourself.

Directions

From Sisters, take Highway 242 west towards McKenzie Pass. Follow 242 for 1.2 miles until you see the signs for Pole Creek Trailhead on NF-15 on the left. Make the left and follow the gravel road. There will be a few spur roads kicking off of the main one, but it should be fairly easy to follow it for the 10 miles to Pole Creek Trailhead.

Things to Know

Passes: A Northwest Forest Pass is required at this trailhead. A free, self-issue wilderness permit is required upon entering the wilderness. A Central Cascades Wilderness Overnight Permit will be required to camp in this area June 15th and October 15th. The permits will be available from recreation.gov and will go on sale in early April.

Dogs: Allowed and must be on leash or under voice command at all times.

Usage: Moderate, Low at Demaris Lake

Open Season: Higher elevation trails usually melt off sometime in July and remain open until the first snow falls.

Bugs: Mosquitos can be bad during the melt season, usually June-July, then will mostly clear up moving into August.

Flowers: Different flowers will bloom depending on elevation, but July and early August are usually peak months.