Lost Prairie Group Site

Lost Prairie Group Site is located along the Over the Rivers and Through the Woods Scenic Byway, nestled among the forest in the Cascades at an elevation of 3,600 feet. It was originally a campground, converted to a group site with a 75-person capacity limit. The site is close to numerous hiking and boating opportunities. The McKenzie River National Scenic Trail and Clear Lake are only 15 minutes away, and the Iron Mountain, Echo Basin, Crescent Mountain and Browder Ridge trails are all within a fifteen-minute drive. Clear Lake, Smith Reservoir and Suttle Lake are all close by and offer boating and fishing. There are 10 individual campsites, each with a picnic table and fire pit or grill. Sites 1 through 4 are back-in, paved-surface sites suitable for tents or small campers, running from 42 feet long at site 1 down to 15 feet at site 4, with site 1 on flat grade and the rest on a slight grade. Sites 5 through 10 were originally walk-in sites less than 60 feet from the main area and can still be used for tents. A paved parking area, originally designed for the walk-in sites, holds up to 6 RVs, suitable for 3 large or 5 small. There are two double vault toilets, one behind site 1 and an accessible one near the parking area, plus an older outhouse near site 1. Drinking water comes from a hand pump well at the front of the campground, and the creek can be accessed easily from the campground. Campfire wood is not readily available, so plan to bring firewood or purchase it from a nearby vendor; Linn County Parks staff occasionally come through the park with firewood for sale. The group site is nestled in the trees, with Hackleman Creek flowing through the back of the site and many wildflowers blooming in the prairie during the summer. Lost Prairie is a natural meadow near Hackleman Creek on part of the historic Santiam Wagon Road, named for a scouting party looking for a new wagon route across the Cascades that became lost here; after several days of frustration, one member climbed a tall tree, spotted Sand Mountain to the east and regained his bearings. Clear Lake Resort is just down the road on Hwy 126, with a restaurant, boat rentals and excellent hiking; the lake is well known for its clarity and its standing dead trees, created by the eruption of Sand Mountain. The West Cascades Scenic Byway and the Santiam Pass-McKenzie Pass Scenic Byway are both close by, with numerous short hikes to lakes, waterfalls and scenic vistas along each route.