South Twin Lake in Central Oregon
near more than 100 other alpine lakes
We camped at South Twin Lake several summers in a row when I was growing up. As I stated elsewhere, my dad liked to fish, and South Twin Lake is good for fishing. It's nice for swimming also, with an expansive beach as can be seen in the photograph. Motorized boats are prohibited on the lake, but it's possible to fish with a row boat :-). The lake has a boat ramp in the Day Use area.
For other options for fishing, Wickiup Reservoir is right by and North Twin Lake is less than a mile away.
Geology of the lake: 20,000 years ago, rising magma encountered groundwater, which resulted in violent steam explosions. These explosions formed a broad shallow crater, which later filled with water. Today the lake averages a depth of 33' with a maximum of 58'. The lake itself is 99 acres.
Campground at South Twin Lake in the Deschutes National Forest of Oregon
The campground at South Twin Lake is very popular and use is heavy. The fees for an overnight stay are $16.00 a night for the first vehicle/$8.00 a night for each additional vehicle. Depending on the snow, it's open from April through mid-October. Potable water is available as well as a vault toilet. The spurs can accommodate trailers of up to 26'.
Day Use at South Twin Lake in Central Oregon
South Twin Lake is an excellent lake for picnicking, as well as swimming. Not all alpine lakes are as nice for swimming. In that I am speaking of the beaches. They are not encumbered by reeds and other features of lakes that are more marsh like. As you can see in the photo above, the beaches are clean and expansive. The temperature of the water is nice too. When I had friends visiting from the NL, we did the hike to Badger Lake in the Sky Lakes wilderness. Badger Lake was fine for swimming, but 4 - Mile Lake, where the hiking trail begins, was very cold. South Twin Lake is not. All you need do here, is step into the water, walk out of the shallows and start to swim.
The Day Use area is a recreation fee area; a NW Forest Pass is required. It has a vault toilet and potable water. The nearest town is LaPine, Oregon.
Directions to South Twin Lake in central Oregon
South Twin Lake is located off of FS 42, which can be accessed off of FS 46, the Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway. If you're
traveling on Oregon Hwy 58, turn east when you see the sign for Davis Lake and Wickiup Reservoir. Turn north when you see the sign for the Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway, FS 46. Drive north until you see the signs for the turnoff for Wickiup Reservoir, which is to the east. This is FS 42. Turn east and follow the signs until you see one for South Twin Lake. South Twin Lake is in the Deschutes Ochoco National Forest of Oregon.
If you're traveling either north or south on Oregon Hwy 97, turn west onto county road 43 at Wickiup Junction.
Wickiup Junction is 26.8 miles south of Bend, Oregon. Once you've turned onto 43, drive 11.0 miles until FS 42. Drive 4.6 miles west until you see the turnoff for FS 4260. Turn and drive 2.0 miles to South Twin Lake.
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