The Tam-a-lau Trail takes you 550 feet to the top of a peninsula that overlooks Lake Billy Chinook, which was created in 1964 when the Round Butte Dam backed up the Deschutes, Crooked and Metolius rivers. The lake has 75 miles of shoreline, and is popular with houseboaters, campers, water skiers, and fishermen.

This photo was taken from the top of the peninsula. From here, you can see where the farmland around Culver ends and the road descends to the lake.

Although we hiked the trail on a hazy day, the vista from the top spanned from Mt. Hood to Mt. Bachelor with plenty of scenic picnic spots. BYOB - bring your own blanket.

Elevation: Round Butte Dam is 1,945 feet in elevation; a 550-foot gain to the top of the peninsula.

Trail distance: 6-mile loop, beginning with a steep mile.

Rated: Moderate climb; easy on the plateau.

Latitude: 44.60361

Longitude: 121.27667

Directions: From Bend, take Hwy 97 north 34 miles. Pass the Crooked River Bridge and turn left at the Cove Palisades State Park sign. Drive 2 miles into the little town of Culver, and then zigzag through the farmland following the signs.

Fees: $3 State Park fee