Camping at Oregon's Waldo Lake

Waldo Lake encompasses a gorgeous area of Oregon's Cascade Mountains, with deep-blue water surrounded by trees and picturesque peaks.

The area is filled with recreational opportunities, but before you head out on a camping trip at Waldo Lake, be prepared for an ongoing battle against a persistent foe, one that drove my wife and I out of camp.

Waldo Lake Information

Waldo Lake sits about 70 miles southeast of Eugene and just east of the town of Oakridge. The drive from Eugene, along Highway 58, is pleasant and pretty. You'll veer off 58 at Forest Service Road 5897 for about 12 miles, climbing to an elevation of 5,414 feet. The lake has three campgrounds situated on its eastern shore - North Waldo, Islet Campground and Shadow Bay Campground, which sits at the lake's southeastern edge. The campgrounds have water faucets and toilets, as well as boat launches and camp hosts.

Waldo Lake Positives

The scenery is the greatest advantage of camping at Waldo Lake. Bring a camera and/or camcorder to capture the beauty of this area. You'll also have access to a handful of activities, including fishing, boating, hiking, horseback riding and picnicking.

The lake itself encompasses about 10 square miles, with fishing opportunities for rainbow trout, brook trout and kokanee salmon, among others. Kayaking and canoeing are popular sports at Waldo Lake, which allows only non-motorized boats (electric motors are allowed).

The area has more than 40 miles of hiking trails, and miles of designated equestrian trails, with the nearby Harralson Horse Camp offering boarding and rentals.

Waldo Lake Negatives

Waldo Lake's major drawback is its plethora of mosquitoes. During July and August, when daytime temperatures are warm and the weather is generally best for camping, mosquitoes are in great abundance. My wife and I camped at Waldo Lake in August of 2009. Friends had warned us of the mosquito population there, so we brought a few extra supplies, but nothing could have prepared us for what we encountered. We camped at North Waldo Campground and couldn't understand why the entire campground was empty during a weekday in the summer. We soon learned the answer, as mosquitoes swarmed our SUV when we pulled into our chosen campsite. Having already paid for our spot, we decided our mosquito gear - repellent spray, candles, smokers - would drive away the bugs and we'd be OK.

It didn't, and we weren't.

We endured the onslaught while setting up camp, and the bugs did thin a bit in numbers once the smokers were lit, but they didn't really go away until after sundown. When we awoke the next morning to discover hundreds of mosquitoes hanging on the outside of our tent, waiting for us to get out, we decided to pack up and call it quits.

We stowed the gear in the SUV and set off for a hike around the lake's western shore. A 1996 fire burned much of the forest on the northwestern side of Waldo Lake, and the area remains desolate but is still beautiful and largely devoid of mosquitoes, except in and around the small bogs on the lake's edges.

We enjoyed a nice 10-mile hike, had lunch in a clearing on the west side of Waldo Lake, then headed for home.

Waldo Lake tips

If you go during the summer, be prepared for the mosquitoes as well as you possibly can. Because of the elevation, Waldo Lake's campgrounds get a bit chilly at night, even during the summer months, so pack accordingly. The area can be pretty cold throughout the rest of the year, when the mosquitoes are less of a problem. So either camp during the offseason, and be prepared for potentially frigid temperatures, or camp during the warm months, and be prepared for mosquitoes.

If you do go during summer, choose a campsite away from the lake itself, where you'll have far fewer bugs with which to contend. Pack comfortable shoes or hiking boots, so you can take advantage of the area's many trails, and bring along the fishing gear and a non-motorized boat, if you have one, so you can get a full view of the lake's beauty.

Sources:
Waldo Lake, Explore Central Oregon
Waldo Lake Area, USDA Forest Service
Waldo Lake, Wikipedia