Little Crater Lake to Timothy Lake Campground is a 3.4 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Government Camp, Oregon that features a lake and is good for all skill levels. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail.
FIRE CLOSURE: From Sep 25, 2020 - May 15, 2021 there are closures in this park or area due to wildfire. For more information, please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/mthood/alerts-notices/?aid=62187
September 6, 2020Busy near Little Crater Lake gets better near PCT. Easy trail with no elevation gain.
August 31, 2020Little crater lake is beautiful, the hike is easy, no bugs, parking is easy as long as you get there earlier in the day, really busy after noon. Once you’re on the hike past little crater lake, it thins out.
August 29, 2020August 5, 2020So amazing. But crowded at first but opens up if you go out to the PCT.
July 27, 2020Nice easy trail that takes you past Litte Crater Lake and loops around Timothy Lake. The trail is well maintained and flat, my dog loved it!
July 24, 2020Nice little gentle hike from one trailhead parking to another. You could do this hike starting from either location. We started from Little Crater Lake this time, but would probably reverse the order next time. The real treat on this hike is clarity of Little Crater Lake. It is so crystal clear and blue that the trees at the bottom really just "pop" for the camera. The trail intersects with a couple of other trails - including the Pacific Crest Trail and the Timothy Lake bike trail (13 miles). The trail was moderately crowded, but almost everyone had masks or buffs. The ride in and out was full of potholes. Doable in pretty much any car, but some of the holes are pretty deep so take your time.
July 23, 2020This trail is more of a walk than a "hike", so the 5 star rating is based on using it for daily exercise while camping in the area. The trail is flat and hugs the shoreline for a majority of the walk. Lots of shade and amazing views of Mt Hood from many parts of the trail. From the trailhead, take it clockwise and you will probably have better views. Note: there is a (small) portion of the trail where a wooden walkway that is in bad shape. There are broken and/or missing boards - along with some overgrowth - but it is very doable. Fee = $10 day use (unless you have a Forest Services Pass)
July 12, 2020Trail is well kept and signage super clear. We went left instead of right and missed the main camp ground. It was moderate/busy on the trail. 60% of the people wear a mask. The color of lake Timothy is also amazing when the sun is out, milky turquoise.
July 10, 2020Timothy Lake is busy, and this trail has you hike straight through the main campground and past many campsites. But the lake’s beauty makes up for it.
July 5, 2020great link for a little hike and hang out at Timothy Lake.
August 26, 2019Good trail. There is no phone signal. I suggest to download the map before you go.
July 24, 2019Super easy “walk in the park”! We camped and walked this as some of our day time activity. The hike is mostly shaded and was relaxing as the trail was very well maintained. Not the most stunning view in the world but cool enough to make the walk worth it!
July 20, 2019July 20, 2019Little crater lake looking amazing when the sun is up, otherwise it’s too shady to see the awesome deep blue.
June 24, 2019The trail was gorgeous and quite an easy hike. The only thing I would recommend is to drive a vehicle that can drive through crater sized potholes. They were littered along the road down to the trail head and could easily do damage to your car if not careful.
October 23, 2018This is a beautiful trail, very easy. I would only call it moderate due to length. We ended up hiking from Little Crater Lake to Timothy Lake and kept going, turning back once we got maybe 1/2 way around the Timothy Lake Loop. In all, once we got back to Little Crater Lake, we’d hiked ~14 miles. We encountered campers and a fair amount of people walking and running on the trail. It was fairly cold (in early September), so bring layers.
July 3, 2017Easy trail ~ beautiful at both ends
March 19, 2017
First to ReviewVery flat trip. Crosses the Pacific Crest Trail in the middle. End up at Timothy Lake Picnic area and there is a gravel boat launch there. But access on that side takes you hours as you have to loop the entire West side of the lake, so access from Little Crater Lake give an nice walk and faster access.
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