Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Oregon / Southern Cascades

Sky Lakes Basin Loop from Cold Springs

Sky Lakes Wilderness, Fremont-Winema and Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forests (west of Klamath Falls)

The Sky Lakes Wilderness stretches along the Cascade crest from Crater Lake National Park’s southern boundary to Highway 140, according to Recreation.gov, and holds nearly 200 lakes, Hiking Project says. The Sky Lakes Basin is one of its three major lake basins, with broad, plateau-like ridges dotted with lakes, the Forest Service says.

A loop from the Cold Springs Trailhead links several of the basin’s lakes.

The hike

Cold Springs Trailhead sits at the end of Forest Road 3651, about 10 to 11 miles of gravel north of Highway 140, according to the Forest Service and the Herald and News. It has a vault toilet, dispersed camping, and no drinking water.

Oregon Hikers’ 14.6-mile loop follows the Cold Spring Trail to the Sky Lakes Trail, then heads west past Deer Lake to the Pacific Crest Trail. It turns north on the PCT to the Divide Trail, and warns that this junction is easy to miss because it sits where the PCT makes a sharp left downhill turn. The Divide Trail drops about 2 miles past No-See-Um Lake into the basin holding Margurette and Trapper Lakes. From there, the Sky Lakes Trail leads south to the South Rock Creek Trail and back to the trailhead. Oregon Hikers puts the gain at 1,600 feet with a high point of 6,800 feet.

Near the south end of the basin, the 1.3-mile Isherwood Trail leaves the Sky Lakes Trail about a third of a mile from the Cold Springs Trail junction and rejoins it later. Herald and News writer Lee Juillerat describes Natasha, Elizabeth, and Isherwood Lakes along it, with Isherwood about half a mile long and among the basin’s best swimming spots, plus hidden lakes such as Liza and Florence that take a map or GPS to find. Big Heavenly Twin Lake lies farther south on the Sky Lakes Trail.

Fire has passed through parts of this area. The Herald and News has mentioned both the 2017 High Cascades Complex and a 2014 fire along these trails, and Juillerat noted fireweed and columbine coming back in the charred forest.

The Forest Service warns that mosquito swarms hatch from snowmelt until mid-August, and Hiking Project recommends fall.

For another southern Cascades overnight, see Lightning Spring in Crater Lake National Park.

Tips

Camping

The Rogue River-Siskiyou’s Sky Lakes Wilderness page says camping and fires are not allowed within 100 feet of lakes or 50 feet of streams or springs. Groups are limited to 8 people and 12 stock animals, caching gear is prohibited, and bikes and motorized equipment aren’t allowed. Equestrians must use designated sites in the Seven Lakes and Blue Canyon basins.

Inside Intel: At Isherwood Lake, Lee Juillerat of the Herald and News found “obvious campsites, including two spacious enough for several tents,” and noted the western shore is popular for picnics and camping. He also mentions campsites hidden off the shores of Big Heavenly Twin.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

Morning coffee at Isherwood Lake:

Sky Lakes rules keep camps and fires 100 feet back from the lakeshore, and both national forests here had fire restrictions in fall 2026, so a reliable stove keeps breakfast simple. See which stoves testers rate.

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Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.