Seven miles south of Newport, Oregan, you can find an area acquainted with the wilderness, known as Lost Creek State Park. Grey limestone cliffs and pink and white granite formations of over 1,200-feet high surround it. Moving northwest, you can find scenic areas filled with tourist activities, such as camping, fishing, picnicking, and bicycling.
Being located within the Flint Creek Mountain Range, Lost Creek State Park isn’t just for visitors. Locals also turn to this beautiful land for longer hikes along the US Forest Service trails and to enjoy the great views of the surrounding mountains.
With 21 sites and 3 day-use sites offering grills/fires rings, picnic tables, vault toilets, interpretive displays, and drinking water; hikers and campers can enjoy the wilderness in all of its glory. And, if none of that works for you, you could just visit one of the many museums or golf courses in Anaconda.
Lost Creek State Park Stats
- Size (acres/ha): 502
- Elevation (ft): 6,000
- Season (when can it be accessed): Open 5/15-11/30. It only closes in winter due to snow.
- Number of campsites: 21
Main Attractions
Anaconda
Being the nearest town to Lost Creek State Park, Anaconda is humbled by the towering mountains of the Pintlers. It is nestled within the mile-high valley of Deer Lodge National Forest. Due to this, the town is unmatched in recreational opportunities. These could include picnicking, fishing, and hiking.
However, if you’re looking for quaint country life, Anaconda can offer that too. With its lively community, you could indulge in the Anaconda Community Market for local produce, such as baked goods, bedding plants, or arts and crafts. These all come directly from local artists, growers, or crafters. And, as a result, they all contribute to the local economy.
Moreover, you could also visit the Anaconda Chamber and Visitor Center or the Anaconda Country Club for a better sense of the community and their pastimes.
Lost Creek Falls
Through a short walking trail, you could reach Lost Creek Falls. The waterfalls here are with a 50-foot drop, which makes people admire nature’s blessings. And, with the park open year-round, visitors can use the land for bicycling, fishing, hiking, or whatever other outdoor recreational activity they can come up with.
Likewise, you could partake in wildlife viewing of the bighorn sheep, mountain goats, or golden eagles common in this area. There’s a chance of even viewing Pikas too. They are often found or heard amongst the rocks and talus of the upper portion of the canyon.
2 Bar Lazy H RV Park and Campground
Four miles west of Butte on the I-90 and I-15 intersection, you can find 2 Bar Lazy H RV Park and Campgrounds. This 23-acre land is well-known as a prime camping location.
By allowing pets and letting children in with no charge, the campground can be a fun experience for the whole family. It has RV sites as pull-thru with full service, including 30 and 50 amps of available electricity.
Not to mention, despite being the Rocky Mountains, the area is handicapped-accessible. So, the whole family can enjoy the site’s beautiful scenery and numerous activities, including hunting, mountain biking, fishing, horseback riding, golf, swimming, and more.
Recreational Activities
Camping
Among the more popular activities for the outdoors, camping is ideal for families looking to experience state parks in all their wonder. You can use this opportunity to experience the sound of wind in the trees, the nurturing smells of nature, and listen to the calming birdsongs.
This can all be done in any one of the 21 campsites offered by Lost Creek State Park. These are open for a maximum stay of 14 days within a 30-day period. And, RVs can even be allowed, granted that they are limited to 23’.
These campsites come equipped with picnic tables, vault toilets, and fire rings. And, though the park is closed from October to May, you can still access the resources during summer. At that time, you could also visit the infamous Lost Creek Lake to partake in summertime activities like fishing.
Culture and History
Made in 1933 from two small tracts of land, Lost Creek State Park has since grown into a land full of vegetation and even has a beach for public use. For most of this, Lincoln County and Ben E. Smith can be thanked for providing additional land, which was then purchased by private owners in around 1967.
Besides that, there’s always rich history to learn about these lands. You can experience the culture, meet friendly locals, and witness the environment at Lost Creek State Park. As we brushed on it earlier, you could also visit Anaconda just for its homely environment.
Hiking
Out within this wild and beautiful landscape, your trip won’t be complete if you don’t take the time out to admire it with a long hike. For this reason, Lost Creek State offers numerous amenities that provide premium hiking services. These include personal guides for safety and educational purposes, campsites, and trip planning facilities.
Fishing
Near the upper Rogue River, you can find a jumbo-sized reservoir aptly named Lost Creek Lake. It holds up to 3,500 acres when filled, and some would argue that it’s one of the best fishing lakes in Southwest Oregon.
Over here, you can catch numerous types of bass, panfish, trout, or salmon on the same fishing trip.
However, its most common quarry is the rainbow trout. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has stocked this fish in incredibly sizable numbers. Hence, to avoid overpopulation, more than 50,000 catchable trout are placed here during a season.
You can find numerous young spring Chinook smolts, and sometimes the landlocked salmon can be pretty popular as well.
The lake holds both largemouth and smallmouth bass, with the most sizable bass ever caught weighing a hefty 11 pounds and 4.6 ounces. If you run out of fishing supplies, you can visit Lost Creek Lake Marina for many fishing-related amenities. These include boat rentals, moorage, lodging, and supplies.
Trail Routes
Lost Creek to Foster Creek
About only 19 kilometers long, the trail from Lost Creek to Foster Creek is a pretty trafficked point-to-point journey. It features the scenic forest settings of the parks while being moderate in terms of ability.
With the trail’s 474m elevation gain, the path can feature numerous activity options, such as nature trips, mountain biking, hiking, and birdwatching. Although, many opt to enjoy the new bike trail contrasted. This includes a few undulating and curving paths, as it was made with the recent advancements in mountain biking in mind.
The path itself features numerous picturesque Basins for cross drainage. And, as you move up the hill from Lost Creek, the trail would make your ride pretty easy.
Lost Creek Wilderness Loop
Expanding over 45.5 kilometers, Lost Creek Wilderness Loop is a really popular loop trail near Grant, Colorado.
It is rated as a difficult trail, with numerous opportunities for encountering wildlife. The route has several activity options, such as camping, hiking, backpacking, or bird watching. And, dogs can even accompany you, granted they’re kept on a leash.
You wouldn’t really find many issues with the trail; it’s well-kept and often contains only loose gravel. It goes through a scenic forest route. But, in some parts, the path also opens up to give a pretty decent view.
This patch can be found between Bilson Peak and McCurdy Mountain. And, it’s worth noting that there’s little shade and no water resources- so remember to bring a water bottle!
Halfway through, you may have to navigate across a river with ropes over a log. But, the last couple miles through Wigwam should be flat, which is ideal for tired legs. Not to mention, there are plenty of camping spots on the way there, such as Bilson Peak.