Carpenters Lake
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Hikes including this location:
- Aldrich Butte Hike (TH | <— —> | LOG)
- Aldrich Butte-Cedar Falls Loop Hike (TH | <— —> | LOG)
- Cedar Mountain Loop Hike (TH | <— —> | LOG)
- Two Chiefs Trail Hike (TH | <— —> | LOG)
- Weather forecast: NWS/NOAA
- Maps: Oregon Hikers Maps Google Maps
- Latitude, Longitude: 45.65980, -121.97591
- Elevation: 595 feet
Description
Carpenters Lake is more of a marsh since beavers left the area. Dam building by beavers had stopped up Carpenters Creek just enough to make for a pretty, seasonal lake. Now the lake is grown over with grasses. There is evidence of recent beaver activity, so perhaps the lake will return.
There is a series of trails junctions at the lake. The main trail through this junction is the Aldrich Butte Trail, running along Aldrich Butte Road (which, up to this point is called Shelly Lane on local maps). Here, the road swings to the left (west) before turning back south toward Aldrich Butte. The first trail coming in is the Dick Thomas Trail from the right (east). If you walk east on this trail a few paces, there is a nice access to walk out on the marshy lake where you get a fantastic view of Sacaquawea and Papoose Rocks. Just beyond this access is Carpenters Creek. If you were to continue down this trail, you'd end up at the former Dick Thomas Trailhead, as of 2017 no longer an option as a trailhead.
There are also two trails heading straight north. The first is right next the lake, running parallel to it for the first 1/4 mile or so. About a mile from the junction, it intersects with the Pacific Crest Trail and eventually climbs high to the base of Sacaquawea and Papoose Rocks, then the base of cliffs in front of Table Mountain toward Greenleaf Creek. This is unmarked here, but a sign at the Pacific Crest Trail labels it the "Two Chiefs Trail".
The second trail heading north is not visible near the lake, but is around the next bend. It's called the "Aldrich PCT Bypass Trail"; it was used by hikers climbing Table Mountain using the former Dick Thomas Trailhead as a shortcut.
More Links
- NWHikers.com Hike #18
- L&C's Columbia River - A Photographic Journey
- History of nearby North Bonneville
- Historic photo of the building of an old logging road on Aldrich
Contributors
- jeffstatt (creator)