Green Lakes is a classic, popular Central Oregon hike that's nestled in the heart of the Three Sisters Wilderness. This is one of my favorite to backpacking trails in all of Oregon, for stunning mountain views and pristine alpine lakes.

The mountains of South Sister and Broken Top are especially prominent from Green Lakes, with the three lakes providing excellent swimming, and productive fishing from the largest lake.

The Green Lakes trailhead is just off Cascade Lakes highway, a beautiful 30-minute drive from Bend, Oregon. Wildnerness permits are required here, so make sure to read up the current permit information before heading out. The upside of the permit system is that you'll find the trail less crowded, and should have no issues with parking at any time of the day.

Green Lakes is a moderate, uphill backpack that follows a creek and ends at a breathtaking lake basin. On the way you'll cross small streams, and see the beautiful tumbling cascades of Fall Creek. You'll pass a couple trail junctions on the way up: at each junction, stay on the clearly marked Green Lakes Trail.

As you reach the upper section of the trail, South Sister and Broken Top mountains come into view, towering above both sides of the trail. The two mountains ring the lake basin, creating beautiful sunsets as fading light plays along the mountain slopes.

The Green Lakes camping area is in a relatively flat basin, with 22 designated camping areas scattered around the three lakes. If you find that all sites are occupied when you arrive, consider asking someone to share their site - most will happily agree to share.

Note that you are likely to encounter persistent mosquitoes here from June through August. Bringing mosquito resistent clothing and/or bug repellent is highly recommended for an enjoyable experience!

Day hikers and backpackers at Green Lakes are required to carry a Overnight Permit or Day Use Ticket at all times in the Three Sisters wilderness. Permits must be purchased online prior to the date of your trip.

The Three Sisters permit season runs from June 15th to October 15th, becoming highly competitive during peak summer months. 40% of overnight permits are released on April 4th, at 7AM PDT , and another 60% are released on a 7-day rolling window from June through October. Day use permits are additionally released on 10-day and 2-day rolling windows, allowing the possibility of snagging a permit shortly before a day trip.

All permits are reservable on a first-come, first-served basis. To increase your odds of getting a permit, log into recreation.gov by 7AM the week before you want to backpack, and select your desired trailhead as soon as it becomes available. Permits sell out quickly for popular trailheads!

You may hike without a permit before June 15th or after October 15th, but please be prepared for the possibly of deep snow and difficult or dangerous weather conditions.

Still have questions? Send me a message over email to connect. Happy Trails!