Three Creeks Lake (Road)
Length: Approx. 28.1 miles
Elevation: 3,100
Difficulty: Moderate
Surface: Paved (chip sealed) road with light traffic, but with annoying cracks across the pavement at regular intervals, especially at lower elevations.
Description: An out and back route south from Sisters along Elm St / Three Creek Rd / FS-16, similar to the Bend-Tumalo Falls route in Bend. This route is one of Sisters’ toughest climbs, 15 miles to the end of the pavement. The mountain views are spectacular, but you’ll work for them. You’ll conquer about 3,000 feet of climb, with some pitches as steep as 10 to 12 percent, with the steepest parts beyond the gate at the Upper Three Creek Sno-Park. There are minimal shoulders, but very low traffic volumes and nice forest cover, although the road surface suffers from many pavement cracks. For those willing to take their road bikes on gravel, continue about two more miles to Three Creek Meadow and Three Creek Lake, where you can rest with spectacular views of the Three Sisters mountains.
Access: Start at Sisters Village Green – take Elm St. south, which eventually becomes FS-16.
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