Great Meadow is approximately 35 miles from Klamath Falls and approximately 3 miles from Lake of the Woods, off of Highway 140.
The site is a high elevation mixed conifer forest that is primarily fir. The forest is dominated by Douglas fir, white fir and Shasta red fir. Lake of the Woods is a large, high mountain lake that is approximately 1200 acres in size.
Great Meadow is a wayside, trailhead parking area and winter recreation area. There is a restroom available. Lake of the Woods is a developed recreation area with recreational residences, a resort, two Forest Service campgrounds (Aspen Point and Sunset campgrounds), a Forest Service day use area at Rainbow Bay, and three organizational camps located around the lake. The resort includes a restaurant, a store, marine fueling facilities, boat rentals, 15 visitor cabins, a RV park, and a tent campground. The resort is open year round.
The area presents many opportunities for outdoor recreation including hiking, biking, boating, fishing, canoeing, horseback riding and in the wintertime, snow mobiling and cross-country skiing.
There is an extensive trail system around Great Meadow and Lake of the Woods, including trails that lead into Mountain Lakes and Sky Lakes Wilderness areas. See the site map for details. Detailed trail maps for the wilderness areas can be obtained from the Forest Service offices listed below.
The best time to bird around Great Meadow and Lake of the Woods is late spring or early summer because this site is located on the crest of the Cascade Mountains and is along a major migratory route. Forest birds to look for include Hermit Thrush Golden-crowned Kinglet, Mountain Chickadee, Steller's and Gray Jays, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Common Nighthawk, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Western Tanager, Red Crossbill, Hairy, Downy and Pileated Woodpeckers, Vaux's Swift and more. Sandhill Crane have also been seen at Great Meadow. Potential night encounters with Great Horned Owl, Great Gray Owl (rare), Northern Spotted Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl and Northern Pygmy-Owl are possible.
The lake itself attracts water birds of various kinds. You can view the lake from the boat ramps at both of the Forest Service campgrounds, the day use area and the resort. On and around the lake look for Common Loon (occasionally), grebes, ducks and geese, Osprey, Bald Eagle, and gulls.
Great Meadow wayside is approximately 2 miles east off the Dead Indian Memorial Road turnoff and approximately one mile west of the turn off to the Lake of the Woods resort (Forest Service Rd. 3704) on Highway 140. Both the Lake of the Woods turnoff and Great Meadow wayside are well signed. There are roads that encircle the entire lake. GPS: 122° 12' 37.85" W, 42° 22' 51.28" N.
Klamath Ranger District
Fremont-Winema National Forests
2819 Dahlia Street
Klamath Falls, OR 97601
541-883-6714
www.fs.fed.us/r6/frewin/
www.lakeofthewoodsresort.com
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