S4 Kayak #6 - Elk Lake

 

Elk Lake

Starting Location: Little Fawn CG

Point of Interest : Elk Lake

Bathrooms: Yes

Parking: gravel, lots of room

EV Chargers: No



Even though we were camping at Elk Lake Resort, we decided to go to Little Fawn campground across the lake to put our boats in. We walked through Little Fawn on the Elk Creek Trail earlier in the day, and it seemed a nice, quieter place to put in, since the resort was hosting a music concert, which would have made their boat ramp very congested.
Little Fawn has a small inlet, or bay, so the water is calm, and the wind is minimal. Once we got onto the lake proper, the wind picked up and the waves got a bit choppy, but not bad. There was some haze from fires, but we could still see Mt. Bachelor and the 3 Sisters.
The lake is nice and big, with forest coming up to the edge in places, and lots of places you can put ashore to rest or swim. I got out and took a nice swim. The water was clear and the temperature very comfortable. 
The only real issue we had with Elk Lake was that it allows motor boats, and there were 2 pontoon boats with very loud parties on them. At one point, they even got the boats next to each other, and the screaming was not very conducive to enjoying the lake.

Unless you are renting one of the cabins or glamping tents, I would recommend tent camping at one of the campgrounds other than the resort. There is another Elk Lake Campground not affiliated with the resort right next door, and then Point Campground and Little Fawn are alternatives.


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