Sparks Lake, Oregon

Issue #157 - The Oregon Cascades

Southwest of the City of Bend is a very scenic 66-mile loop road called the Cascade Lakes Scenic Highway. It starts in Bend as Route 372. Five miles west of the entrance to the Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort, the highway crosses a short bridge over Soda Creek. On the south side of the bridge is the edge of an immense meadow stretching far to the south. A sign calls this area Sparks Lake, sometimes an eight-foot-deep lake but during the recent drought, a completely dry meadow. After a wet winter, Sparks Lake reflects the South Sister and other peaks surrounding the lake. This is a popular location for sunrise and sunset photography. Because of the clear skies above this remote lake, it is a perfect spot for night photography of the Milky Way. Several more streams flow under the highway and out into the meadow. My favorite photo included a stream, Mt. Bachelor and a dramatic morning sky.