Central Cascades Day-Use Permit (Lava Camp)

Lava Camp Lake (Matthieu Lakes): what makes it different

Lava Camp Lake is the gravel-spur trailhead just east of McKenzie Pass on Highway 242 that starts the short loop to North and South Matthieu Lakes. It sells 50 day-use people a day, one of the larger day quotas on the Three Sisters side, and 4 overnight groups.^1,2,6

Getting to the start

The Deschutes National Forest page gives the route from Sisters: 14.4 miles west on Highway 242, then 0.4 miles south on Forest Service Road 1000-900. A 2022 Bulletin column puts the turn onto the gravel road about half a mile before Dee Wright Observatory, and says the drive takes about 45 minutes from Bend.^2,6

A 2008 Nugget column adds that the trail starts at a loop parking area, reached by turning right at the horse-use area about 0.3 mile off the highway. Overshoot and you reach McKenzie Pass, which the writer put at half a mile too far.⁷

The Forest Service lists vault toilets and no drinking water. It also calls the site day use only, with no overnight camping at the trailhead. The Oregon Hikers field guide lists the elevation at 5,280 feet; the Forest Service page prints 5,190 with no unit, so treat the two as a rough 5,200 feet.^2,4

Highway 242 shuts for the winter. Recreation.gov says it traditionally reopens on the third Monday in June, weather permitting, and that cars cannot reach the trailhead before then.³

The first leg

The loop starts in shaded forest. The first trail junction comes 0.2 miles from the parking area, according to the Bulletin, and the Nugget writer reached the Pacific Crest Trail in under a quarter mile, at a wall of lava rock.^6,7

North Matthieu Lake is about 2 miles in. South Matthieu Lake is roughly another mile, mostly uphill. A Calipidder report from 2016 calls the walk to both lakes a short three miles.^7,8

Terrain and difficulty

The Forest Service names three trails from this lot: the Pacific Crest Trail #2000, North Matthieu Lake Trail #4062 and Millican Crater Trail #4066, and says all three enter the Three Sisters Wilderness shortly after the trailhead.²

Two Bulletin columns and the Nugget put the standard loop at 6 to 6.5 miles with about 800 feet of climb. The 2022 writer clocked 7.3 miles and nearly 1,000 feet after some extra scrambling, and was back at the car in about three hours. The Bulletin calls it moderate and family friendly.^5,6,7

The trail runs through hemlock and fir hung with moss, past ponds and dry ponds. North Matthieu Lake sits in deep forest beside a lava flow. The return on the Pacific Crest Trail passes a steep red cinder slope with a view down to the lake.^7,6

Quota at this entry point

• 2026 daily quota at Lava Camp Lake (Matthieu Lakes), day use: 50 people a day. The Forest Service splits it 20 permits at the 10-day release and 30 at the 2-day release.¹
• 2026 daily quota at Lava Camp Lake (Matthieu Lakes), overnight, Lava Camp Lake (Matthieu Lakes): 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

Groups must be under 12 people and under 12 head of stock. Build campfires at least 100 feet from water. The Forest Service links a special restriction map for Matthieu Lakes, and Recreation.gov adds that campfires are banned above 5,700 feet.^2,3

Where it leads

North Matthieu Lake, South Matthieu Lake and the Pacific Crest Trail south toward Scott Pass. The Bulletin writer saw North Sister from near Scott Pass, with Middle Sister just showing to the south. The lakes are named for Francis Xavier Matthieu, an Oregon pioneer, who was honored with the name in 1924.^6,7

Hikers on longer trips use this lot for loops that return by the Scott Trail and Minnie Scott Spring. A July 2026 Oregon Hikers report started a multi-day loop here and found no water between that spring and South Matthieu Lake.⁹

What trip reports say

A 2016 Bulletin column says mosquitoes were a heavy problem that day, which the writer tied to snowmelt at higher elevations. Snow still lay along the lava flow past the lake, and the writer found nobody else at South Matthieu.⁵

A Calipidder writer waited until after Labor Day in 2016 because the trail is popular, and had it nearly to herself. She expected buggy marshes and found one dry and bug free. She walked the loop counterclockwise and recommends that direction for the views.⁸

In 2008 the Nugget columnist met a couple camped at North Matthieu Lake who had sleet and snow over Labor Day weekend.⁷

A hiker on a July 2026 Oregon Hikers loop found 2 of the 3 South Matthieu campsites taken on the first night and all 3 full on the last. The Pacific Crest Trail back to this lot had a few fallen trees, all manageable.⁹

When to go from here

Timing depends on the highway and the bugs. The road opens around the third Monday in June, mosquitoes peak while high snow melts, and both Labor Day reports in the record show September can bring cold weather or a quiet trail.^3,5,8,7

Compare with nearby entry points

• Scott: Scott trailhead is on the same highway about 5.6 miles west of the pass and sells only 16 day-use people a day, against 50 here. Its Scott Trail reaches the Pacific Crest Trail, which is how the multi-day loops from this lot come back.^1,10,9
• PCT McKenzie Pass: The Pacific Crest trailhead is a dirt lot just northeast of the gate by Dee Wright Observatory. It sells 28 day-use people a day and sends hikers north over the lava, while this lot sends them south to the lakes.^1,11,12
• Obsidian: Obsidian sells 33 day-use people a day and 7 overnight groups, shared with Scott. Lava Camp Lake sells more day permits (50) and fewer overnight groups (4).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. Lava Camp Lake Trailhead, Deschutes National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.
3. Three Sisters - Lava Camp Trailhead, Central Cascades Wilderness Permit (Day Use), Recreation.gov. Read 2026-10-15.
4. Lava Camp Lake Trailhead, Oregon Hikers Field Guide. Read 2026-10-15.
5. Matthieu Lakes hike leads to mountain marvels, The Bulletin (Bend), July 2016. Read 2026-10-15.
6. Matthieu Lakes loop hike is a relatively easy trek in the Three Sisters Wilderness, The Bulletin (Bend), August 2022. Read 2026-10-15.
7. Trail to Matthieu Lakes a pleasant fall outing, The Nugget Newspaper (Sisters), September 2008. Read 2026-10-15.
8. Matthieu Lakes, Three Sisters Wilderness, Calipidder, September 2016. Read 2026-10-15.
9. 3 Sisters trail report July 2026, Oregon Hikers Forum. Read 2026-10-15.
10. Scott and Obsidian trails combine for challenging loop, The Nugget Newspaper (Sisters), September 2016. Read 2026-10-15.
11. Pacific Crest Trailhead at McKenzie Pass, Willamette National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.
12. Hiking near McKenzie Pass, The Bulletin (Bend), July 2014. Read 2026-10-15.
13. Central Cascades Wilderness Permits, Willamette National Forest, USDA Forest Service. Read 2026-10-15.

Safety & planning

Alternatives to a Lava Camp permit