Continued from Bachelor Trip

We continued on to the Historic Elk Lake Guard Station
In the early days of the NF System, the forest guards who were sometimes posted at guard stations were the forest rangers’ right-hand men in the field. Guard stations were satellites of ranger stations. When, in 1920, a wagon road connected Bend and Elk Lake, recreation boomed in the area. NF campgrounds were built, summer home sites were leased, and Elk Lake Lodge was opened. By 1924 there was an Elk Lake post office. The forest ranger in Bend soon needed a forest guard in the area to serve visitors, maintain facilities, and protect resources. This forest guard needed a base, and in 1929 the Elk Lake Guard Station log cabin was built. At first, because funds were scarce during the Great Depression, this station was not staffed. From the later 1930s through the 1990s, however, forest guards and other Forest Service employees and volunteers served the public from this small station. Their job grew as the population grew, access improved, leisure time increased, and more forest visitors came. In 1997, the Forest Service decided to retain this old guard station—along the popular Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway—as a visitor information center and historic site. During the next few years, Forest Service employees and volunteers restored the cabin and rehabilitated its grounds. Now, as you visit Historic Elk Lake Guard Station, you get a feel for how the forest guard lived and worked during the middle decades of the 20th century—in a very different time not too long ago.

We left there and ran across this neat place called Little Fawn Campground and Day use
It has a boat launch, and a nice beachy area, what a great find this was. The campground is just next to the beach area.I didn't get a very good shot of the campsites but there big enoug for a 30 ft motor home price per day is $8.00 not bad.
I think there must of been a fire there once as the trees didn't look all that good in the distant.Our last stop was Lava Lake Resort
Lava Lake was formed as a result of lava flows creating a dam along its east shoreline. Lava Lake is relatively old as evidenced by the extrusive vegetation occurring in the shallow areas. Rushes, waterlilies and other emergent plants are especially evident on the west and northern perimeter. Another indication of the lake’s aging is the 4 to 5 feet deep layer of muck located on the lake bottom as reported by divers.

Subsurface springs provide the primary inflow to Lava Lake. The springs are located in the northeast corner of the lake at a depth of 20 to 30 feet. Water temperatures from the inflow vary between 45° to 60° F. There are no permanent surface streams entering the lake, however, intermittent seeps do enter the lake from Wire Meadow. Lava Lake connects with Little Lava Lake only occasionally during periods of spring high water. The outlet channel is located in the southeast corner of the lake. Water level fluctuates an average of approximately 2.5 feet annually with maximum pool occurring in late summer. Timing of the peak pool level is consistent with flow levels typical of springs in the area.

Fish species indigenous to Lava Lake were bull trout, redband trout and whitefish. The current fish population is composed of introduced brook and rainbow trout, whitefish, and illegally introduced tui chub.

Lava Lake Campground
$10 a night up too 30 ft vehicle
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