14. Daly and Parish Lakes

Summary

Length                                  Daly Lake 1 mile loop; Parish Lake ¾ mile one way

Difficulty                              Easy

Season                                 Summer to autumn

Elevation range                 3,350 feet – 3,640 feet

Human imprint                  Moderate

Information                        Willamette National Forest, Sweet Home Ranger District

Primary old growth features

Mixed lakeside old forest.

Description

If you’re looking for a short outing this pair of trails in the upper Middle Santiam watershed offers quiet lakes amid diverse old forest. There is an approximate one-mile loop trail around Daly Lake, although the trail gets a little dicey around the outlet on the south end. The trail is well maintained around the rest of the lake and includes a wheelchair accessible segment connected to a camp pad. The best old forest is on the northern and eastern sides of the lake featuring a mix of large Douglas-fir, noble fir, western hemlock and western redcedar.

The trailhead to Parish Lake is on the left a short distance further up FR 2266. Pretty Parish Lake lies nestled beneath North Pyramid, offering a quiet lunch spot at the end of a ¾ mile stroll through a mid-elevation old-growth forest. The same species shade the trail as at Daly Lake, and evidence of past fire is clear through fire-scorched bark and younger cohorts of fire-dependent Douglas-fir.

Note: The Sweet Home District is currently in the initial planning stages to create a larger loop that will connect both lakes. Great news; no details available yet.

25 Years of Change

The forest on the east shore of Daly Lake has had an understory fire run through it creating some interesting double fire scar/scorch patterns on western hemlock. The forest around Parish Lake appears relatively unchanged.

How to get there

Daly Lake – Turn west onto the Parish Lake Road (FR 2266) off of Highway 22, approximately 7 and a half miles north of Highway 20 (23 miles south of Detroit). The Parish Lake Road is paved for the first 3 miles, then turn right onto FR 450, 4 3/4 miles from Highway 22. Trailhead is on the right 1/2 mile from FR 2266.

Parish Lake – As above, but continue on FR2266 another ¾ mile past FR 450. Trailhead is on the left, 5 1/4 miles from Highway 22.