Badger Lake Road snakes through a thin ribbon of forest flanked on either side by the Badger Creek Wilderness. After coming around the shoulder of Badger Butte, the trail narrows and plunges down a rocky shelf road toward the lake. Big views of the ridgeline where Bennett Pass Road traverses can be seen across the basin. The palisades in the distance are below Flag Point Lookout. Badger Lake, just after a shallow water crossing, is a wonderful spot to spend an afternoon canoeing, fishing, swimming, or hanging out enjoying the mountain air.
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This trail remains closed due to the Boulder Fire. While the fire is 100% contained, and the burned area is relatively small, the closures and restrictions remain in place at this time.
See the following for details:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1121276.pdf
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1121277.pdf
This trail is temporarily closed due to a wildfire in the area. More information is available at the following links:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1121276.pdf
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1121277.pdf
Visited this trail this past weekend, the lake is honestly very beautiful. Lots of spots for camping and areas before where you can camp. No more water crossing and other than it being a very rocky road and lots of pin stripes its not bad and a very easy trail. A stock 2wd vehicle could easily do this, I did it in two wheel drive on my gladiator with AT tires and fully loaded bed. Beautiful scene at the end at the lake and very windy.
The view at the end is worth all of the bumps along the way. Sent for a day trip but want to go camping for the weekend. The lake is small right now, ate lunch IN the lake. Full of fish! The road in was rocky and bumpy. If you are able to air down your tires, I would recommend it. My buddy had a black bear cub cross the road in front of him. Can’t wait to go back!
This trail is fun, not too technical and the lake at the end is a great reward. A word of warning though...from hwy 35 it is a solid 2 hours plus to the lake. The trail is very rocky which makes for a slow slog. Stock trucks and suv's will make it just fine but be prepared for a long, bumpy ride. The views along the way are spectacular though! Also, bring a paddle board, canoe and/or fishing gear to make the most of your time around the lake. I will be going back for sure!
Fun trail. There are quite a few long stretches that are smooth sailing, and just as many narrow rocky spots to challenge you. It is probably worst going around the butte on the shelf road, which is just before you get to the lake. Bring a fishing pole!
Very fun drive. Quite narrow in most parts, but clearance is fine in a stock truck/suv. No snow as of 11/01.
The lake bed is nice and muddy at the moment. Most of the water is gone.
This trail is indeed open, and the warm weather has made access rather straightforward. That said, access to the lake is downhill, and the drive back uphill would be challenging without 4wd through a couple spots. The water level is very low, and not nearly as picturesque as other photos online. But, the changing fall weather foliage makes for a very colorful and scenic drive. You can walk around the parameter of the lake -- just pack boots -- the mud can suck the shoes right off your feet. We only saw one other truck out there today -- almost no traffic in the area. Very peaceful area.
This trail is now open after the closure due to fire danger and the windstorm that happened several weeks ago. More information is here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/mthood/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD811247
Fun trail with an incredible destination. Trail is in decent condition but a little overgrown in parts so expect pinstriping if your in a full size. Camping areas were in great shape and the lake was beautiful. Lots of traffic so watch for oncoming in the corners. I did see a mini Cooper at the lake. Gotta hand it to that guy but I wouldn't recommend it!
The lands on and around Mount Hood are now entering fire season. Please observe precautions, restrictions, and closures as posted on the USFS website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/mthood/fire
The trail is now open for the year. However, please be mindful of local closures due to COVID-19 and local snow conditions. While the trail is open, it may not be passable until the snow melts a bit more, especially for less built rigs.
Made my way down to Badger Lake today. The road is super fun and with some ice and mud just slightly challenging in places. The lake was low and not nearly as scenic as the pictures in the guide. I'd suggest another time of year to camp or hang out and enjoy the lake.
Drove to the lake yesterday and road is good. Water level in the lake is super super low so there is no water crossing. Trail is wide enough that I don't believe any bad scratches on the 4runner. Very dusty but road is good to go. There were a few full size SUV's down there and a gentleman in a 2wd Jeep Liberty followed us without issue. He said he had been going into the lake for some 30 years now and used to do it on horseback. There was a 2wd stock height Toyota down there but I doubt it was a fun drive out. With enough momentum I'm sure he made it but not without some scraping here and there.
This is such a pretty trail, especially along the shelf road where there are views of the nearby ridgelines. We saw a lot of campers at the official campground by the lake and at the dispersed camping around the lake. It was pretty surprising to see some Subarus at the parking lot by the water crossing but they did have body damage so there's that...
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Douglas grew up riding in the back of pickups in Oregon and California. He comes from a long line of overlanders and adventurers dating back to the Mayflower and the Oregon Trail. During a stint working in Colorado, Douglas fell in love with the offroad scene and immediately gravitated toward the Toyota crowd. His first 4x4 was a 1988 Toyota 4runner nicknamed Goldilocks. After a year of running many of the iconic trails throughout the front range in the fully stock Goldilocks running on bald tires, it was time for an upgrade. Goldilocks went off to a new home and the Albino Rhino came home. The Albino Rhino is a built 1986 Toyota 4runner ready for any adventure anywhere at any time.
During the week, Douglas works on systems engineering and architecture problems in California. Douglas also enjoys backpacking -- especially in the central Sierras in California -- scuba diving along the Oregon and California coasts, and riding his motorcycle on the Pacific Coast Highway. Most weeknights you can find Douglas under his truck in the driveway performing maintenance or fixing the latest trail damage.
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