The Green Lakes trail is (deservedly!) one of the most popular hikes in central Oregon, thanks to both its non-stop spectacular scenery and proximity to Bend. We put this detailed trail guide together to help you plan your Green Lake hike…or backpacking trip!
There are tons of fantastic hikes near Bend, but the Green Lakes trail is a serious standout.
Not only is it close to town, it also shows off some of the area’s best highlights: views of iconic Broken Top and South Sister, multiple waterfalls, Fall Creek, and mossy forest reminiscent of the moody Oregon coast. And we haven’t even mentioned the sparkling jewel-toned lakes!
To make the Green Lakes hike even more appealing, it doesn’t require much effort AND you can easily connect to longer backcountry treks, including the Broken Top hike and Three Sisters Loop.
Green Lakes Trail Guide
We’ve included some extra info for planning your Green Lakes Trail hike. Jump to the following sections (or just keep scrolling to see it all!).
- Green Lakes trail stats
- Green Lakes trail map
- Hike overview
- Know before you go
- Permits
- The route
- Tips for hiking Green Lakes trail
- Where to camp
- What to pack
Green Lakes trail stats
- Location: Three Sisters Wilderness
- Distance: 9.1 miles out and back
- Elevation gain: 1,170 feet
- Difficulty rating: Moderate
- Timing: 4 hours to overnight backpacking trips
- Pets: Dogs welcome; must be leashed between July 15-September 15
- Permits: A Central Cascades Wilderness Permit (from June 15 – October 15) and Northwest Forest Pass are required
- View the trail notes
Green Lakes trail map
Green Lakes trail overview
On most hikes, the big payoff comes at the end, or maybe in the middle. But on the Green Lakes trail, the rewards start early and never stop.
You’ll be right alongside water most of the way, in the form of Fall Creek, multiple waterfalls, and the vibrant Green Lakes at the end. Wildflowers, lava flows, and outstanding views of Broken Top and South Sister urge you on and make this trail feel shorter than it is (really!).
Just 30 minutes from Bend, dog-friendly, and exceptionally well-maintained, it’s no wonder why this hike is a longtime local favorite.
Although it remains quite popular, the somewhat new permit system, implemented in 2021, certainly helps reduce crowds in the peak summer season.
Insider tip: many day hikers turn back after the first lake. Continue past it to find some solitude (and more epic views!).
Things to know before you go
There are several important considerations to keep in mind as you plan your outing to hike the Green Lakes trail Oregon.
Best time of year for the Green Lakes hike
Summer is hands-down the best time to hike the Green Lakes trail. You’ll see wildflowers galore and tons of rushing water, plus, like so many lakes in Oregon, you can take a refreshing dip at the end. It’s the perfect reward after hiking on hot summer days!
There are a couple of downsides to doing this hike in the summer. Everyone else has the same idea, so it sometimes gets crowded. The permit requirement helps mitigate crowds, and since it’s a bit longer, the trail never feels TOO busy.
Also, summer in central Oregon means wildfire season…and bugs. Both wildfire smoke and biting insects can be a bummer, but they’re unavoidable.
Fall can also be a lovely season for the Green Lakes hike, but water levels will be slightly lower and the weather is a bit more unpredictable. By mid-November, the Cascade Lakes Highway closes for the season, cutting off trailhead access until Memorial Day.
How long does it take to hike Green Lakes trail?
The average amount of time people spend hiking to and from Green Lakes is about four hours. However, plenty of people also choose to spend the night at one of the lakes, hiking back out the following day.
Other factors are at play, too. If you only visit one or two lakes, your time will be shorter. If you choose to visit all three, do the loop around them, or go for a swim, your hike may take 5-6 hours.
How difficult is the Green Lakes hike?
The Green Lakes trail is on the easy end of the ‘moderate’ spectrum.
Don’t let the distance deter you—the trail is wide, meticulously maintained, and mostly flat with very gradual elevation gain and nothing at all technical. That’s exactly why it’s popular with trail runners.
Three new bridges recently fixed some fairly sketchy water crossings, so we’d argue that the hike is actually even a bit easier now.
Green Lakes will likely feel like the shortest nine-mile hike you’ve ever done!
Wildlife on the trail
A ton of different wildlife species call the Three Sisters Wilderness home, but on the Green Lakes trail specifically, you’re most likely to see deer and small critters like chipmunks.
These smaller rodents are quite scrappy, begging for food and sometimes even resorting to stealing it, especially around the lakeshore. Don’t give them food, and be mindful about leaving food sitting out, even for just a few minutes.
Hikers do (very) occasionally see black bears or elk, but the area is frequented enough that the animals generally stay well off the trail.
Obtaining a permit for the Green Lakes trail
Wilderness permits are required for the Greens Lakes trail between June 15 and October 15, for both day hiking and backpacking. Rangers do check them at various points on the trail, and you will get fined if you don’t have one.
Only overnight permits are available to reserve for the entire season in advance. Day use permits are released on a much shorter timeframe just before the intended hike.
Both types of permits are only available through Recreation.gov. Day use permits cost $1.00 each and overnight permits are $6.00.
Day use wilderness permits
Day use permits are available on a rolling 10- and 2-day basis; 40% of the permits are released 10 days in advance and the other 60% are released two days out.
For example, to hike on July 15, you can try for a permit on July 5 and again on July 13 if you don’t get one in the first batch.
Overnight wilderness permits
40% of overnight permits are released in early April, for the entire season. Then, once the season officially opens, the remaining 60% are released on a 7-day rolling basis. So if you want to hike on August 9 and didn’t get a permit in April, you can try to get one on August 2.
In addition to a wilderness permit, you also need a Northwest Forest Pass to park at the trailhead. If you don’t have an annual pass, you can buy a day pass from the kiosk at the trailhead (card only; no cash).
The route
We broke down the route for hiking the Green Lakes trail into parts to give you an idea of what to expect on the route.
Entering Three Sisters Wilderness
Start at the Soda Creek trailhead, but be sure to get on the Green Lakes trail—they’re two separate hikes, both starting at the same place.
Quick note: if you’re hiking between June and October, make sure you have your wilderness permit before setting out. Rangers do check for permits, and they’re known to station themselves randomly on the trail, not necessarily at the trailhead.
Even outside the permitting season, you need to stop at the kiosk to fill out a free self-issued wilderness permit.
Not even quite one-tenth of a mile in, you’ll cross Fall Creek on a large log bridge (the first of several on the trail!) and officially enter the Three Sisters Wilderness boundary.
Chasing waterfalls
The first few miles of the trail run alongside Fall Creek, and there are several times when you may actually need to cross it.
Half a mile in, keep your eyes open for a spur trail on the right leading to Fall Creek Falls (not to be confused with Falls Creek Falls or other Oregon waterfalls with similar names!). The 30-foot-tall cascade is a highlight of the Green Lakes hike, a worthy quick detour.
After reconnecting to the main trail, there’s usually a series of several smaller, unnamed waterfalls for the next 1.5 miles or so.
The Green Lakes trail climbs gradually in this waterfall-laden section, but flattens out again near the junction with Moraine Lake.
Shortly after the junction, you’ll walk across a large, wide-open, basin-like section with expansive meadows. The trail can be a bit tricky to follow here, particularly in the early season, because it often washes out in the spring.
South Sister towers above directly ahead, so if you lose the trail, use that as your landmark to get back on track. From the meadows, it’s just over one more mile to Green Lakes.
Green Lakes
Once you pass the meadow section, cross over two bridges. After the second one, which crosses Fall Creek again, the trail noticeably ascends once again. In this final stretch to Green Lakes themselves, you’ll tackle the hike’s only two switchbacks.
While still very much on the easier side, many hikers say this is the most challenging section of the trail.
Look carefully at the water as you cross it on this last part of the hike—there’s an excellent chance you’ll spot some obsidian, created by lava flowing and quickly cooling in the creek.
As you approach the first of the Green Lakes, the trail again becomes difficult to follow. In addition to a well-signed junction for the Broken Top trail, there are several faint social trails other hikers have created.
Look for a distinctive reflecting pond with a near-perfect mirror image of South Sister. The actual Green Lakes trail passes between the pond’s north end and the eastern shore of another lake, leading you to the southern shore of the ‘main’ (largest) lake.
Options at Green Lakes
You also have the option of hiking around the lakes, forming a lollipop loop. Depending on the exact route you follow, this could add anywhere from half a mile to another couple of miles.
For hikers spending the night at Green Lakes, look for campsites clustered between the main lake and the one just north of it, at the southern shore of the main lake, and around the southern end of both the reflecting pond and the smallest lake.
If you’re not camping, retrace your steps and head back to the trailhead whenever you’re ready. Before you do, be sure to take a quick dip in one of the lakes!
Tips for hiking Green Lakes trail
- If you prefer filtering water over carrying it, this is an ideal hike. There’s fresh water along almost the entire trail, especially helpful if you’re staying overnight.
- Biting insects can be brutal in the summer. Bring bug spray (and plan to reapply!), and consider other strategies, like wearing a head net or carrying a ThermaCell.
- There’s a vault toilet at the trailhead, but none along the trail itself. This includes at the campsites, so bring a trail bathroom kit and know how to properly dispose of waste.
- If you bring your dog, be aware of the specific rules. Dogs must be on a leash between July 15 and September 15, with the only exception being if they’re swimming. Outside of that timeframe, dogs are allowed on the Green Lakes trail off-leash.
- Arrive early. Because several popular hikes start from the same parking lot, it often fills up, even during permit season.
Where to camp nearby
Backpackers who want to camp at Green Lakes have a choice of 22 first-come, first-served campsites, scattered throughout a few areas along the lakeshores. Remember, you must have an overnight wilderness permit to camp here. Also, be sure to set up in a designated site.
Although these are backcountry campsites, they’re so well-maintained that some people affectionately refer to them as the ‘Disneyland of backcountry camping.’ This is a GREAT first backpacking trip!
If you prefer a slightly more traditional campsite, another option is Soda Creek Campground, less than five minutes from the Green Lakes trailhead. It’s right along Soda Creek near Sparks Lake.
The small 10-site campground accommodates tents, trailers, and RVs. There are no hookups, but it has vault toilets. A couple of sites are first-come, first-served, and the others are reservable on Recreation.gov up to six months in advance.
What to pack for hiking Green Lakes trail
- Navigation: we recommend using Alltrails+ to download the offline trail map
- Get your first week of using Alltrails+ for FREE when you sign up using our link!
- Permit*
- Hiking daypack
- Water bottles and/or bladder for your Camelbak
- Way to purify your water (we love our Grayl water bottles, and before them we always brought along our Steripen)
- Dry bag (we always carry one with us for our valuables in case of rain)
- Bug repellant
- Sun protection: sunscreen, hat, sun glasses
- Headlamp
- Camera/tripod (this one’s our favorite for hiking)
- Hiking layers (here is a great resource if you’re wondering what to wear hiking)
- Rain jacket
- Comfortable hiking boots or shoes
- Microspikes (if there is any chance of snow and ice)
- Hiking poles (optional)
- Battery pack (if you are relying on your phone)
Backpacking gear
- Multi-tool
- Lightweight tent: find out the best 2-person tents for camping and backpacking
- Sleeping bag
- Sleeping pad
- Toilet kit: toilet paper, small shovel, bag for packing out TP, hand sanitizer
- Bag for your trash
- Camp stove/fuel (we love our Jetboil!)
- Mess kit
- Biodegradable soap and towel
- Plenty of snacks: check out our favorite hiking snacks here!
*Don’t forget to pack your permit!
Be sure to download our FREE hiking packing list before your next trip and never leave another essential behind again!
You may also like…
- Broken Top Hike: How to Get There & What to Expect
- Ultimate Guide to Visiting Skylight Cave Oregon
- Tumalo Falls Hike: How to Get There & What to Expect
- South Sisters Hike: A Trail Guide
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We want to hear from you!
Have you ever hiked the Green Lakes trail in central Oregon? What was your experience like? Do you have more questions about the Green Lakes hike? Comment below and let us know!