Lost Lake Boat Ramp

Lost Lake Boat Ramp

location_onHood River, OR

starstarstarstarstar
4.4(734 reviews)
kayakingKayak Launch

About Lost Lake Boat Ramp

Nestled in the heart of the Cascade Mountains in Oregon, Lost Lake is a captivating freshwater destination that beckons to paddlers seeking a peaceful and scenic kayaking experience. This tranquil body of water, surrounded by towering peaks and dense forests, offers a serene escape for adventurers of all skill levels.

Kayaking in the Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest, with its abundant rivers, lakes, and coastal waterways, has long been a premier destination for kayaking enthusiasts. From the rugged shores of the Oregon coast to the serene alpine lakes of the Cascades, the region presents a diverse array of paddling opportunities. Lost Lake is just one of the many gems that draw kayakers to this beautiful corner of the country.

reviewsWhat Paddlers Say

We didn’t have the best experience. There was a pretty disturbing incident, and Trent Weseman, the manager told us he’d discount our stay, but wasn’t available at checkout and changed his story when we finally talked to him on the phone after we were back home. Read about the insect infestation for details under “Now for the bad.”||This review is mostly for people who are interested in the cabins. We stayed in Cabin 6.||First, the good.||Staff: The staff at the resort are responsive and cordial—not overly friendly, but accommodating and professional. The boat rental manager is super friendly and helpful.||Grounds and facilities: The grounds are kept clean, and although there are pit toilets, they are cleaned daily and kept stocked in hand sanitizer and toilet paper. The showers are private and beautifully maintained—new and shiny. The hot water comes on quickly and the shower room has hooks and a shelf for your things, with a mirror and sink.||Cabins: Our cabin, #6, has 2 bedrooms, a fireplace, a lovely wood kitchen table with 2 benches, a couch and a chair with a reading light. There is a coffee table and a side table for the reading chair. The kitchen has dishes, glassware, utensils, flatware, pots, skillet, and a baking sheet. Appliances include a microwave, toaster, coffee maker, a gas 4-burner range with oven. Both bedrooms have 2 windows, a comfortable bed for 2, a clothes rack with hangers, and plenty of electrical outlets. Bedroom 1 is slightly bigger with a nightstand. No nightstand in bedroom 2—very narrow space on both sides of the bed. I had a CPAP, so having my machine, water, and phone charging on the floor was a bit cluttered, but it worked. The beds are comfortable and clean. There is a deck on the front of the cabin with a rectangular table that fits 6 and 4 chairs. BUT, we couldn’t use it for eating (see the next section “the bad”). There is a short walk up a hill to the pit toilet that also has a double sink next to it for washing dishes.||The lake: Beautiful swimming and boating—no motor boats, so that was nice. Absolutely gorgeous views of Mt. Hood from the middle of the lake and the day use areas (a 5-minute walk from the lodge). We set up in the day use areas for swimming and kayaking. There is a great walk around the lake with a well-maintained trail.||Now for the bad:||The insect infestation : Cabin 6 has an unknown flying insect infestation every day around noon. It is not insignificant—there are hundreds. They crawl in from a crack around the fireplace and cover the 2 windows in the main area and crawl over the mantle and fireplace. They seem to be benign, but it is pretty disgusting and disturbing (see photos). We opened the door and they eventually fell to the ground and made their way out the door—we helped them along with a broom. Trent, the manager, offered us 2 rooms in the lodge, which have running water, a real bathroom with flush toilet and shower. However, they are dark and at the back of the lodge. The whole point of our trip was to be together with our friends playing games, visiting and sharing meals together. By the time we checked out the lodge rooms and got back to the cabin to decide what to do, the bugs had died, so we decided to stay in the cabin. They came back the next day, but we knew what to expect. Trent also offered us a boat rental for free, but we also declined it because we brought our own boat. We spent a lot of time talking about how to discount our stay, and he said he could discount us the price of a boat rental, and said “don’t worry, we’ll make it right.” Trent wasn’t there when we checked out, and when he finally called us back he reneged on his promise to “make it right.” It’s really disappointing to be lied to, and my husband wasn’t going to get into a futile and heated argument with him. We paid $1087 for 3 nights, and when you have something like this happen you expect to be compensated somehow.||The NOISE: In the lodge and cabin area the generator for the resort runs constantly and it is LOUD. You are never listening to nature—there is a constant humming/whirring from the generator. You can get away from the noise if you are further away from the lodge and cabins. The yurt area are quieter, and there are camp sites far enough away from the noise.|The view: Cabin 6 faces a huge graveled parking area—that is your view. Trees obscure the lake. Cabin 8, the largest, has a nice view of the lake.||Food prep and cleanup (specifically for cabin 6): We arrived on Labor Day and the restaurant had stopped being open during the week. We brought our food, so it wasn’t an issue. But, what we didn’t anticipate was not having a way to wash dishes in the cabin. The small counter space isn’t big enough to accommodate cooking and dish washing. There is no sink with a drain, nor any water disposal space outside. We had 4 people and dirtied a lot of dishes every day. We cooked and prepared breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We like things tidy and wanted to clean up after every meal. We wanted a dish pan with warm soapy water to wash our cooking pans, plates, and a clean water bin for rinsing. The only option for us was to set up a dish washing station on our outdoor table. I had anticipated not having everything we needed, so I brought our camping supply bin and had a large pot that we kept on the stove for warm water. There is a closer water spigot a short walk up the other side of the cabin, which is easier than trudging up the hill to the sink area. A note about the toilet/sink area: the only way to turn the water on and off is on the BACK side of the sink about 18” off the ground. This means that you are either keeping the water running or are going back and forth around the sink to man the spigot. If you choose to use the toilet/sink area for dishes, take 2 people—one to wash and one for the faucet. Also—bring a bin to put your dishes in to carry up to the sink. Our porch setup worked fine. But if rain might be expected, you’ll be washing dishes in the rain—the deck is not covered. Other cabins have a covered area/porch, but cabin 6 does not. Also, there is no room outside the cabin to set up a canopy.
Daydream43647646312
We didn’t have the best experience in Cabin 6. There was a pretty disturbing incident, and Trent Weseman, the manager told us he’d discount our stay, but wasn’t available at checkout and changed his story when we finally talked to him on the phone. Read about the insect infestation under “Now for the bad.” THE GOOD The staff at the resort are responsive and cordial—not overly friendly, but accommodating and professional. The boat rental manager is super friendly and helpful. The grounds are kept clean, pit toilets cleaned daily and have hand sanitizer. The showers are private and very nice. Hot water comes quickly. Cabins: Our cabin, #6, has 2 bedrooms, a fireplace, a nice wood table with 2 benches, a couch and a chair with a reading light. The kitchen has dishes, glassware, utensils, flatware, pots, skillet, and a baking sheet. Appliances include a microwave, toaster, coffee maker, a gas 4-burner range with oven. Both bedrooms have 2 windows, a comfortable bed for 2, a clothes rack with hangers, and plenty of electrical outlets. Bedroom 1 is slightly bigger with a nightstand. No nightstand in bedroom 2—very narrow space on both sides of the bed. See the Bad section for more. The lake: Beautiful swimming and boating—no motor boats, so that was nice. Gorgeous views of Mt. Hood from the middle of the lake and the day use areas (a 5-minute walk from the lodge). There is a great walk around the lake with a well-maintained trail. Now for the bad: The insect infestation : Cabin 6 has an unknown flying insect infestation every day around noon. It is not insignificant—there are hundreds. They crawl in from a crack around the fireplace and cover the windows and mantle. It is pretty disgusting and disturbing (see photos). Trent, the manager, offered us 2 rooms in the lodge, which have running water, a real bathroom with flush toilet and shower. However, they are dark and at the back of the lodge. The whole point of our trip was to be together with our friends playing games, visiting and sharing meals together. By the time we checked out the lodge rooms and got back to the cabin to figure out what to do, the bugs had died, so we swept them out and decided to stay in the cabin. They came back the next day too. Trent also offered us a boat rental for free, but we also declined it because we brought our own boat. We spent a lot of time talking with him about how to discount our stay, and he said he could discount us the price of a boat rental, and said “don’t worry, we’ll make it right.” Trent wasn’t there when we checked out, and when he finally called us back he reneged on his promise to “make it right.” It’s really disappointing to be lied to, and my husband wasn’t going to get into a futile and heated argument with him. We paid $1087 for 3 nights, and when you have something like this happen you expect to be compensated somehow. The NOISE: In the lodge and cabin area the generator for the resort runs constantly and it is LOUD. You are never listening to nature—there is a constant humming/whirring from the generator. You can get away from the noise if you are further away from the lodge and cabins. The yurt areas are quieter, and there are camp sites far enough away from the noise. The view: Cabin 6 faces a huge graveled parking area—that is your view. Trees obscure the lake. Cabin 8, the largest, has a nice view of the lake. Food prep and cleanup (specifically for cabin 6): We arrived on Labor Day and the restaurant had stopped being open during the week. We brought our food, so it wasn’t an issue. There isn’t room to clean dishes in the cabin. We cooked 3 meals a day, every day. We had to set up a dish washing station on our outdoor table. I had brought a large pot, so we kept water warm on the stove. A note about the toilet/sink area: the only way to turn the water on and off is on the BACK side of the sink about 18” off the ground-take 2 people. Also—bring a bin to put your dishes in to carry up to the sink. A porch setup works as long as it doesn’t rain. There's no room for an outside canopy. We won't be back.
Jule Gad
So my wife and I was out exploring and accidentally found this place. While at the gate we were informed that none of our many passes would be excepted here due to it being ran privately. There was a $15 day use entrance fee so we paid it and hoped for the best. Also i didnt pay much attention but the camping fee start around $49 and up. After checking things out we realized this place was pretty awesome if gour into outdoors lifestyle. Beautiful campsite sites all over the resort nicely maintain with conveniently place trash containers and picnic benches with cook area for day use as well. The general store has all the things you firgot to bring lol You can rent kayaks to go on the lake. Note, no motorized boats allowed on the lake. We plan to come back and camp here to get the full experience but so far we recommend this place if you haven't been here yet.
★★★★★Davin

From Google reviews. Showing the most detailed recent visitor notes.

helpFrequently Asked Questions

help_outlineWhere can I launch my kayak at Lost Lake?

You can launch your kayak at the Lost Lake Boat Ramp, which provides public access to the lake.

help_outlineWhat skill level is Lost Lake suitable for?

Lost Lake is considered a calm waterbody, making it suitable for paddlers of all skill levels, including beginners.

help_outlineWhat gear should I bring for kayaking Lost Lake?

Bring standard kayaking gear such as a life jacket, paddle, and any other personal safety equipment. The lake is relatively calm, so no specialized gear is required.

help_outlineCan I fish at Lost Lake?

Yes, you can fish at Lost Lake, but a valid fishing license is required as per the standard state regulations.

help_outlineWhat is the best season for kayaking Lost Lake?

The best season for kayaking Lost Lake is spring through fall, as the weather and water conditions are generally calmer during these times.

help_outlineIs there parking available at the Lost Lake Boat Ramp?

Yes, there is public parking available at the Lost Lake Boat Ramp, which provides access to the lake.

help_outlineIs Lost Lake family-friendly for kayaking?

Yes, Lost Lake is considered family-friendly for kayaking, as the calm waters and public access make it suitable for paddlers of all ages and skill levels.

help_outlineAre there any motorboats on Lost Lake?

The data indicates that Lost Lake has a boat ramp, so it's possible that motorboats may be present on the lake, but the specific level of motorboat traffic is not provided.

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wavesTide Forecast

From Beacon Rock State Park station (21 km away)

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Low Tide

Jul 28 at 5:07 PM

-0.1 ft

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High Tide

Jul 28 at 11:53 PM

0.8 ft

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Low Tide

Jul 29 at 4:43 AM

0.7 ft

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High Tide

Jul 29 at 9:15 AM

1.6 ft

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Low Tide

Jul 29 at 5:43 PM

-0.1 ft

arrow_upward

High Tide

Jul 29 at 11:43 PM

0.9 ft

Data from NOAA CO-OPS. Predictions only — check local conditions before paddling.

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Hero photo: Photo by U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)