Red Lake, Natural dam lake in Harghita County, Romania
Red Lake is a lake in Harghita County, Romania, formed by a natural dam of rock and debris. Hundreds of tree trunks rise from the water, forming a dark web of skeletons that spreads across the lake surface.
An earthquake in 1838 triggered a landslide that blocked the Bicaz River and created the lake. The trees that stood in the valley were flooded by the rising water and remained as petrified trunks.
The name comes from the reddish-brown iron oxide deposits that tint the water on sunny days. Hikers follow the shore paths where the petrified trees rise from the water, creating an odd contrast with the green Carpathian landscape around them.
The road from Gheorgheni leads directly to the lake, where several small guesthouses and campsites sit along the shore. A loop trail lets visitors view the water from different sides and see the petrified trees up close.
The Vereskő Creek carries iron oxide from the mountains and colors the water reddish on some days, which gave the lake its name. The petrified trees in the water are the remains of a forest that was flooded almost two centuries ago.
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