Lost Lake Resort Horse Camp
Location: 9000 Lost Lake Rd, Hood River, OR 97031
Facilities: Vault toilets, manure goes in garbage dumpsters, fire pits and picnic tables at each site
Camp Site Amenities: picnic table, fire pit, pay per use showers in main camp area, camp store, boat rentals
Site Type: back-in and pull throughs
Water: Water faucet, can't attach hose to faucet
Footing: Rocky, hoof boots recommended
Cell Signal: No cell signal
Dogs: Dogs allowed
Other: Weed-free hay required, manure bin available
Website:https://lostlakeresort.org/
Reservations: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/251434?tab=info
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lostlakeresortandcampground/
Facilities: Vault toilets, manure goes in garbage dumpsters, fire pits and picnic tables at each site
Camp Site Amenities: picnic table, fire pit, pay per use showers in main camp area, camp store, boat rentals
Site Type: back-in and pull throughs
Water: Water faucet, can't attach hose to faucet
Footing: Rocky, hoof boots recommended
Cell Signal: No cell signal
Dogs: Dogs allowed
Other: Weed-free hay required, manure bin available
Website:https://lostlakeresort.org/
Reservations: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/251434?tab=info
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lostlakeresortandcampground/
Getting There
If you are coming from south east Portland your google maps may tell you to go up Hwy 26 to E Lolo pass. Do not do this!! This is the route with the big red x's! Sam and I did not know that E Lolo pass turned into a very washboardy gravel road. Kim's NW horse trails book mentioned a gravel road but did not mention that you would be jarred to the bone with impatient SUVs hovering behind you. We have driven many gravel roads but this one is particularly sweat inducing. At this point my GPS said I had 19 miles left and there were 15 cars behind me as I crawled forward at 5 mph hoping that Sam was not jarred, injured or traumatized by the washboard gravel road. At about 14 miles left the gravel road turned into a single lane paved road that curved and winded through the middle of nowhere until we reached Lost Lake Road. I met many speedy SUVs with a honk and they would have been at the mercy of my my F350 diesel truck as we met while they came speeding around a blind curve way too fast. I was glad I had a full tank of gas and a reliable truck and was large and noisy and ready to win any game of chicken. On the way home we took the green route and it was a peaceful and smooth ride. The only good thing is that E Lolo pass is going to be repaved in late September 2022. I don't know how far they will pave it but anything will help!
Must Brings
1) Water: The water faucets did not have a way to attach a hose, it was more like getting water from your kitchen sink. The water faucets were fairly close to each horse camp-site but you would still need to haul water if you did not bring your own.
2) Foldable Muck Cart: Mostly to either haul your water or to haul manure. There was a manure bin but no forks or wheelbarrow provided
3) Bug spray: Any meat attracted yellow jackets, we rode early in the morning to avoid most of the horse flies
4) Swimming suit/kayak/tubes: This is a great place for other activities with the family. You can ride in the morning then go paddle boarding in the afternoon.
5) Highline: The corral for site 3 was totally decimated from falling branches. I would have been a nervous wreck if that was the site I reserved and I had no other way to contain Sam. I am installing a high-tie on my trailer soon and will always bring a highline with me as a back-up.
2) Foldable Muck Cart: Mostly to either haul your water or to haul manure. There was a manure bin but no forks or wheelbarrow provided
3) Bug spray: Any meat attracted yellow jackets, we rode early in the morning to avoid most of the horse flies
4) Swimming suit/kayak/tubes: This is a great place for other activities with the family. You can ride in the morning then go paddle boarding in the afternoon.
5) Highline: The corral for site 3 was totally decimated from falling branches. I would have been a nervous wreck if that was the site I reserved and I had no other way to contain Sam. I am installing a high-tie on my trailer soon and will always bring a highline with me as a back-up.
Horse Campsites
When I arrived the camp after a somewhat harrowing drive, a staff member enthusiastically waved me down to keep me from going the wrong direction. See the following picture, you must take the first left to drive past all the campsites and reach the horse camp. If I had continued on, it may have been hard to turn around, so I am very glad I was waved down. This first left is not clearly signed but there are signs past this point that direct you to the horse camp.
A host told me I was the first horse all year. This was in 9/2022! All of the horse sites were filled with non-horse campers. Most of the corrals had broken logs. Site 3's corral was completely unusable and destroyed by fallen branches. I had no knowledge of the condition of any of the horse sites and just happened to pick the best one. All the corrals were wood and roughly 12 x 12 with the terrible chain gates. There were water faucets close to each site and a manure bin to the left of site 1.
- Site 1: 3 horse in-line corral, back-in, close to manure bin, 3rd corral had a large tree branch leaning on corral, 2nd corral had a broken log but was still usable
- Site 2: 4 horse corral that was unusable due to large fallen branches on top of corral, back-in
- Site 3: 2 horse corral that was completely broken from fallen branches, would have to highline or use portable corral at this site, back-in.
- Site 4: 4 horse corral in grid configuration, usable with only 1 log broken, back-in, close to trail.
- Site 5: 2 horse corral but also additional 2 horse corral a distance away, pull-through, corral usable but campers had moved large stumps and rocks into one of the horse corrals. Pull-through and easy to get in and out of. Corral to the left of the trailer which is not convenient if your tack room is on the right side. Close to toilet, trash and water faucet.
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Site 4 - back in, the corral and picnic table was off to the right up a little hill. There was a nice tent pad behind the picnic table. This corral was usable with one 1 broken log.
Site 5 - pull through, 2 sets of 2 horse wooden corrals, Corrals to the left of parking area. We could have fit 2 trucks and trailers in the parking area to the left of the paved road.
There was an additional 2 horse corral a short distance away from the picnic table. Surprisingly it also looked useable. It did not have a picnic table associated with the corral. It looked like a decommissioned site or overflow corral.
The corral on the left was usable. The corral on the right had some heavy stumps and rocks in it.
Water faucet, no connection for a hose.
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Manure bin provided but no fork or wheelbarrow. The contents looked really old and did not look like manure.
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Riding
There were three main routes we rode over three days. From Kim's description of the Huckleberry Mountain Trail and the PCT I knew that I DID NOT want to ride these trails. Sam is a mountain goat, but if a seasoned trail rider describes the trails as "challenging" then I would just rather avoid any kind of nervous breakdown, injury, or possible trauma. The Huckleberry trail gains 800 feet over 2 miles then goes along the PCT. That means it is 4 challenging miles just to get to the PCT. Once you "just get" somewhere it is tough to turn around. Kim described going south on the PCT as having points with some rocky faces and sheer drop-offs. She said going north on the PCT was better but by the time Sam and I would have gotten there I would be ready to turn around and go home.
Instead we decided on two easier routes and one hard one. The old Skyline Trail was day 1 and easier after a fairly traumatic trailer ride. Day 2 was the Lost Lake Butte Trail which was a tough steep climb but short in overall length. Day 3 was a fairly level Jones Creek Road, short and easy before the trailer ride home. |
The Old Skyline Trail
GPS Track Link
Total Miles: 4.22 Time Taken: 1 hr 50 minutes Ascent: 560 feet This was a nice rolling up and down ride through the woods around camp. The footing was rocky with lots of tree roots but Sam is really good about taking care of his feet while I am messing with my phone, taking pictures or watching the dogs. We paralleled the camp road, crossed the main road and continued west parallel to forest road 13. After we crossed the main road to camp the trail became very overgrown. For such a popular lake destination I could tell nobody walked this outskirt of a trail. We ultimately were stopped by a very large tree that had fallen over the trail. I thought about jumping the tree, Sam probably could have easily clear it but I don't know if I could have stayed on. Usually caution wins when I am out on the trail and we decided to turn around and retrace our steps back to camp. This was a wise decision. As we rode back Sam's rein broke and Jon was stung by a wasp. Luckily, Sam has an emergency stop when he hears a granola bar package open. Jon helped me tie his rein back on and luckily Jon's wasp sting was not severe. I had learned my lesson from the bees at Santiam and had packed Hydroxyzine, Prednisone, Steroid Cream and Epinephrine. Did I have those with me on the trail? Of course not, but as soon as I got back I took these drugs and put them in a bag Sam would carry with us the next two days. |
We walked down the main road and kept left to pick up the Skyline Trail. You can also pick it up going uphill from campsite #4. Most of the trail was rocky with lots of tree roots to step over.
The far end of the trail was pretty overgrown. If you have a 14 hand pony you would have been fine but Sam is 16.1 hands and we hit all of the low hanging branches and spider webs. We stopped at this tree branch in the way of the trail. I think Sam could have jumped it but I wasn't sure if I was going to land the jump.
Old Growth Trail
You may look at the map and think that riding the Old Growth Trail would make a nice loop with Skyline. It would, however, the Old Growth Trail is all boardwalk through some stunning forest and horses are not allowed on this trail. Similarly horses are not allowed on the Shoreline trail around Lost Lake. It does make for a good hike on foot.
Lost Lake Butte
Ok, so maybe it was silly of me to not want to ride the Huckleberry Trail but to ride this trail instead. 1.5 miles of this trail covered 1000 feet of ascent. For some reason if it is a short, limited mileage with a steep ascent and you get a view at the top with a definite end-point then it is less mentally troubling. I didn't have to do any of the work for the view. Sam freight-train rolled up the mountain and Jon and the dogs hiked up with a few breaks on the switchbacks. The footing was rocky with tree roots. I would only recommend this trail if you can literally let go of the reins and hold onto your "shit strap", close your eyes, and ride your trusted steed upward. Sam loves hiking with the dogs and periodically would take breaks to wait for them to come running around the switchback before starting up again. I am sure having your own predator pals is comforting and we are an odd adopted herd of sorts hurdling through the woods.
We rode early and were back at camp by 11am. We had the top of the butte to ourselves. Sam left his mark at the viewpoint and I felt a little bad as we passed many groups of hikers on the way down back to camp. Yes, the first horse at camp all season and we left a pile of poop at the top of the mountain. |
Here we are going right on the Butte Trail from the Skyline Trail. The trail was rocky and full of tree roots. Sam and I were not worried. In Colorado every trail was rocky. We were hoof booted and ready to climb. It had been 2 yrs since our Colorado mountain trail days. Read about Colorado Mountain Trails Here.
The steep section was 1.5 miles. It was a continuous steep climb.
Lots of steep climbing with rocky footing. The switchbacks kept coming.
We made it to the top. There was a nice level area for Sam to eat his granola bars. Sam ate 5 Nature Valley Oats and Honey granola bars, he can count and he made sure he emptied out my stash. Sam left his mark at the top of the mountain. Luckily there was a good rock to stand on to get back on.
Jones Creek Road
GPS Track Link
Total Miles: 4.75 Time Taken: 2 hours Ascent: 418 feet Yes, this is the trail I had been looking for!! In Kim's book this trail felt like an afterthought, a closed and abandoned forest road. This trail is amazing! First, it is open and wide, great for riding side by side or for greener horses. Second, you don't have to ride far to get great views! Really at about a mile in at the waypoint marked on the map you get amazing picture-perfect views of Mount Hood. But truly, if great views is your goal you can drive right to the lake shore parking lot, look up and have accomplished your goal without any riding, sweating or canoeing. We rode this trail on our last day before packing up. If I was doing it over I would skip the Butte ride and ride this road farther instead. Pack a lunch, go as far as you like then turn around. For a biker it would be mostly downhill going away from camp, uphill, back to camp. We went a little over 2 miles before turning around. The trail was clear and we could have gone much farther. The grey trail is the 2 miles in that we rode. The brown is the path of the road that it is possible to continue riding. |
It always feels a little ominous to start down a partially blocked forest road. The large rocks and logs are to keep motorized vehicles off the road. Sam walked easily around them. It did feel slightly adventurous to start down an abandoned forest road, overgrown with bushes.
The road was paved. Jon held some branches out of the way so I could walk Sam through.
We did walk over some sand and gravel piles. Around the corner only about 1 mile in we got the view.
The road turned into gravel. I was glad Sam was booted with pads. We took a water break then retraced our steps back to camp.
Rating
Lost lake is a beautiful place. This is a great place to take non-horsey family members. You can ride in the morning then paddleboard and kayak in the afternoon. Your non-horsey friends can stay in cabins or yurts and you can take beautiful hikes around the lake without your horse. The views are stunning, and there are even showers in the main camp area. I worry that without more horse users the corrals will not be repaired. I did message the social media person in charge of the Facebook site. They said the "powers that be" are aware of the corral damage. Just like every other horse campsite issue, it is on the back-burner of projects to be started (9/2022). However, Site 4 and 5 are very usable and you can highline if you have site 3.