Suttle Lake · Scout Lake · Dark Lake · Cache Lake · Solo Camping & Hiking Central Oregon Cascades

It's late July and I was miraculously able to secure a lakeside campsite in Blue Bay Campground at Suttle Lake. The Suttle Lake recreation area is popular for outdoor enthusiasts looking to vacation and enjoy time on the water. There are 3 Deschutes national forest campgrounds along the lake: Blue Bay, South Shore and Link Creek. There is also a United Methodist camp and a Suttle Lake resort and lodge.
The campsite was one of the best ones I've ever had; and that's saying something. The pristine blue color of the lake is something to behold. I spent the first day walking the Suttle Lake loop trail which leads around the entire lake (3.5 miles long.) I flew my drone on the northside and then at dusk near the boat launch and marina.
The central Oregon sun is intense during July, but the excessive wind and coolness of the lake helped me not to get uncomfortable hot.
The second day I took the short drive up to the Scout Lake parking lot. From there I walked along the two lakes trail toward Dark Lake where the summer camp, Camp Tamarack can be found. I made my way along Dark lake and walked further south all the way to Cache Lake where the peaks of Three-Fingered Jack and Mount Washington can be seen.
I took some side trails off of the main forest road to get some unique vantage points. Many of the trails were overgrown and led me to dead ends. I finally made my way to the shores of Cache lake and spent some time filming underwater and flying the drone again.
I encountered a buck on the trail on the way back. I surprised the buck when coming around a corner. The wind was so loud that I don't think it heard me coming.
As I made my way back to Scout Lake in the evening, I took time to document all of the debris and trash left behind by the visitors.
The Central Oregon Cascades are one of my favorite areas to visit in all of Oregon. The natural beauty is much different from what I'm familiar with west of the Cascade Mountains. It's much more arid and there are less familiar trees, wildlife and vegetation. I usually visit this area two to three times per year and can't wait to return to continue to explore.