Clear Lake — Attraction in Sandy

Camped here for the first time about a week ago. We were avid trillium campers for 20+ years, but with all of the crowds now the lake got overcrowded and was very difficult to enjoy. We decided to venture to clear lake as we have friends who swear by it. I love that it feels like real back woods camping. The roads are rough if you’re not camping in the camp ground, but the camping spots are awesome. They are spread out and plenty of places to place tents. Most already have fire pits people have made. I love how it’s so close to the water. One thing I was a little disappointed with was the lake itself. I’ve been here swimming probably 5+ years ago and it was great, however, this time the depth was surprising shallow! Normally I wouldn’t mind, but it makes the water super muddy and dirty- Almost felt like you were swimming in a large pond. My nephew (who is about 5’7”) was able to walk the whole lake ( not every square inch, but pretty close) without the water going above his chin. The water was warm, and okay to float. Hopefully there’s enough precipitation over winter to raise water level a bit 😉. Overall pretty happy with it though.

Trailer campers** if you’re a trailer camper be careful going outside the campground. We saw a few trailers that went down the logging roads, but they’re pretty rough with large rocks, logs, and pot holes. We also have a trailer, but choose to tent camp...

I took my kids camping. They loved it. A lot of the spots feel secluded with the extra trees in between sites that have been planted. So although you are close to others you dont notice or hear them! It did get super windy down by the water around 3pm. (We were warned it gets really windy in the evening). We didnt catch any fish but that's probably because the water stays shallow for a log distance! My 5 yr old was able to go out to the water a good 10+ feet out and it was only to his waist. I will definitely plan more...

Pictures from August 2020. If you want a lake to splash around in close to Trillium, this isn’t it. The shore all the way around is really mucky and thick. It is clear but it’s very shallow. Kayaks are the way to go. There’s free dry camping on the opposite side of the lake. I’m sure it’s lovely in the winter when it’s full but mid/late summer it’s not the best...