4 Salt Creek Falls And The Cascade Lakes Region

Salt Creek Falls

This is a magnificent, powerful falls in a region of snow-capped mountains and big lakes. In April I dragged the drone a half-mile in a bin over knee-deep snow—so a trip with clear roads right to the rim above the falls was welcome. The little lake is Too Much Bear Lake.

And The Cascade Lakes

The Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway winds from the Crescent Access road up into the hills past a number of lakes (see map).  There is never enough time to see them all, so I picked four in the area to highlight.

Crescent Lake

This is the most unusual of the lakes. It is known as ‘Little Crater Lake,’ after its famous California cousin the lake is deep and rich in nitrogen, which gives it an intense blue color.

Waldo Lake

Waldo is directly on the road to Salt Creek Falls, and has developed access for boaters and campers around its shore.

Wikiup Reservoir

A tranquil spot on a beautiful morning, this was a marked contrast to Portland, from which I had left in clouds and drizzle early that morning. I was happy to arrive here!

Elk Lake

One of the gems of the entire trip, this lake and its companion mountains were made for drone and camera. The fact that it is 48 miles from the main road protects it somewhat, so there was privacy for a nice flight.