Snowshoe Tours with Three Sisters Backcountry

Available December - May

Snowshoe in a glacial Cirque, surrounded by Central Oregon’s iconic peaks! We have four different itineraries for you.
See below for details regarding each itinerary, time of year, etc.

If you have any questions, please call our office at 541-389-8359.

ABOUT

Adventure & Naturalist Guided Experience: Wanderlust Tours is the premier destination for snowshoe tours in Central Oregon! We are very excited to team up with Three Sisters Backcountry to access this incredible glacial cirque on the northeastern flanks of the Three Sisters Wilderness. Fire and ice shaped this pristine wilderness into what it is today. Volcanic eruptions and glaciers carved the landscape, creating prominent rock outcroppings, jagged cliffs, and a moraine lake. Snowshoeing within the Tam McArthur rim will give us a fresh perspective of this often untrodden winter wonderland. From our vantage, we will garner unique views of the Three Sisters, learn about the impacts of wildfires on the local ecosystem, and much more.

We have several different itineraries available, each with their own unique slice of adventure!

New to off-trail snowshoeing? Let Wanderlust Tours do the driving, break trail, and teach you fun snowshoeing techniques and tricks. All tours include instruction. Wear winter boots and powder/ski pants to keep your feet and legs dry while snowshoeing.

Itineraries

THREE CREEKS LAKE: Starting at the Three Sisters Backcountry yurts, with the Tam McArthur rim as our backdrop, we will head out for a scenic navigation around the snow-covered Three Creeks Lake, meandering through a mixed-conifer forest within the glacial cirque. Upon our return to the yurts, we will enjoy a well-earned lunch and time around the fire before making our final departure.

$ XX per person

Tour Timing:
Depart Wanderlust office: 7:30am | Pickup in Sisters: 8:00am | Arrive at Upper Three Creeks Sno-Park: 8:20am
Return to Sno-Park: 1:00pm | Return to Sisters: 1:30pm | Return to Wanderlust office: 2:00pm

JEFFERSON VIEW SHELTER: This adventure will center around Jefferson View Shelter, a quaint warming hut surrounded by panoramic views of Mt. Jefferson, The Three Sisters, and even Mt. Hood on clear days. Upon our arrival to the warming hut, we will enjoy a scenic lunch before we snowshoe to an access road where we will be transported back to our starting point.

$ XX per person

Tour Timing:
Depart Wanderlust office: 8:30am | Pickup in Sisters: 9:00am | Arrive at Upper Three Creeks Sno-Park: 9:20am
Return to Sno-Park: 12:40pm | Return to Sisters: 1:00pm | Return to Wanderlust office: 1:30pm

THREE CREEKS LAKE to JEFFERSON VIEW SHELTER: Starting at the Three Sisters Backcountry yurts, we will head north, dropping in elevation as we journey towards Jefferson View Shelter, a quaint warming hut surrounded by panoramic views of Mt. Jefferson, The Three Sisters, and even Mt. Hood on clear days. Upon our arrival to the warming hut, we will revel in a well-earned lunch before we snowshoe to an access road where we will be transported back to our starting point. The trek will be anywhere from 4-6 miles, dropping about 800 feet of elevation as we descend from Three Creeks Lake toward the shelter. If you have questions about the difficulty of the tour, please call our office.

$ XX per person

Tour Timing:
Depart Wanderlust office: 7:30am | Pickup in Sisters: 8:00am | Arrive at Upper Three Creeks Sno-Park: 8:20am
Return to Sno-Park: 2:00pm | Return to Sisters: 2:30pm | Return to Wanderlust office: 3:00pm

OVERNIGHT ADVENTURE AT THREE SISTERS BACKCOUNTRY: Our first day of adventure will start at Three Creeks Lake, navigating around the stunning body of water as we gaze in awe at the Tam McArthur Rim. After our excursion, we will settle into our yurts, gathering around the wood burning stoves that keep the yurts warm and welcoming. After a freshly prepared dinner, we will venture back outside to stargaze in one of the best locations in all of Central Oregon - miles away from electricity, there is no better location to take in the constellations and galaxies above. Perhaps you decide to cap your night off with a sauna session or sipping hot cocoa by the fire. The following morning, after a hearty breakfast, we will set out for a snowshoe trek to Jefferson View Shelter, garnering unforgettable views of the volcanoes that make our region a true one-of-a-kind. We will eat lunch at the shelter before a final, short snowshoe back to our starting point. The snowshoe to Jefferson View Shelter will be about 4-6 miles long, dropping about 800 ft of elevation as we make our way. If you have questions about the difficulty of the tour, please call our office.

$ XX per person

Tour Time ??

Important info regarding transport to our snowshoe locations & seasonality

Transportation to snowshoe locations

During much of the winter, the various snowshoeing locations on this flank of the Three Sisters Wilderness are only accessible via snowmobile or long, foot-powered hikes into the wilderness. We are very excited to team up with Three Sisters Backcountry to give people access to the this amazing area and part of the accessibility means we will be transported by snowmobile from Upper Three Creeks Sno-Park to our snowshoeing location. Depending on the specific itinerary, the current snow-line, etc. the transport on snowmobile could take up to an hour with the average time being 15-45 minutes. The Jefferson View itinerary will be on the shorter side of that timing while the Three Creeks Lake itineraries will be on the longer side. Each snowmobile has a driver and passenger seat with a XXX passenger sled attached to the back of the snowmobile. To give you a visual idea, think of a classic dog-musher’s sled and imagine that there are several standing positions along the sides of the sled as well as the rear. Three Sisters Backcountry transfers hundreds of guests each season in this fashion safely but please be aware that a moderate level of fitness is recommended. Snowmobile’s will also be used for transport back to the Upper Three Creeks Sno-Park depending on snow-line and tour itinerary. Accessing this incredible terrain via snowmobile is all part of the adventure!

Please also note that during periods of lower snow, we may transport guests via 4x4 truck to the snow-line where the snowmobiles are located.

Seasonality

Depending on your specific itinerary, you and your group will be snowshoeing at elevations ranging from 5,800 - 6,500 ft. During the early and late winter season, this elevation can act as a middle ground where temperatures fluctuate near freezing. This means that for some of our adventures (particularly on the lower elevation range), it may make more sense to hike instead of snowshoe or do a combination of both. Regardless of the conditions, your Naturalist Guide will lead you on a thrilling adventure garnering stunning views of Central Oregon’s iconic terrain.