By Mariah Cannon

This lake has got to be one of my all-time favorite backpacking trips I’ve taken. It was short and sweet, but the views were absolutely insane! I’m going to share everything you need to know before going to backpack to Wildhorse lake yourself and share some of my favorite pictures!

If you’d prefer to watch rather than read, I filmed it all on YouTube and you can watch it here.

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Where is Wildhorse Lake?

Located in South Eastern Oregon, it’s often a forgotten about area, but it is other worldly. It sits just 60 miles South of a town called Burns, Oregon and is very much out there on its own. If you’re coming from Oregon or plan to continue into Oregon after this backpacking trip, I would highly recommend stopping here for necessities, food, and a fuel up!

While this is a remote area, it packs a punch. There is so much to see, hike, and explore. Wildhorse lake itself sits in the middle of a very large cirque and is a major stop within Oregon’s Steens Mountains range. It was probably one of our favorite hikes of the year and best backpacking trip in Oregon so far!

Things to Know Before You go

1. This is very high elevation compared to the surrounding Oregon Desert, snow can remain up there year round. Be sure to check with the Burns BLM Office for road closures, snow levels, and any general questions you might have about the area before visiting.
2. There is zero cell service, especially when down at Wildhorse lake itself. Bring a form of navigation and let someone know where you’re at!
3. You have to pack out what you pack in, this includes your waste. I highly recommend bringing a Wag Bag Kit or something similar since it’s required to carry out your waste.
4. Since this is a natural wild lake, you have to camp at least 200 feet away and not super close to any streams or creeks flowing into the lake. This helps keep the lake clean and pristine for generations to come. Along with not allowing contaminates to get into the water system.
5. Bring lots of layers and and rain gear – as mentioned above this is a high elevation area. The Steens mountains sit between 4,200 feet and 9,738 feet meaning weather can change quickly. It also means high winds and chilly nights after the sun goes down.

Hiking Wildhorse Lake

Distance: 2.6 miles/4.1 kilometers

Elevation: 1,053 feet

Hike Type: Out & Back

Difficulty: Moderate to Hard (due to how steep the trail is and the loose rock in some areas)

Terrain: Rocky, scree, muddy during rainy and snow season, mossy/grassy in Spring/Summer.

This is not a long trail by any means, but it is steep walking down and steep coming back out. So I would consider it to be pretty difficult and you definitely feel the elevation gain.

I highly recommend bringing hiking poles, especially if you plan on backpacking because it will literally save your knees coming down into the lake. I love these Black Diamond Trail Back Trekking Poles!

Depending on the time of year you go, you will likely have the area to yourself or not see very many other people! It is so so beautiful. We were there in June of 2025 and there was still some snow which required some navigation, but the wildflowers were abundant and weather could not have been more perfect.

There are plenty of areas to camp down near the lake, realistically every side except for the West side of the lake is camp-able since there is a mountain side/rock face that flows right into the lake. We set up camp on the North side of the lake, just because w didn’t have time to explore and find a different spot and our friends from @laurensbigadventure on Instagram were on the other side of the lake and we didn’t know it until a few days later! Small world!

Things to Check Out Nearby

• If you’re heading back towards Bend/Central Oregon – be sure to make a stop at Pete French Round Barn State Heritage Site. It is a super neat barn that was built back in the 1880’s by Pete French who was a cattle rancher that came up from California in 1872. He quickly became known as a “cattle king” and had around 45,000 head of cattle. Eventually he was murdered due to some believing he didn’t claim the property or water rights legally.
• Frolic around the Alvord Desert – a 5 mile wide, 10 mile long playa (dried up lake bed) that was originally 200 feet deep thousands of years ago. A lot of people camp here and it is quite a unique spot to see in Oregon. I definitely don’t recommend going in the Summer as temps can get hot and storms can get gnarly. Spring and Fall are great time to visit with less drastic temperatures.
• Stop in the town of Fields and grab a bite to eat and a milkshake at the Fields Station! The food was really good and the milkshakes were decent, however when we visit this area again – we will not be going – as it took over an hour to get the shakes and we had to get out to our trailhead. And service was just not as good as I had hoped. I was blown away. So I feel like if you’re in the area, you should stop for the experience (if you’re not in a hurry) but it wouldn’t be necessary to visit again unless you really love the food!

My Favorite Pieces of Gear I Brought Along

These are pieces that I love and will never be backpacking without! These are pieces I’ve used and loved for many years of hiking.

1. My 2 person Hubba Hubba Tent from MSR. I live by this tent and it perfectly fits two people and a dog!
2. My all time favorite puffer jacket is the Stio Hometown Down Jacket in this Neon Bloom color. I pretty much live in this thing year round.
3. My Tifosi Moab interchangeable sunglasses are my favorite piece I picked up this last year and they’re comfy and perfect for backpacking trips like this one!
4. Maverick’s get up is pretty sweet and he’s able to carry some of his own things, this is the Wilderdog harness in Seafoam. We love it and use it for longer mountain hikes and all of our backpacking trips.
5. My favorite trail runners are commonly what I use for backpacking trips and I love the Altra Lone Peaks. They’re great for someone who has wider feet and needs more room in the toe box.

Enjoy this guide to backpacking Wildhorse Lake? Be sure to save it for future adventures!

Let’s Get Adventuring!

Mariah 🙂