Pets allowed
Allowed
Elevation Gain
200.00 ft (60.96 m)
Trail type
Loop
Distance
1.60 mi (2.57 km)
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

If ever there were a place to have a picnic with the whole family while enjoying the fresh mountain air, it would be at Todd Lake.  Directly across from Mount Bachelor, Todd Lake is nestled at the base of Broken Top, just beyond the boundary and protection of the Three Sister Wilderness.  From the trailhead there is a relaxed 1.6-mile loop that circumnavigates this pristine subalpine lake, once known as Lost Lake,* and the splendor of the area can be found at the huge open meadow on the north side of the lake.  If you are visiting on a weekend, there is no doubt you will share Todd Lake with numerous other people who have come there to relax after a long work week, but don't fret, as the meadow is more than large enough for everyone.

* Originally called Lost Lake, the name of the lake was changed early on to Todd Lake in honor of John Y. Todd, an early settler of Bend and a Mexican War veteran.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Summer
Fall

Congestion

High

Parking Pass

NW Forest Pass

Pros

Perfect picnic retreat. Accessible to everyone in the family.

Cons

Very heavily used in the peak of summer.

Trailhead Elevation

6,100.00 ft (1,859.28 m)

Features

Backcountry camping
Wildflowers

Location

Comments

07/29/2017
CAUTION. Lake was really pleasant for an afternoon swim. The water at the shallow NW side of lake is very warm. There was quite a bit of visible floating/suspended algae? at the North end of the lake (not sure about South end). Not sure if it is anything to be concerned about but did overhear someone saying "don't get the water in your mouth" .
07/23/2016
The water was good for wading and the hike was easy but enjoyable. The wild flowers were very pretty, but there were a lot of bugs!
12/28/2015
Did this hike as a beautiful tour in the snow. The roads were closed so we parked at Mt Bachelor and started at the Nordic Center. We both used split boards to tour out to the lake and back. There were quite a few snowmobilers but they were only allowed on the main roads which were closed to regular motorized vehicles, so we only saw them twice. The rest of the time was quiet and very serene. Most people either snowshoe this or cross country ski. We did not circle around the lake once we got there, so our total mileage was about 4.2 miles in about 1 hour and 38 minutes. The path was fairly tracked out when we went, aside from the several times we cut across the untracked powder for the fun of it. Not too many people that we passed, however we started later in the day around 1 or so. We passed one group who had toured up the ridge at the other side of the lake for a few great ski runs earlier in the day, so that is a great option if you want to get some downhill in as well. Absolutely gorgeous hike in the winter, highly recommended!
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