Nestled In Oregon's Cascade Mountains Is A Tranquil Alpine Lake With Cozy Cabins, Camping, And Kayaking

The Beaver State is the perfect place for lake buffs. This corner of the West Coast rolls down from glacier-smothered mountains to salt-caked ocean rocks, offering up a whopping 1,400 named lakes along the way. These include the uber-famous Crater Lake (one of America's clearest lakes) and the popular swim beaches of Cleawox Lake, as well as some more private waters hidden from the maddening crowds. That's exactly where Diamond Lake comes in.

Diamond Lake remains something of a hidden gem — pun intended — where you can while away the hours kayaking, fishing, hiking, or just kicking it at the campsite. The 3,000-acre alpine lake is home to plenty of sandy beaches with volleyball courts and boat launches, and its shores are dotted with retro cabins, some from the '50s. It also boasts Nordic ski routes and ice fishing when the snow falls. All of this is tucked into the beautiful Cascade Mountains, which peak and trough along the horizon.

To access Diamond Lake, you'll have to drive up one of two highways: 138 or 230. The latter can bring you in from Medford, Oregon (which hosts the closest commercial airport) in a little over an hour and a half. If you're jetting into Portland's larger international airport, you're looking at an over four-hour drive from terminal to lakeside.

Calling all campers! Diamond Lake has not one, not two, but three campgrounds waiting for you along its shores. The largest is simply named Diamond Lake Campground, which bends like an S down the eastern banks. It offers a fine view of the Cascades' peaks, along with swimming spots and fishing locations where anglers can cast straight from the banks.

The smaller Thielsen View Campground sits on the western side. Its 60 reservation-only pitches benefit from an on-site boat launch, fire pits, and — perhaps most tempting of all — sweeping panoramas of Mount Thielsen's twisted peak in the distance. Finally, there's the Broken Arrow Campground on the south shore, where the 120 standard pitches are set under stands of evergreen pines.

If you're looking for extra creature comforts, then Diamond Lake Resort is the place to go. Once a small fishing outpost, it has grown into a fully fledged holiday complex over the last 100 years. You'll bed down in cozy cabins warmed by crackling fireplaces and get to dine in a lodge where flour-dusted Idaho trout and roast beef sandwiches are the order of the day.

Diamond Lake is a great place to travel if you love kayaking and other water activities. Before you dive into all the H2O-based fun, though, you should know that this is officially a "no-wake lake," so there won't be any zipping speedboats and the like. The benefit? This body of water is a paddler's dream.

You can rent kayaks, along with a host of other human-powered watercraft, from the Marina Store at the Diamond Lake Resort. Hop in and cast off to explore the tree-covered banks — you might meet some ducks or even beavers along the way. Make sure you look up now and then, too, as the views of Mount Thielsen looming over the skyline are a special sight from the water.

As for hiking, the Mount Thielsen Trail is a great option. Don't underestimate it, though — the route is a 9.5-miler that involves some gnarly scrambles up steep slopes and huge fields of rock. Even so, the views are unbeatable. They encompass the glittering waters of Diamond Lake itself, the snowy tops of Mount Shasta right on the California-Oregon border, and even sweeps of desert. For something easier, consider the John Dellenback Trail, a longer but much flatter path that swings through ancient forests, shoreline marshes, and lookout spots with views of the high Cascades.