Family Bikepack: Alpine Lake Explorer

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Deschutes County, OR, US

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Dawn Rae + Rob Knoth

Adventurous bikepacking routes for families

41 km

671 m

Grab the family and experience the grandeur of the High Cascades as you swoop along less-traveled singletrack on this overnighter. Towering moss-bearded trees, undulating ribbons of trail, abundant alpine lakes, and solid quality time await.

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Designed for family adventure, this overnighter offers key attributes that make it enjoyable for all - plentiful swimming holes, exceptional singletrack, picturesque camping options, and straight-forward logistics. But don't misread family as easy or beginner. This route includes challenging sections and requires a certain familiarity with type 2 fun. It is 99% singletrack, 1% doubletrack. Using family metrics, 95% is rideable with an overall difficulty of 6 - it's not super technical but there are occasional steep short pitches or rocky, rooty bits.

## Getting There

The route begins at a small parking area off of NF 4652/Moore Creek Road. NF 4652 is about an hour's drive south of Bend on the Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway, just north of Davis Lake. Turn west on NF 4652. After 3.6 miles, turn left on NF 400 (labeled NF 600 on Google maps, but signed NF 400). Parking is 0.8 miles up the road and free.

## Route Specifics

We recommend riding the route clockwise, overnighting at @poi[Charlton Lake](18831557). This makes @slice[Day 1](d,0,25244.1) just over 16 miles and just under 1600 ft of climbing. @slice[Day 2](d,25418.49,41109.56) clocks in at 9.5 miles and just over 600 ft of climbing. It's best ridden late summer through fall, when the trails are snow-free and the mosquitoes are less vicious. We rode it in mid-August and the conditions were primo.

**Day 1:**
The climbing begins shortly after starting. This can be an especially rude way to begin a family trip, so make sure to pack some patience. @slice[The section leading up to Bobby Lake](d,1664,7346.32) has several surprising steep pitches that may require some hike-a-bike. This is the most challenging, sustained climb of the day. By the time you reach @photo[Bobby Lake](9178848), celebrating with a swim or lunch is well-deserved. We did both.  If you want to milk your trip into 3 days, consider camping here - the lake is gorgeous and crowds are low before you get to the west side of the lake that is more accessible to daytrippers.

@slice[Leaving Bobby Lake, heading towards Betty Lake](d,8067.66,12174.01), the trail softly rolls along the forest floor, snaking through massive trees that offer wonderful shade. This section sees a fair amount of use, especially by hikers, as there are nearby @point[trailheads](d,11628.79). After Betty Lake, you pass by several small other lakes, each with their own unique character and names. Howkum was our fave.

At @point[9.1 miles](d,14636.45), you come to the junction with the Waldo Lake (or Jim Weaver Loop) Trail. Turn right and start your traverse along the east side of Waldo. You may even play a bit of Where's Waldo, as the lake is not visible most of the time. But the riding is great (although sometimes @photo[tiring](9171196)), and we found ourselves marvelling at how varied the vegetation had been over the miles we had traveled.

A handful of established campgrounds are located on the shores of Waldo Lake. If you want to extend your trip to include a ride around Waldo Lake or prefer the convenience of reserving a guaranteed site, these are good options. Water and restrooms are available at all three.

At the north end of Waldo, @point[turn right](d,22813.65) onto Charlton Lake Trail and start your final climb of the day. Just shy of 16 miles, you'll reach Charlton and your destination for the night. The lake is easily accessible by car, so the dispersed sites (especially along the @point[NW side](d,25212.04)) tend to fill fast. The further you travel along the lake-side trail, the more luck you are likely to have.

Once you've found your own sweet spot for the night, cool off in the @photo[refreshing water](9171189) and watch the nightly spectacle of jumping fish. They put on quite a show. Refuel, play some Uno Flip, watch the stars come out, and go to sleep satisfied by a day well-lived.

**Day 2:**
The stats for the second day may look unintimidating, but trust us, they are misleading. As you leave Charlton Lake, you are immediately greeted with a punch of a climb. It's short, but spicy, and a preview of what to look forward to over the next mile. Good morning to you too!

Likely, you'll have a handful of @photo[hike-a-bikes](9178854) in @slice[this section](d,26110.1,28012.24). Nothing terrible, but again, it can be a discouraging way to start the day. Also partway through this section, the terrain flattens out for a bit, offering several great dry camping sites if Charlton was too crowded. Closer to the junction with the Metoilus-Windigo Trail, there is a small @poi[stream](18831558) if you need water.

At the junction with the Met-Win, @point[turn right](d,28236.09). This is a lesser used section of the 100+ mile trail that begins at the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness and runs south, all the way to Windigo Pass near Crescent Lake. We loved the deep forested beauty of @photo[this part](9171207) of the route as we meandered along on our bikes, through overgrown bits and unexpected vistas.

The route profile for the @slice[first 5 miles](d,28245.2,36853.65) of the Met-Win does not reflect the surprising sustained effort required. What appears to be inviting rolling terrain, with a balance towards descending, felt more like work. Perhaps it was just the building threat the accumulating dark clouds proposed that quickened our heart rates, but take note that this part may be more of an endeavor than it looks on screen.

But, when you reach @point[mile 23](d,37018.89), it's alleluia time. The best bit of downhill on your whole journey starts here and will take you all the way to the end of your ride. Strap on the smile and enjoy the flowy goodness all the way back to your car.

Now, don't you agree "Singletrack Family Bikepack" are the 3 greatest words in the English language... or heck, any language?

## Reminders

Central Oregon is a high desert environment and wildfire risk is extreme, especially when this route is riding well and swimming sounds inviting. Check [current fire restrictions](https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/deschutes/home/?cid=FSBDEV3_035880). Most likely campfires will be banned unless in established, pay-to-camp campgrounds (like those at Waldo Lake on this route). Dispersed camping like that found at Bobby Lake and Charlton Lake is NOT an established campground. Meaning if fire restrictions are in place, you can not have campfires at dispersed sites. Do your part to keep the places we play beautiful.

While you may not run into many people on the trails, most of the lakes see heavy use, so have a Plan B if your ideal camp spot is already snagged.

Mosquitoes can be fierce until night-time temps drop below freezing. Come prepared.

As always, practice [leave no trace](https://lnt.org/why/7-principles/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwvvj5BRDkARIsAGD9vlLWjNUZivHJ4kzrHvrGDFdzJ94qPtYB9JLCMWSQDRxQO_5cr6OJSn4aAsFjEALw_wcB) principals.

## Options

If you're looking for a few more miles at the end of the day or want to turn your trip into a multi-day adventure, there are several options in the area. [Bend Trails](https://bendtrails.org) and [COTA](https://www.cotamtb.com) are great resources. Here are a choice few:
* [OTT's Deschutes Tier - Lemish-Charlton Loop](https://ridewithgps.com/ambassador_routes/1603-deschutes-tier-lemish-charlton-loop), which you can also link with [OTT's Cultus Lake Loop](https://ridewithgps.com/ambassador_routes/1604-deschutes-tier-cultus-lake-loop)
* [Waldo Lake Loop](https://ridewithgps.com/ambassador_routes/1232-waldo-lake-loop-imba-epic)
* [The Twins Trail](https://bendtrails.org/trail/twins/
)

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Family Bikepack: Alpine Lake Explorer

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