Pamelia Lake, and Big Meadows Horse Camp,Oregon

It seemed like a long time in between camping trips, an injured horse, fires burning everywhere, extreme heat, and so on and so forth. Finally I was able to get away for a few days. My plan was to go to Santiam Horse Camp, but since this camp only has one trail, I was also going to do a ride on the way there and on the way back. If you are wondering why the title of this blog says Big Meadows instead of Santiam, all will be explained ....stay tuned.

On the Turpentine Trail from Big Meadows Horse Camp.

I started at the Pamelia Lake Trailhead which is a limited entry area so you need to get a permit. It is $10.00 a day and you can buy it on Recreation.gov, print it out, and bring it with you.
I wanted to wait until September to do this trail, since the parking lot isn't very big, and getting turned around could be an issue if there are a lot of cars parked there.
I was only the fourth vehicle to arrive on a Tuesday morning so I got situated with ease and set off up to Pamelia Lake. The first part of the trail is easy, but after getting to the lake I also wanted to ride up into Hunts Cove and potentially do a 16 mile loop back down the PCT. On the way to Hunts Cove the trail becomes a little less horse friendly, a lot of sketchy looking bridges with no way to cross the water other than on the bridge, a lot of small ditches made from large rocks, and then a boulder section of the trail with a very small passageway between rocks, that my horse barely made it through.

The Pamelia Lake Trailhead.

Pamelia Lake and Grizzly Peak.

Pamelia Lake.

One of the sketchy bridges on the Hunts Creek Trail.

On the Hunts Creek Trail, a little glimpse of Mt. Jefferson.

Once I got to Hanks Lake the trails stopped being cleared, and in order to get to Hunts Lake a little further up, I had to get off and lead my horse up a vertical hill because of a downed tree blocking the trail. Shortly after that, back down the same hill we came, when I realized that although the PCT was so close, I was not going to actually get to it that day, and so I had no choice but to go back the same way. Back at the boulder section, I realized from that direction my horse wasn't going to make it through safely, so I tried to move some of them to make more room, but had no luck, so instead I led my horse down the cliff and skirted the whole boulder field. Needless to say it was an adventurous day, I felt like I was getting on and off my horse more than I was actually riding her.

Hanks Lake at Hunts Cove.

Hunts Lake at Hunts Cove.

I then innocently drove over to Santiam Horse Camp, expecting it to be open, since all the info online had stated it was open until October. Only to find it gated and closed. This was twice as irritating since this had already happened to me once before about four years ago. I had gotten there before it opened in the spring, got to the locked gate and had to back down the dirt road in the dark. At least this time as I was backing out of there yet again, it was in the daylight.
Nonetheless I was slightly cranky as I drove back towards home, since it is never fun to drive way out of the way for no reason, and I had none of my normal gear with me to do any dispersed camping elsewhere, so I made the quick decision to stop at Big Meadows instead.

Big Meadows has nine spots with log corrals except for spot #8 which has steel corrals. There is also an additional spot that is not numbered with room for more than one rig. The other sites are only wide enough for one vehicle, but they are plenty long enough for bigger rigs except for site #1 which is the shortest. There are two bathrooms with garbage cans, two manure bins, and three options for water. A hand pump with potable water, stock water from the creek or a spring fed water trough that is set up right next to the creek. There is a day use area with a loading ramp, and it is $14.00 per night, at this first come, first serve camp.

Spot # 2 at Big Meadows Horse Camp.

 About 8 years ago I camped at Big Meadows and did the Turpentine Trail, and I was hoping it was cleared this time as well, and indeed it was. There are no maps or signage from camp so you kind of already need to know where to go. But the easiest way to explain it is: there is a main trailhead from camp that heads towards Duffy Lake, and branching off from it, there are a couple of marked junctions that take you to the Turpentine Trail. Or you can ride the paved FS Rd 2257 past the camp where you can get to the Big Meadows Loop and the other end of the Turpentine Loop. Someone has helpfully put a few small signs up on trees at road junctions. On my way back I also did the short side trip up to see Pika and Fir Lakes.

On the Turpentine Trail.

On the Turpentine Trail.

On the Turpentine Trail.

Fall colors at Pika Lake.

A large toad on the way to Fir Lake.

Fir Lake.

On my last day I started on the Big Meadows Loop, which has some of the prettiest forest in the area. It does pass by one large meadow, however you only get a brief glimpse of it through the trees. I tried to access it from a side trail but it was too brushy around the perimeter to get out into the open area.

The last part of this loop goes along a creek for awhile and as I was heading down a hill I spied a bear on the other side. He looked like a young bear to me, and he was unaware of my presence because of the noise from the creek. My horse and I watched him for quite awhile as he happily munched his way through all the huckleberries, and then eventually wandered off.
After finishing up this ride I continued on and also did the Snow Shelter Loop that leaves from camp and is marked with yellow diamonds. The same someone ( I assume) who put up the small signs in various places, drew a nice map and put it on a tree, so you can check it out before leaving. This loop follows cross country ski trails over to Maxwell Butte Snow Park and then up to the Mountain View Snow Shelter. Normally from there you would actually see the mountains, but I was dealing with some smoke drifting in from the south, so I just saw vague outlines.

On the Big Meadows Loop Trail.

Somebody drew a handy map for the Snow Shelter Loop Trail.

On the Snow Shelter Loop.

At the Mountain View shelter.

Inside the Mountain View shelter.

Some of the most scenic riding is up to Duffy Lake and beyond. You can also visit Mowich Lake, North and South Dixie Lakes, and the very beautiful Santiam Lake with Three Fingered Jack.
I had just done this ride from the PCT Trailhead at Santiam Pass, a week and a half before, so I did not ride up there again.
After passing Mowich you can also drop down into the Eight Lakes Basin and do another loop in there, which would be a pretty long ride from camp. That was actually what I had originally planned to do on my way back from Santiam, starting from the Marion Lake Trailhead. But this year part of the loop has not been cleared, so I am hoping next time I head over there, it will be logged out.

Duffy Lake.

Mowich Lake.

Santiam Lake with Three Fingered Jack.

What's nice about this camp is the trails are not difficult, and you have the choice of doing short loops, or combining more than one in a day in order to do longer rides, which is what I did.

Happy Trails!

GPS COORDINATES TO PAMELIA LAKE TH

GPS COORDINATES TO BIG MEADOWS