Fish Lake on Santiam Pass

I spent most of my day at Fish Lake near the top of the Santiam Pass. A beautiful place to spend a day or even a night or two.

There is dispersed camping between the lake and the highway. It is a free camping area which means no facilities but the day use area has a pit toilet and it is within a couple hundred feet of the camping area. There is a short trail from the day use to the Ranger station which is built along the Santiam Wagon Road, a major route for wagons going from Central Oregon to the Willamette Valley. If you et a chance, stop and read the history boards near the Ranger station. Although the hotel and saloon are gone there are still several original buildings still standing.

Of course I took time to bird the area. Here a a couple of the species I saw. First a Barrow's Goldeneye.

And this colorful Red-breasted Sapsucker!

I am now in the Veneta area where I will stay a couple days before heading to Winchester Bay.