Old growth Douglas-firs in Crabtree Valley (cfm)

Crabtree Lake drains into Waterdog Meadow (cfm)

The hike along abandoned roads to Crabtree Lake (bobcat) Courtesy: Caltopo

• Start point: Crabtree Valley Trailhead
• End point: Crabtree Lake
• Hike type: Out-and-back
• Distance: 4.1 miles round trip
• Elevation gain: 900 feet
• High point: 4,030 feet
• Difficulty: Easy
• Seasons: June to October
• Family Friendly: Yes
• Backpackable: Yes
• Crowded: No

Hike Description

Hike down to a beautiful valley with a sparkling lake ringed by massive firs and cedars. This is an isolated area, one of the few remaining stands of Old Cascades old-growth forest in a heavily logged area. One of the massive trees here, to be found off-trail if you persevere, is the legendary 1,000-year-old Douglas-fir, King Tut. (Another big tree, eight feet in diameter and named Nefertiti, is close to the lake and easier to find.) The "trail" follows decommissioned logging roads and is not regularly maintained, so you may have to negotiate rockfall, downed trees, and encroaching brush.

Begin at the boulders located at the Crabtree Valley Trailhead. Climb over the boulders, and start hiking down this "reforested" road. You will soon turn a corner at a cliff with a great view to Mount Jefferson and the Three Sisters. Then you'll begin dropping down into the Crabtree Valley, getting glimpses of Crabtree Lake below you. I do not recommend bushwacking this steep slope down to the lake. Stick to the more circumlocutious route along the road. When you get to the concrete barricades on another access road, take a sharp left and hike up into the valley. Continue through the next set of concrete barricades to get to the lake. Hiking distance from your car to the lake is 1.7 miles one way, with an elevation change of about 900 feet.

Give yourself at least three hours for this trip. There is just a small trail around the lake and several old roads to explore. This unique valley is really beautiful, and you may want to visit the huge meadow/wetland, the surrounding rocky cliffs and the dramatic stands of old growth, especially at the southeast corner of the lake. The lake itself supports a healthy population of rough-skinned newts, and otters have been known to cavort here.

Maps

• Maps: Hike Finder

Fees, Regulations, etc.

• No fee or amenities
• Campsites at Crabtree Lake

Trip Reports

• Search Trip Reports for Crabtree Valley

• Eclipse viewing at Crabtree Valley

Related Discussions / Q&A

• Search Trail Q&A for Crabtree Valley
• Overnight Backpacking trip off HWY 20 not too far from Sweethome?
• Crabtree Lake Access?

Guidebooks that cover this hike

• Oregon's Ancient Forests by Chandra LeGue
• Exploring Oregon's Wild Areas by Wiliam L. Sullivan
• Wild in the Willamette edited by Lorraine Anderson with Abby Phillips Metzger

More Links

• Crabtree Valley (Oregon Wild)
• Crabtree Valley (Friends of Douglas-fir National Monument)
• Crabtree Lake – 9/07/2019 (wanderingyuncks)
• Crabtree Lake (Oregon Adventures)
• Crabtree Lake Trail (All Trails)
• Hike with a Terrestrial Wildlife Biologist (Trail Scholar)
• "Oregon's gigantic trees meet Google's all-seeing eye" (Statesman Journal)
• "Hiking Crabtree Valley" (Eugene Weekly)
• The Oregon Wildlands Act 2.0 (Andy Kerr)
• Crabtree Lake (Cascade Ramblings)
• Carolyn's Crown/Shafer Creek Research Natural Area (USFS)

Contributors

• cfm (creator)