The easy trail to Marion Lake

I've been to Marion Lake multiple times; but, for some reason, I had never taken the easy, and more traditional, route. This time, however, we opted for the more relaxing hike. Even with a little sightseeing, this hike is only a six-mile round-trip, with a little less than 800 feet in elevation gain; although we added on a couple of extra miles of exploration.

The trail starts out in a dense and beautiful mixed-conifer forest. The trail here is excellent and so wide we were able to walk abreast some of the time. The elevation gain through this stretch is so gradual that it's hardly noticeable. Even when the grade starts to increase, it never really gets very steep. This is an easy hike suitable for all ages.

Before you know it, at about the 1.8-mile mark, Lake Ann pops into view. As you approach the lake, the trail crosses the lake's outlet; but your feet never get wet. In fact, the streamflow is not even visible. However, stop and listen where the trail crosses a heap of broken rock, just short of the lake. The sound of running water can be heard beneath your feet. The lake's hidden outflow gurgles its way underground, through the rocks, to form a tributary of Marion Creek.

When confronted with a body of water, my hiking partner usually behaves like a water spaniel and jumps right in. But, with a very muddy bottom and extremely shallow water, Lake Ann didn't look all that inviting; so we continued on to the main attraction, Marion Lake.

Less than a half-mile from Lake Ann's outlet, the trail forks; and either fork is part of a loop leading to Marion Lake. It's three-tenths of a mile to the left and twice as far to the right. We took the left fork, not because it's shorter, but because we wanted to explore the north shore of the lake first.

The B&B Fire of 2003 badly burned this region but spared the shoreline. So, even though the burned areas can be seen, the visual impact is mitigated by the fact that the hiker never enters the burn and the shoreline looks pristine. We ended up wandering about three-quarters of a mile along the north shore and found a promising spot for a swim.

The water is probably warmer by now, but in the last week of July it was pretty darn cold. It wasn't quite bone-chilling, but we took a long time to slowly wade out and acclimate. Once fully immersed, though, we spent at least 15 minutes paddling around in near-comfort. We drip-dried while eating lunch, and overheating was never a problem for the rest of the day.

Backtracking to the western end of the lake, we found the loop trail junction in an area marked by a wide opening and a fire pit. From there, we took the loop southwest for about three-quarters of a mile to the lake's outlet, where Marion Creek rushes under a substantial log and plank bridge. While admiring the creek, we ambled across the bridge, even though that route leads to an entirely different trail. We quickly realized the error and crossed back over to follow the rest of the loop back to the trail junction above Lake Ann.

However, if you're looking for a more challenging hike, go ahead and cross the bridge and continue 1.2 miles up a moderately steep slope to the junction with the Pine Ridge Trail that leads to Camp Pioneer. Turn west (right) for another mile, then take the steep Marion Mountain Trail yet another mile to the summit at 5,351 feet. In this manner, a pleasant 6-mile jaunt can be turned into a 12+ mile endurance contest if you're so inclined. Our plans, however, were for the more leisurely version.

On the way back we took a side trip on a very poor and unmarked quarter-mile trail to Marion Falls. The trail is extremely hard to spot but is the only spur trail to the west. If you arrive back at the trail junction above Lake Ann, you've gone a couple hundred yards too far.

After winding through the woods along the faint trail, we were surprised to arrive at the top of the falls, rather than the bottom. Still, it was pretty impressive, and a long way down! A very steep and even worse user-trail leads to a vantage point below the falls. Even from the top, two falls are apparent. My first thought was that Marion is a double falls, but the map indicates that the second is separately named as Gatch Falls.

The walk out is as pleasant as the walk in; and before you know it, you're back at the trailhead parking lot, which - incidentally - is a fee-use area, so don't forget your permit.

To reach this trailhead, take Highway 20/22 west from Sisters to Marion Forks, a distance of about 42 miles. Turn right immediately after crossing the Marion Creek Bridge onto Forest Road 2255. The well-marked trailhead is 4.5 miles up a partly paved, but mostly gravel, road. It has some washboard sections but is otherwise suitable for passenger cars.