• Clear Lake hides a 3,000-year-old forest of Douglas-firs still standing upright underwater
Clear Lake is a cold, spring-fed mountain lake in the Oregon Cascades, located right along Highway 126 in the Willamette National Forest. It sits at 3,012 feet, covers about 145 acres, and reaches a maximum depth of 175 feet. It is widely known as one of the clearest and coldest lakes in the Cascades, and that reputation is earned.
The first thing you notice is the color. The water glows turquoise near the shore and deep blue farther out. The second thing you notice is even stranger. Look down, and you will see trees standing underwater, still upright after roughly 3,000 years…