Any good roads between Bend and Crater Lake?
07-14-2014, 09:49 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Any good roads between Bend and Crater Lake?
Hey all,
I'm going camping this week with my girlfriend and her family at Cultas Lake near Bend. I got the idea to visit Crater Lake on the way back since I've never seen it before. I plan on proposing to her while we are there as well. She absolutely adores going on rides through twisty roads with me, so I thought I'd try to find some good ones on the way.
Thanks for the help fellas.
I'm going camping this week with my girlfriend and her family at Cultas Lake near Bend. I got the idea to visit Crater Lake on the way back since I've never seen it before. I plan on proposing to her while we are there as well. She absolutely adores going on rides through twisty roads with me, so I thought I'd try to find some good ones on the way.
Thanks for the help fellas.
07-14-2014, 10:34 AM
#2
Wow that is absolutely awesome, I assume she doesn't check the forums then otherwise it might not be a surprise. 
I went to Crater Lake back once in 2008, but if I lived down in Oregon I would have do do it annually. From what I remember it was a great drive though in and out of the Crater Lake area, best of luck and have fun!
I went to Crater Lake back once in 2008, but if I lived down in Oregon I would have do do it annually. From what I remember it was a great drive though in and out of the Crater Lake area, best of luck and have fun!
07-14-2014, 11:12 AM
#3
Community Organizer
Depending on the route you want to go there are several! From Bend to Crater Lake there arent many options though...
Here would be my thoughts:
On your way to Bend:
1) Come down I-5 to Eugene. Take the 195B (I think? might be A) exit and follow MLK JR out to Hayden Bridge, then to Marcola, then Camp Creek Rd. Very fun little back road that lets you skip most of Eugene and dumps you out in Walterville on Hwy 126. Then follow 126 up and take the old McKenzie Hwy (242) into Sisters. Our own little Tail of the Dragon. SUPER twisty and lots of switchbacks. Also nice because you see the foliage change from deciduous to evergreen as you come over the pass. deep green fades to lava flow and then sagebrush and pine. From Sisters, you go into Bend and out to Cultus Lake on the Cascade Lakes Hwy.
2) When you head out to Crater Lake, you can continue all the way to the end of the Cascade Lakes Hwy which dumps onto Hwy 58. You take that back to Hwy 97 and then out to Hwy 138 (terrible road..it's so straight and goes forever!!!!) which takes you to the junction of 230, which you take to the entrance to Crater Lake on 62 where you can then drive the rim.
3) On your way back, you can backtrack on 62->230->138 and follow 138 all the way out to Roseburg/I-5 again. Decently good highway
-or-
Backtrack all the way to 97 and then to 58 and start following it. Once you get to Oakridge/Westfir you can turn off and follow "The Aufderheide" which takes you up to Cougar Reservoir on an incredible back-country road and puts you out on Hwy 126 again.
Just depends on how much driving you want to do.
I'd be happy to provide routing info if you need it.
If you have time, let me know and we can do lunch or something
Here would be my thoughts:
On your way to Bend:
1) Come down I-5 to Eugene. Take the 195B (I think? might be A) exit and follow MLK JR out to Hayden Bridge, then to Marcola, then Camp Creek Rd. Very fun little back road that lets you skip most of Eugene and dumps you out in Walterville on Hwy 126. Then follow 126 up and take the old McKenzie Hwy (242) into Sisters. Our own little Tail of the Dragon. SUPER twisty and lots of switchbacks. Also nice because you see the foliage change from deciduous to evergreen as you come over the pass. deep green fades to lava flow and then sagebrush and pine. From Sisters, you go into Bend and out to Cultus Lake on the Cascade Lakes Hwy.
2) When you head out to Crater Lake, you can continue all the way to the end of the Cascade Lakes Hwy which dumps onto Hwy 58. You take that back to Hwy 97 and then out to Hwy 138 (terrible road..it's so straight and goes forever!!!!) which takes you to the junction of 230, which you take to the entrance to Crater Lake on 62 where you can then drive the rim.
3) On your way back, you can backtrack on 62->230->138 and follow 138 all the way out to Roseburg/I-5 again. Decently good highway
-or-
Backtrack all the way to 97 and then to 58 and start following it. Once you get to Oakridge/Westfir you can turn off and follow "The Aufderheide" which takes you up to Cougar Reservoir on an incredible back-country road and puts you out on Hwy 126 again.
Just depends on how much driving you want to do.
I'd be happy to provide routing info if you need it.
If you have time, let me know and we can do lunch or something
07-14-2014, 11:30 AM
#4
Thread Starter
Depending on the route you want to go there are several! From Bend to Crater Lake there arent many options though...
Here would be my thoughts:
On your way to Bend:
1) Come down I-5 to Eugene. Take the 195B (I think? might be A) exit and follow MLK JR out to Hayden Bridge, then to Marcola, then Camp Creek Rd. Very fun little back road that lets you skip most of Eugene and dumps you out in Walterville on Hwy 126. Then follow 126 up and take the old McKenzie Hwy (242) into Sisters. Our own little Tail of the Dragon. SUPER twisty and lots of switchbacks. Also nice because you see the foliage change from deciduous to evergreen as you come over the pass. deep green fades to lava flow and then sagebrush and pine. From Sisters, you go into Bend and out to Cultus Lake on the Cascade Lakes Hwy.
2) When you head out to Crater Lake, you can continue all the way to the end of the Cascade Lakes Hwy which dumps onto Hwy 58. You take that back to Hwy 97 and then out to Hwy 138 (terrible road..it's so straight and goes forever!!!!) which takes you to the junction of 230, which you take to the entrance to Crater Lake on 62 where you can then drive the rim.
3) On your way back, you can backtrack on 62->230->138 and follow 138 all the way out to Roseburg/I-5 again. Decently good highway
-or-
Backtrack all the way to 97 and then to 58 and start following it. Once you get to Oakridge/Westfir you can turn off and follow "The Aufderheide" which takes you up to Cougar Reservoir on an incredible back-country road and puts you out on Hwy 126 again.
Just depends on how much driving you want to do.
I'd be happy to provide routing info if you need it.
If you have time, let me know and we can do lunch or something
Here would be my thoughts:
On your way to Bend:
1) Come down I-5 to Eugene. Take the 195B (I think? might be A) exit and follow MLK JR out to Hayden Bridge, then to Marcola, then Camp Creek Rd. Very fun little back road that lets you skip most of Eugene and dumps you out in Walterville on Hwy 126. Then follow 126 up and take the old McKenzie Hwy (242) into Sisters. Our own little Tail of the Dragon. SUPER twisty and lots of switchbacks. Also nice because you see the foliage change from deciduous to evergreen as you come over the pass. deep green fades to lava flow and then sagebrush and pine. From Sisters, you go into Bend and out to Cultus Lake on the Cascade Lakes Hwy.
2) When you head out to Crater Lake, you can continue all the way to the end of the Cascade Lakes Hwy which dumps onto Hwy 58. You take that back to Hwy 97 and then out to Hwy 138 (terrible road..it's so straight and goes forever!!!!) which takes you to the junction of 230, which you take to the entrance to Crater Lake on 62 where you can then drive the rim.
3) On your way back, you can backtrack on 62->230->138 and follow 138 all the way out to Roseburg/I-5 again. Decently good highway
-or-
Backtrack all the way to 97 and then to 58 and start following it. Once you get to Oakridge/Westfir you can turn off and follow "The Aufderheide" which takes you up to Cougar Reservoir on an incredible back-country road and puts you out on Hwy 126 again.
Just depends on how much driving you want to do.
I'd be happy to provide routing info if you need it.
If you have time, let me know and we can do lunch or something
I'm not sure what your schedule is like, but I'll be in Bend from tomorrow afternoon until Saturday morning. If you want to meet up at some point, that'd be great! It'll give me a break from the future in-laws
If you can give me the routing info for option 1, that'd be super helpful!
Thanks again!
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07-15-2014, 10:34 PM
#8
Was thinking the other day a sticky for good driving roads with links to google maps would be a good idea?
I've been on quite a few lately in the PDX area which would be worthy of sharing.
I've been on quite a few lately in the PDX area which would be worthy of sharing.
07-15-2014, 11:15 PM
#9
Community Organizer