Hyatt Lake ~ Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument

The Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument is a relatively new park that offers plenty to explore. This National Monument is situated in a vast old growth forest wilderness where the Cascade Range meets the Siskiyou Mountains in southeast Oregon. The complex geology in this region can take a solid week to explain, while the ecology is equally as diverse. In fact, many people are attracted to this park because of the wide array of rare butterflies. These mountains rise up to the sky near the seaboard, so this landscape certainly is as majestic as can be. The mountain meadows offer premium wildlife viewing and the hiking trails to points of interest in the deep forest wilderness offer even more!

Experiencing Pilot Rock, Hobart Bluff and the Soda Mountains Wilderness will require some determination and reliable hiking gear. Each of these attractions is at least a full day event of their own, so planning on doing some camping is best for this big park. Backcountry camping is allowed since a federal public lands agencies manages this National Monument and there are a few dispersed camping nooks to be found in the surrounding National Forests. There is only one developed campground inside the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, which is located at Hyatt Lake. 

The Hyatt Lake Recreation Area is managed by the BLM within the boundaries of Cascade-Siskiyou and this is where the campground can be found. Hyatt Lake rests in a high elevation meadow that is surrounded by deep forests and mountain peaks, so this is an unforgettably beautiful area for setting up a little basecamp. The Hyatt Lake Campground is located on a pine island just above the snow melt season waterline, so plenty of shade can be found in this unique place. The facilities include hot showers and an RV dump station, while there is a fish cleaning station near the boat ramp, which helps to minimize nosy bears at the campsites. The developed campsites include fire rings and picnic tables under the tall pines. There is no drinking water at the main campground, but hand pumped water is available right next door in the Wildcat Campground, which is a slightly more rustic section of this recreation area.

Bear safe food storage is required and keeping things squirrel safe is a good idea too. Wildlife frequently roams through this area, so it pays to be aware of the surroundings. For those who are hiking the infamous Pacific Crest Trail, a special hiking tent camping area is reserved for participants and with the hot showers nearby, this certainly will be a memorable spot to rest the achy feet. The Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument covers several remote wilderness areas in this region and camping is by far the best way to get the most bang for the buck, so be sure to keep Hyatt Lake in mind when making plans!