DIAMOND VIEW LAKE

Diamond View Lake stats:

• Distance: 10.8 miles out and back

• Elevation Gain: 1,008 feet

• Trailhead elevation: 4,830 feet

• Trail high Point: 5,838 feet

• Season: July – October

• Best: August – October

• Pass: none needed

• GPS Track: July 2021

• On the traditional lands of: the Klamath and Molalla peoples

Directions:

• From Eugene, drive southeast on OR 58 for approximately 69 miles to Willamette Pass.

• Continue east beyond Willamette Pass a 0.5 mile to a turnoff on the right for the West Odell Lake access road. If you’re coming from the east, this turnoff is on the left, 23.6 miles from the OR 58 / 97 split north of Chemult.

• Turn right and drive 2 miles to the Shelter Cove Resort. Turn right here at a sign for Trapper Creek Trail.

• Drive this small gravel road 100 yards to a small trailhead parking area before the road reaches train tracks. 

• Drivetime from Eugene: 1 hour and 20 minutes

Hike: Diamond Peak is one of Oregon’s most beautiful and least-known major peaks. Instead of a single summit, Diamond Peak spreads its broad shoulders wide across horizon south of the Three Sisters, offering multiple summit peaks atop a reddish-orange cone of cinders. Most Oregon hikers see Diamond Peak from a distance, note the mountain’s wide profile, and keep driving or hiking somewhere else. The best views of this impressive peak are found on its eastern slopes, and this delightful and surprisingly easy hike to Diamond View Lake may just be the best hike in the entire wilderness. I had low expectations when I started this hike, and by the end of the day I was already excited about coming back.

Begin the hike by crossing the train tracks. Amtrak enthusiasts will note that the Coast Starlight route between Los Angeles and Portland passes through here; make sure you look both ways before you cross the tracks, especially if you happen to be wearing headphones. Once across the tracks, follow a hiker sign and arrow to the start of the Trapper Creek Trail. In just a moment you will reach a signboard. Fill out your free permit and then set out on the Trapper Creek Trail. After just 0.2 mile, you’ll reach a junction with the Whitefish Creek Trail. Right leads to the Pacific Crest Trail, but you want to go straight.

The next two miles are an absolute delight! You will follow Trapper Creek, often closely at times. This glassy, crystal-clear stream puts on a show for two miles, tumbling over mossy leges and bending gracefully through rocky gorges. At a little over 2 miles, the trail reaches a ledge overlooking the splashing creek. This is an excellent rest stop, as the trail leaves the creek from here to climb to the lake. Up to this point, the Trapper Creek Trail has been gradual. Surprisingly, it is even more gradual from here to the lake. At times it hardly even seems like you’re gaining elevation!

The forest begins to thin out as you approach the lake. The yellowish rock you see strewn all over the ground here is pumice, a remnant of Mount Mazama’s eruption some 7,700 years ago. After hiking through the woods for a spell, you’ll know you’re getting close before you even reach the lake. Clouds of mosquitoes, ever the bane of the Diamond Peak Wilderness, swarm you as soon as you reach the basin holding the lake for much of June and July. It is for this reason that it’s better to wait to do this hike until mid-August at the earliest. The trail reaches Diamond View Lake at a little over 5 miles from the trailhead. Follow the trail around the lakeshore of the shallow lake for a few hundred yards until Diamond Peak comes into view across the lake. On clear days, the reflection of the peak in the lake’s shallow, glassy waters is absolutely stunning. Campsites abound if you’re backpacking but make sure you camp away from the lake’s fragile shores. Campfires are prohibited, in addition to being a terrible idea in this fragile environment. Return the way you came.