Parking
Use the Mount Defiance South Trailhead pullout on Forest Road 2820. It holds only four to five vehicles, and the road is rough and dusty. The Forest Service lists no fee; there is no restroom or potable water.
Overview
About Bear Lake via Mount Defiance South Trail
Why go
- A subalpine lake on a short wilderness outing
- Mount Adams view from the saddle
Heads up
- The final descent is steeper and rocky
- Tiny four-to-five-car pullout with no facilities
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Columbia River Gorge map
Full mapElevation3,904–4,131 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
8 active Columbia River Gorge alerts
- ClosureEagle Creek Fire area closureDo not enter Oneonta Gorge or the specified trail sections because hazards remain following the Eagle Creek Fire.Official details
- CautionAircraft and drone restrictions at developed recreation sitesAircraft and drone landings, drop-offs, and pickups are prohibited at six high-use developed recreation sites to protect visitor safety.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Columbia River Gorge Tour Guide
Your drive to Bear Lake via Mount Defiance South Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
More stories near here in the app
- A Slide Beside the Water
- A Bridge Over Land
- What Mount Defiance Asks of You
- Wyeth Campground and Trails
- 217 audio storiesacross Columbia River Gorge’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Bald Eagle, Black Bear, American Pika, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 111 trails, 78 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Bear Lake via Mount Defiance South Trail
A short lake hikeBear Lake is a 2.
Bear Lake is a 2.4-mile out-and-back from Mount Defiance South Trailhead, following Trail #413 and Bear Lake Trail #413A to a subalpine lake in Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness. Allow about two hours, including a pause at the water. It is a short destination walk rather than a summit climb, with roughly 450 feet of total climbing across both directions.
Into the lake basinTrail 413 climbs through dense timber for half a mile to an unmarked junction; the left turn…
Trail #413 climbs through dense timber for half a mile to an unmarked junction; the left turn onto #413A is easy to miss. The spur contours through forest near 4,100 feet, crosses a talus field and reaches a saddle with views toward Mount Adams. From there, the last 0.2 mile drops more steeply over rocky ground to Bear Lake at 3,920 feet. That descent becomes the return climb. From the shore, frame the water with Mount Defiance’s rocky slopes above it.
Start at the right accessUse the Mount Defiance South Trailhead pullout on Forest Road 2820.
Use the Mount Defiance South Trailhead pullout on Forest Road 2820. It fits only four or five vehicles, and the road is rough and dusty. There is no fee, restroom or potable water at the trailhead, so bring what you need from town.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Columbia River Gorge
267 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
51 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
136 sightingsAmerican PikaMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
16 sightingsWapitiMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
195 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
74 sightingsChinook SalmonMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Columbia River Gorge. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
