Central Cascades Day-Use Permit (Benson/Tenas)

Benson/Tenas: what makes it different

Benson/Tenas is the Mount Washington Wilderness permit for the trailhead at Scott Lake, off Highway 242 on the McKenzie Pass road. It reaches Benson Lake, the Tenas Lakes and Scott Mountain, and it sells 33 day-use people and 4 overnight groups a day.^1,2,4

Getting to the start

The Willamette National Forest directs you east from McKenzie Bridge on Highway 126, onto Highway 242, then west on Forest Road 260 to Scott Lake. The trailhead is at the northwest end of the lot at the end of the road, and the page asks you not to block the signboard or the gated road.²

Oregon Hikers measures it from Sisters as 20.4 miles on Highway 242, then a right turn just past the Scott trailhead and 1.0 mile of gravel to a lot by an old quarry. Highway 242 is closed from mid-fall through most of spring, so the approach depends on the pass being open. The Forest Service sends drivers to tripcheck.com.^4,2

Parking costs $5 per vehicle per day or a recreation pass. The page lists no drinking water and no picnic tables. A 2014 trip report put the Scott Lake trailhead near 4,800 feet and found the lot busy with canoes and kayaks by late afternoon.^2,9

The first leg

Benson Lake Trail #3502 starts up and to the left of the information kiosk. It switchbacks through mountain hemlock and noble fir and enters the Mount Washington Wilderness just below a crest, close to Benson Lake.^4,3

Reports disagree on the distance to Benson Lake. Oregon Hikers lists 2.7 miles round trip with 395 feet of gain. A 2014 hiker put the lake at about 1.5 miles, and the Bulletin walker in 2018 logged about 4 miles round trip for his visit. Benson Lake comes into view about half an hour in, according to a 2015 Bulletin column.^4,9,7,8

Terrain and difficulty

The ground is mild for a wilderness entry. Oregon Hikers rates the Benson Lake hike easy at a high point of 5,215 feet, and the Tenas Lakes hike easy at 4.8 miles round trip with 660 feet of gain and a high point of 5,480 feet. Scott Mountain is moderate at 8.2 miles, 1,300 feet of gain and a 6,116-foot summit, with seven switchbacks near the top.^4,5,6

The Forest Service describes the full Benson Lake Trail as 7.5 miles, passing forest and marsh east of the lake, pocket meadows and The Knobs, and ending at the Tenas Lakes trailhead. Junctions for Tenas Lake Trail #4340 and Scott Mountain Trail #4339 lie on the way.³

Quota at this entry point

• 2026 daily quota at Benson/Tenas, day use: 33 people a day. The Forest Service splits it 13 permits at the 10-day release and 20 at the 2-day release.¹
• 2026 daily quota at Benson/Tenas, overnight: 4 groups a day. Two groups a day come from the full-season release and two from the 7-day release.¹

Rules specific to this entry point

Central Cascades permits are required from June 15 to October 15 for day and overnight use here. Weed-free feed is required for stock, and horses and pack animals are allowed. Dogs in developed sites must be on a leash of 6 feet or less.²

Oregon Hikers notes a former campsite near Benson Lake that is closed for restoration. Its backpacking picks are the north and west shores of Big Tenas Lake and the west-shore bluff of Benson Lake, reached by rough access trails.^4,6,5

Where it leads

Benson Lake covers 24 acres and is stocked with trout every year. Big Tenas Lake is about 4.5 acres, with rock-lined shores that make easy swimming entries, and four Tenas Lakes are generally counted. Elf, Glaze and Island Lakes lie beyond the ridge for cross-country travelers.^4,5

Scott Mountain's summit holds the footings of a lookout cabin that stood from 1929 to 1960. Views take in the Three Sisters and The Husband to the south and Belknap Crater, Mount Washington, Three Fingered Jack and Mount Jefferson to the north. Returning by Hand Lake adds about 1.7 miles.⁶

What trip reports say

A Bend Bulletin columnist and his 10-year-old son went in mid-July 2018. Mosquito swarms were so heavy that they did not linger at Benson Lake and ran in some spots. He had forgotten repellent. McKenzie Pass had reopened the month before after closing in August 2017 for the Milli Fire.⁷

The same columnist walked the 8-mile loop in early September 2015 and found it far gentler on the bugs. He saw several hikers at the Tenas Lakes, compared the largest one to Devils Lake for color, and found Hand Lake a dry bed of dirt and grass. He calls early fall the best time.⁸

A hiker on August 31, 2014 started at 45 degrees under cloud, rested at Benson Lake waiting for the Three Sisters to clear, met one camping couple at the Tenas Lakes, and found Scott Lake crowded in the afternoon. He suggests a weeknight instead.⁹

When to go from here

Oregon Hikers lists summer to mid-fall and says mosquitoes bother you into August, so it recommends late summer for the Tenas Lakes. The permit season runs June 15 to October 15, and the road closes in winter. The 2015 Bulletin column says McKenzie Pass typically stays open to cars until early November depending on snow.^4,5,2,8

Compare with nearby entry points

• Scott: Scott, on Highway 242 in the Willamette National Forest, sells 16 day-use people a day and 7 overnight groups. Benson/Tenas offers twice the day permits and fewer overnight spots.¹
• PCT McKenzie Pass: PCT McKenzie Pass sells 28 day-use people and 3 overnight groups a day, against 33 and 4 here. Benson/Tenas is the lake-and-meadow entry, while the PCT trailhead sits on the lava of the pass road.¹
• Lava Camp: Lava Camp Lake (Matthieu Lakes) sells 50 day-use people and 4 overnight groups a day, a larger day quota than the 33 here with the same overnight room.¹

Sources

1. Central Cascades Wilderness Permit System: Quotas for Day Use and Overnight, Deschutes and Willamette National Forests, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.
2. Benson / Tenas Trailhead, Willamette National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.
3. Benson Lake Trail 3502, Willamette National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.
4. Benson Lake Hike, Oregon Hikers Field Guide. Read 2026-10-15.
5. Tenas Lakes Hike, Oregon Hikers Field Guide. Read 2026-10-15.
6. Scott Mountain Hike, Oregon Hikers Field Guide. Read 2026-10-15.
7. Hiking to Benson Lake/Scott Mountain, The Bulletin (Bend), July 2018. Read 2026-10-15.
8. Scott Mountain hike has a little of everything, The Bulletin (Bend), September 2015. Read 2026-10-15.
9. Scott Mountain - 8/31/14, Oregon Hikers Forum, August 2014. Read 2026-10-15.
10. Central Cascades Wilderness Permits, Willamette National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.

Safety & planning

Alternatives to a Benson/Tenas permit