Snowshoe the Lava View Loop

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Length: 3.8 miles

Elevation Gain: 690 feet.

The Lava View Loop is the more difficult snowshoe trail found at the Lava Lake Sno-Park. With a name like Lava View, you might expect to find some breathtaking scenery or vast mountain vistas along the trail, but you would be sadly mistaken. While the trail remains engulfed by timber, it is the trees themselves that make the trail, with huge Douglas Firs everywhere. One point to be mindful of though is that this is a lower elevation sno-park, and the snow depth can vary wildly. In addition, because the trees are so thick, don’t be surprised to find areas with no snow cover at all, even if you start out with 2 or so feet at the sno-park.

It is hard to know where to begin this snowshoe, as it seems the plows just push the snow up against the banks and there’s no real access without climbing out of the parking lot. The trail begins just to the west of the rest room. The first thing you may notice it the joint nordic/snow mobile trail. It will have an orange and blue diamond on it. The trail you are looking for is just to the right of that. There will be a tall, white pole (great idea, I know) sticking up out of the ground and the remains of a blue diamond stuck to the top of it. The pole is bendy though so its likely drooping a little. Head past that pole and then start watching for those diamonds.

This can be a somewhat difficult trail to follow. Because this area is so lightly used, there may not be a set of tracks to follow. Also, sometimes the diamonds can be spaced a little way apart. But most of the time, once you pass one, if you take a few steps in the direction you think the trail goes, you should e able to see the next nailed to some tree up ahead.

Follow this piece of the Pumice Loop for about half a mile until you reach a junction. Make a right here and begin the formal Lava View Loop. Fairly quickly, you will come toa small dry creek/ marshy area that may not have any snow. The path can get a little tricky, but just head up the creek and past a small pond or depression. The trail will traverse along the base along a slope for a little while before heading up the hill. This is an area that may be spotty with snow.

Once you get to the upper reaches of the hill, the trees will open up from a recent thinning and the snow will deepen. Pass over the ridge top and begin the decent. Things can get interesting here as the snow may totally disappear for a little while. The trail also zigs and zags all over the hill side and you may find yourself stepping over logs and branches on bare ground searching for that next arrow. After a few zigs and zags, you will come to a more defined path as the trail heads west and then swoops back with east. It will eventually materialize into an old, closed road. Once you are on the obvious road, heading downhill, the blue diamonds will totally disappear. But don’t worry, you’re going the right way.

At about 2.5 miles, you will reach a junction with a snowmobile trail. There will be a map and a sign directing you back to the sno-park. Its says its 1.7 miles which is a little long, but not much. Just slog away on this relatively flat trail as it works its way back around the hill. Supposedly, there is another snowshoe trail that leaves this road and heads back towards the Pumice Loop, but I wasn’t able to find it. But don’t’ worry, if you just stay on this road, you will pop out on that snowmobile trail you saw right here at the parking lot. You did it!

Directions

Lava Lake Sno-Park is located on Highway 20, 4 miles west of Santiam Junction and 0.7 miles past the Highway 126 junction. Or, if you are coming from the west, it is 44 miles east of Sweet Home. The sno-park is signed and on the north side of the road.