A mountain lake lodge that’s equally appealing to adults and kids isn’t easy to find…unless you’re in Oregon. (It must be something about my home state’s laid-back, outdoorsy atmosphere.) The Lodge at Suttle Lake, located just outside of Sisters, Oregon, is one of them. Easily accessed from Highway 20 (30 minutes from Bend, Oregon on Highway 97 or two hours from Salem, Oregon on I-5), the Lodge at Suttle Lake is a breeze to get to, but still isolated in the Deschutes National Forest on Suttle Lake.
First built in the 1920s, and experiencing several set-backs (mostly of the wildfire variety) since, the newest version of the lodge and adjacent cabins were built in 2005, giving the entire property a very new look. The main lodge is beautiful (fans of woodwork will especially appreciate the ornately carved front entrance) and offers a great room lobby with towering fireplace, large outdoor deck, bar and seating area, and sunny gazebo overlooking the lake. The guest cabins are nearby, and all have easy lake access.
We stayed in a lofted lodge room, which sleeps 4-5 and boasts a fireplace and upper sleeping loft. Cabins on the property sleep 4-8 people, and all but the historic cabins have every possible amenity families could ask for. The cabins are designated as waterfront or creekside, but all are steps from the lakeshore.
Guests of the lodge rooms and standard cabins enjoy an evening wine and cheese reception (perfect for unwinding by the lake before dinner…kids can play on the large expanse of lawn), and a full marina is available for non-motorized boat rentals of all sorts. (Motorized boats are allowed on some parts of Suttle Lake.) There’s a nice beach area in front of the lodge for families to swim, and a 3.5 mile trail loops around the circumfrence of the lake, making for a nice (but not challenging) hike.
Within driving distance of Suttle Lake is Camp Sherman (only a few miles away on Highway 20) where more hikes await, and the quaint resort town of Sisters, where families can rent bikes at Blazin’ Saddles and mountain bike on the Peterson Ridge Trail system. The lodge is open year-round, making it a great choice for snowshoeing and skiing in the winter.
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Distance from the interstate:
The lodge is located right off Highway 20. In fact, this is its only drawback: you do hear street noise.
Room rates:
At the time of our visit, lofted lodge rooms like the one we stayed in start at $199/night. Standard rooms are the same price. Cabins are approximately $269 (pricing varies between cabin and season).
Dining options:
The lodge has a nice restaurant, The Boathouse, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Families can eat out on the dock overlooking the lake, and the full bar serves fun specialty drinks. There is a kid menu, but the dinner menu is fairly pricy for family dining. I recommend renting a cabin so that you can prepare your own meals, and plan to eat only a few special meals at the Boathouse.
Directions:
From Bend, depart Highway 97 for Highway 20 at Sisters, then follow it to 13300 Highway 20. From Salem, follow Highway 20 from I-5. It’s easy to find!
As I disclose whenever applicable, we stayed at the Lodge of Suttle Lake as guests of the lodge, as part of a freelance travel assignment. While we appreciate the chance to experience Suttle Lake, this compensation came with no expectation of a positive review.
