The Cascades Lakes Scenic Byway (Forest Route 46) is a

National Scenic Byway A National Scenic Byway is a road recognized by the United States Department of Transportation for one or more of six "intrinsic qualities": archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic. The program was established by Co ...

in central

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

in the United States. It runs for in the rugged country of Deschutes and Klamath counties on the east side of the

Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington (state), Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as m ...

. It offers particularly good views of Mount Bachelor,

Broken Top Broken Top is a glacially eroded 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 peaks, the volcano, residing within the Three ...

, and the

Three Sisters (Oregon) The Three Sisters are closely spaced volcanic peaks in the U.S. state of Oregon. They are part of the Cascade Volcanoes, Cascade Volcanic Arc, a segment of the Cascade Range in western North America extending from southern British Columbia through ...

mountains and provides access to many recreational facilities in central Oregon. The route is so named because it weaves past a number of small natural lakes along the Cascades as well as several reservoirs on the upper

Deschutes River 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 of the tributaries that descend from the drier, easte ...

Route description

The northern terminus of the route is in Bend where it changes into NW Century Drive. It follows the two-lane Century Drive Highway west into the

Deschutes National Forest The Deschutes National Forest is a United States national forest (NF) located in Central Oregon, in parts of Deschutes, Klamath, Lake, and Jefferson counties. It was established in 1908, with border changes following in 1911 and 1915. The f ...

and past the Mt. Bachelor Ski Area, then south along the Cascades into northern Klamath County, where it terminates on its southern end at its junction with

Oregon Route 58 Oregon Route 58 (OR 58), also known as the Willamette Highway No. 18 (see Oregon highways and routes), is a state highway in the U.S. state of Oregon. The route, signed east–west, runs in a southeast–northwest direction, connecting U.S ...

, approximately 40 mi (64 km) southeast of Oakridge. Along the way, Century Drive (not the Century Drive Highway) turns east to Sunriver. The Century Drive Highway begins at an interchange with

US 97 U.S. Route 97 (US 97) is a major north–south route of the United States Numbered Highway System in the Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (PNW; ) is a geographic region in Western North America bounded by its coastal wate ...

(the Bend Parkway) in Bend. It heads west along Colorado Avenue and Century Drive, which it follows to the entrance to the Mount Bachelor Ski Resort, where Century Drive Highway ends. The Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway continues south along the west side of Mount Bachelor. Beyond Mount Bachelor Ski Area, the byway passes Todd Lake,

Sparks Lake Sparks Lake is a natural body of water near the crest of the central Cascade Range in Deschutes County in the U.S. state of Oregon. The lake is about west-southwest of Bend along the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway in Deschutes National Forest. Name ...

, Devils Lake, Elk Lake, Hosmer Lake,

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 (sometim ...

, Little Lava Lake, and Cultus Lake."The Cascade Lakes"
''Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway Tour of Interpretive Sites'', Deschutes National Forest, United States Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, District of Columbia, 2010. South of Crane Prairie Reservoir, the two routes split, with the scenic byway continuing to head south towards its terminus at Oregon Route 58. Century Drive instead heads back to the east, north of the Wickiup Reservoir, and then heads northeast parallel to the western shore of the

. It eventually crosses the river, runs north for several miles, and then terminates at an intersection with US 97 near the resort community of Sunriver.

References

External links

{{Attached KML
Info from National Scenic Byways ProgramMap and driving directions from Bend, Oregon
National Scenic Byways Scenic highways in Oregon Cascade Range National Forest Scenic Byways Transportation in Deschutes County, Oregon Deschutes National Forest Tourist attractions in Deschutes County, Oregon