Little Lava Lake lies in the
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, ...
about west-southwest of
Bend in the U.S. state of
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
.
A close neighbor of
Lava Lake
Lava lakes are large volumes of molten lava, usually basaltic, contained in a volcanic vent, crater, or broad depression. The term is used to describe both lava lakes that are wholly or partly molten and those that are solidified (someti ...
,
from which it is separated by solidified
lava
Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...
,
Little Lava Lake is at an elevation of
in the
Deschutes National Forest
The Deschutes National Forest is a United States National Forest located in parts of Deschutes, Klamath, Lake, and Jefferson counties in central Oregon. It comprises along the east side of the Cascade Range. In 1908, the Deschutes National ...
. Generally considered the source of the
Deschutes River Deschutes River may refer to:
*Deschutes River (Oregon)
The Deschutes River in central Oregon is a major tributary of the Columbia River. The river provides much of the drainage on the eastern side of the Cascade Range in Oregon, gathering many ...
, the lake covers to an average depth of .
Lava Lake, Little Lava Lake, and other nearby lakes formed after lava flows from
Mount Bachelor
Mount Bachelor, formerly named Bachelor Butte, is a dormant stratovolcano atop a shield volcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the Cascade Range of central Oregon. Named Mount Bachelor because it stands apart from the nearby Three Sisters, it ...
altered drainage patterns in the area. Solidified lava flows are visible along the shorelines of both lakes, and the volcanic peaks
Broken Top
Broken Top is a glacially eroded complex volcano, complex stratovolcano. It lies in the Cascade Volcanic Arc, part of the extensive Cascade Range in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located southeast of the Three Sisters (Oregon), Three Sisters peaks, ...
and
South Sister
-->
, topo = USGS South Sister and North Sister
, type = Two stratovolcanoes (South, Middle) and one shield volcano (North)
, age = Quaternary
, volcanic_arc = Cascade Volcanic Arc
, last_eruption = 440 CE
, first_ascent =
, easiest_rou ...
can be seen to the north.
Recreation
Fish in the lake include stocked
rainbow trout
The rainbow trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'') is a species of trout native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead (sometimes called "steelhead trout") is an anadromous (sea-run) form of the coasta ...
, wild
brook trout
The brook trout (''Salvelinus fontinalis'') is a species of freshwater fish in the char genus ''Salvelinus'' of the salmon family Salmonidae. It is native to Eastern North America in the United States and Canada, but has been introduced elsewhere ...
, and
tui chub
The tui chub (''Siphateles bicolor'') is a cyprinid fish native to western North America. Widespread in many areas, it is an important food source for other fish, including the cutthroat trout.
Range
The tui chub's range includes the Lahonta ...
.
Caught trout average and sometimes reach .
In addition to fishing, the lake is used for canoeing, rafting, and swimming.
A
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency inc ...
campground is near the lake,
and Big Lava Lake, about away, also has campsites.
The Little Lava Lake campground has 13 campsites, two tent-only sites for large groups, and a boat ramp.
Trails in the area offer opportunities for hiking and horseback riding. One trail follows the west side of Little Lava Lake and leads south into
Three Sisters Wilderness
The Three Sisters Wilderness is a wilderness area in the Cascade Range, within the Willamette and Deschutes National Forests in Oregon, United States. It comprises , making it the second largest wilderness area in Oregon, after the Eagle Cap Wilde ...
and on to
Williamson Mountain
Williamson Mountain, elevation , is a peak in the Cascade Range in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is named after Lt. Robert S. Williamson, who with Lt. Philip Sheridan took part in the Pacific Railroad Surveys in central Oregon in 1855. The Unite ...
.
Murders
In January 1924
the triple-murder of fur trappers, Edward Nickols, Roy Wilson, and Dewey Morris, occurred near the lake. Their bodies were discovered in Little Lava Lake in April 1924, where they had been deposited under the surface ice. The murders are unsolved.
See also
*
List of lakes in Oregon
This is a list of the lakes and reservoirs of Oregon.
Gallery
File:AbertRim-right.jpg, Lake Abert and the Abert Rim
File:Applegate Lake Oregon.jpg, Applegate Lake in Jackson County
File:Lake Billy Chinook, Deschutes National Forest, Oregon (ph ...
*
Lava Lake murders
The Lava Lake murders refers to a triple murder that occurred near Little Lava Lake in the Deschutes National Forest in Deschutes County, Oregon, United States, in January 1924. The victims were Edward Nickols (50), Roy Wilson (35), and Dewey Mor ...
References
External links
Little Lava Lake– Recreation.gov
Little Lava Lake– U.S. Forest Service
{{authority control
Lakes of Oregon
Lakes of Deschutes County, Oregon
Protected areas of Deschutes County, Oregon
Deschutes National Forest
Lava dammed lakes