Backpacking and Camping at a Remote Alpine Lake in the Dense Forest of Oregon.

For this adventure, Sara and I headed to a lesser used region of Oregon’s Mount Hood National Forest for some lakeside camping and outdoor fun with our trusty hiking dog, Denali.

Located on the shoulder of Oregon’s tallest peak and accessed via a rocky 4×4 road, the Veda Lake trailhead offers an opportunity to hike into some alpine solitude and pristine camping on the banks of a 4,000 foot alpine lake. Considering it was peak summer backpacking season and the majority of Mt Hood’s more well known trailheads were overflowing with a multitude of likeminded campers, we jump at the opportunity to take a lesser traveled path.

Sure, it’s not as Instagram-worthy as the more popular Trillium Lake down below, but that’s okay. We got those pics on drive past, then proceeded to our more course. Sometimes it really is the “journey, not the destination” and Veda Lake didn’t disappoint.

If you’re curious about the reason for the name of this lake and it’s proper pronunciation, much like I was during the video, it’s actually simpler than you might think. It’s named after two Oregon locals who packed out juvenile trout to the lake back in 1917 in order to stock it. Their names, Vern and Dave, were eventually honored by a forester who combined the first two letters of their names. And there you have it – Veda Lake. To this very day, the lake is still a quite sought after, if not harder to get to, fishing spot with a healthy population of trout and very large crawfish.

For gear on this trip, Sara decided to bring out several pieces of budget backpacking gear that she tested out on a previous camping trip down in Arizona – a sleeping pad, two person tent, and two person sleeping bag complete with pillows. She found each of these for about $30 a piece on Amazon. And you know what? They work pretty well. Although, this was the first time we tested out this tent and gear during a sudden fall rain storm…

https://www.Sintax77.com/i-took-my-wi...

Trailhead Used:
Dry Fir/ Veda Lake Trailhead
Government Camp, OR 97028
GPS 45.24813509493207, -121.78770434540877

This is a small parking area with room for 2 or 3 vehicles. While 4×4 traction is not necessary, I wouldn’t advise it for low clearance vehicles. The road progressively gets rockier and more aggressive as it proceeds, before eventually transitioning back to a flatter dirt road near the trailhead.


Season / Time of Year:

Early Fall – Mid September

Trails Used:

Veda Lake Trail

Campsite Used:

An unofficial random spot along the lake, after the “official” trail ends.


FTC Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through some of my links.

Notable Backpacking Gear Used on this Trip:

Amazon Budget Tent https://amzn.to/4ekdAsh
Amazon Budget Sleeping Pad https://amzn.to/3VixATK
Amazon Budget Double Sleeping Bag https://amzn.to/3KF0d8B
Sara’s Backpack that she stole from me:
Outdoor Vitals Shadowlight https://alnk.to/9T9s1vI
Shawn’s OV Satu Adventure Pants https://alnk.to/610MrAh
Shawn’s Klymit Static V Sleeping Pad https://amzn.to/4dqbK8R
Ultra-Light Titanium Backpacking Stove https://amzn.to/4aYeHLq
Toaks 750ml Titanium Pot https://amzn.to/2GR7AJX
FlipFuel Backpacking Fuel Transfer Device https://amzn.to/408lWPk
Titanium Long Handled Spork https://amzn.to/3ANWmAK
Nitecore NU25 Headlamp https://amzn.to/4b7xt3i
Peak Refuel Backpacking Meals https://amzn.to/3Qkp02i
Packit Gourmet Backpacking Meals https://packitgourmet.com/
Spot X Satellite Messenger https://amzn.to/3adSjBr
La Sportiva Wildcat Trail Running Shoes https://amzn.to/45jGlS2
Katadyn BeFree Water Filter https://amzn.to/2WcjfYZ



Chapters

00:00 Let's go Backpacking in Oregon!
15:39 Searching for a Campsite on Veda Lake
29:56 Setting up Camp
41:50 Sara Contemplates a new Backpacking Dinner
51:59 Rain arrives at Camp
56:43 Day 2 on Veda Lake
01:04:43 Breaking Camp and Packing Out