A great short hike, backpack, or bike ride for kids, the gently undulating Bobby Lake Trail deposits you on the shore of a lovely mountain lake with Maiden Peak rearing to the south. There are campsites near the lake shore, and Bobby Lake is rated one of the best swimming lakes in Oregon! As with the entire Waldo Lake area, mosquitoes can be a problem, but the swarms should have abated by mid-August.

The Bobby Lake Trail begins on the east side of the road, while the even shorter (1/2 mile) trail to Betty Lake begins on the west side. Both trails are part of the Eugene to Pacific Crest Trail, which commences at Skinner Butte in Eugene.

The relatively flat Bobby Lake Trail heads off into a dry mountain hemlock forest with scattered western white pines. Little grouseberry bushes dot the forest floor. In some areas, there are significant colonies of lodegpole pine. Blue diamonds mark the way for winter recreationists. Lupine will be blooming in various patches along the way. Soon you’ll come to the crossing of the Gold Lake Trail #3677, first on the left and then on the right.