Sparks Lake is one of the largest lake along Cascade Highway. It is located South of South Sister Mountain and right beside Devils Lake. To get to Sparks Lake, it is about 40 minutes away from Bend and is very accessible. Sparks Lake is also one of the lake that offers great trail for paddling. Many people come here paddling around the lake for the whole day.
We left bend and headed to Sparks Lake around 5PM in the afternoon. The reason that we headed there late in the afternoon was because we wanted to stay till sunset and gaze the stars. We got to Sparks Lake around 6PM and the beautiful sun lights shined on South Sister Mountain and Broken Top Mountain. The reflection of the mountains were beautiful on the lake.
When we go there, most people were already packing and leaving. The water level of the lake was lower than early summer. Since the water level is low, we were able to walk around the shore of the lake and go very far along the lake shore by stepping on the lava rocks. However, some lava rocks were lose, so extra attention is required when stepping on the lava rocks.
The sun set was at around 7:40PM and we started to see the twilight among the sky. It was just beautiful. At this time, more people start to come and setting up tables and chairs along the lake. Some people even brought electricity generator. We sat along the lake for about 1 and half hour and the stars start to appear in the sky. The Milky Way started to show up right above us. The star reflecting on the surface of the lake was just amazing. We were able to see the polar star and the Big Dipper.
Overall, this was a lovely experience. It was our first time staying late in the wild. Sparks Lake is a perfect place for stargazing since the lake is right beside the parking lot and we did not have to hike to the lake. We would definitely go back to Sparks Lake again and enjoy the night there.
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