The trail to Canyon Creek Meadows at the base of Three Fingered Jack is one of our favorite hikes. The beauty of the wildflowers in this high alpine meadow and the cragginess of the mountain offer quite a contrast - sort of like Beauty and the Beast. 

We hiked the trail at the end of July when the wildflowers were at their best. They say you pay for it with mosquitos, but we encountered only a few of the pesty little critters.

The trailhead begins at Jack Lake where you can see the effects of the 2004 B&B fire that ravaged the area.

The trail, typical of the high Cascades, takes you through old growth timber and past massive rocks. The Forest Service recommends you take the counter-clockwise loop to avoid oncoming horse and foot traffic. (We followed the rules on our first hike, but colored outside the lines our second time around.)

Wildflowers sun themselves near the cascading Canyon Creek.

We recommend you continue your hike past the meadows to scramble up a rocky path to the shoulder of Three Fingered Jack.

We were surprised to find a small glacier-fed lake inside the morain.

Elevation: The trailhead begins at Jack Lake, approximately 5,200 feet in elevation. Elevation gain to the lower meadow is 400 feet; 1,400 foot elevation gain to the viewpoint overlooking the morain lake on the shoulder of Three Fingered Jack.

Trail distance: 4.5 mile loop to lower Canyon Creek Meadow; 7.5 mile loop to the shoulder of Three Fingered Jack.

Rated: Easy to moderate

Latitude: 44.4925

Longitude: 121.82917

Directions: From Bend, head west on Hwy 20. Twelve miles past Sisters, turn right on Road 12 (Jack Lake Road). Travel 4.3 miles to the junction, and turn left on Road 1230. Travel 1.7 miles and turn left on Road 1234. It's another 5-6 miles to the trailhead at Jack Lake. 

Fees: You can use a Northwest Forest Pass or pay the $5 day use fee.