Trillium Lake, Reservoir in Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon.
Trillium Lake is a reservoir in Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon, covering roughly 25 hectares with a 3-kilometer loop trail around its shore at an elevation of 1,100 meters (3,600 feet). On clear days, the snow-capped summit of Mount Hood reflects directly in the water, and the shoreline is fringed by conifer forests.
The reservoir formed in 1960 when a dam was built at the headwaters of Mud Creek to create fish habitat and improve water storage. Before the dam, 19th-century settlers used the marshy area as part of the Barlow Road, an alternative route to the Columbia River.
The name refers to a wildflower genus native to the moist woodlands around the lake, which visitors now use for fishing and boating during warmer months. Families picnic along the shoreline, and photographers wait at dawn for the mountain reflection on the water surface.
The road to the reservoir stays open during summer months and closes in winter, when access shifts to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing from a dedicated trailhead. Around 57 campsites with picnic tables and fire rings operate during warmer weather, and a boat ramp allows launching small watercraft.
In winter, the entire area turns into a Nordic skiing destination, with access through a separate trailhead across from Snow Bunny Lodge. The frozen surface attracts cross-country skiers and snowshoers who enjoy the white forests and the view of the mountain.
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