Marion Mountain via Marion Lake

You are sure to find beautiful places to hike in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness, and Marion Mountain is one of them. Hiking in from Marion Lake Trailhead you will walk along old-growth and new-growth forest. The trail starts off gently, and you are almost always not far from a creek until you reach Marion Lake. But before you reach Marion Lake you will first reach Lake Ann. You are sure to find ducks swimming in the lake and sometimes someone fishing. As you continue along, there is an unmarked trail that takes you to the beautiful Marion Falls and Gatch Falls. After visiting the waterfall, go back to the trail you left until you reach Marion Lake.

Hiking to the lake is beautiful as you look down and see Marion Creek, which feeds from the lake. It is more of a roaring river than a babbling creek. Although there is a trail that takes you along Marion Lake and even beyond that, stay right and cross the bridge. The landscape changes here for a minute as you cross a boulder field before heading back into the forest. Soon you will reach what was the devastating 90,000-acre B&B Complex fire. Although you hike through some of the charred trees, new trees and bushes are growing, and it is beginning to look beautiful again. There are many great views along the trail but the best is at the top of Marion Mountain. The top of Mount Hood pops up on the left of Mount Jefferson, and the lakes below and Three Fingered Jack are some of the highlights to be seen from the summit. There are many other trails in the area to extend your hike, or you can continue back the way you came.