Joyce Lake, Oregon finally reached

I have made multiple attempts to reach this lake and each time I was stopped by snow. I finally smarted up enough to go in June.

Nice . Looks fun.

Wow, looks like quite a find. Being waaaaaaay over here on the west side of Portland/Hillsboro, Joyce Lake wasn’t even on my radar, but after watching your video, it definitely is now. Looks like a great excuse to point the rig east and go explore.

I’m usually over in the Tillamook State Forest area when I get time to play around off-road, mostly in an old Toyota Land Cruiser, but I’m always looking for new places to take my Bronco that combine trails, camping, fishing, and a little bit of “get away from people” factor. Joyce Lake looks like it might check a lot of those boxes.

Couple questions for you, if you don’t mind:

1. Any idea how popular Joyce Lake gets? I’d love to take my boy over there and spend a few days exploring, fishing, and camping, but I’m not a huge fan of camping shoulder-to-shoulder with half the state. A few people here and there is no big deal, but I hate finding a beautiful spot only to have it ruined by “Cousin Eddie” and company rolling in with the whole circus.
2. You mentioned seeing trout. Were they decent size? Any idea if there are other fish species in there?
3. Are there any permits, fees, or access rules I should know about? I’m totally fine paying or getting whatever is needed. I just like to do my due diligence before heading out, especially if I’m bringing my kid and planning to stay a couple days.
4. A little off topic, but I’ve watched some of your other videos too. Thanks for putting those together, by the way. What drone are you using for your shots? I’ve been a casual drone pilot for a few years, but lately I’ve been getting more into the cinematography side of it for some work projects and personal stuff. I’m currently looking into getting my Part 107, and I always like hearing what other people are flying and what they think of their setup.

Thanks again for the video. Really enjoyed it, and now I’ve got another Oregon spot added to the list.

Beautiful area. Thanks for sharing .

May be worth a weekend trip - looks very nice.

Brian_B said:

May be worth a weekend trip - looks very nice.

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Be sure to hit up these spots too. They are nearby and will fill out a weekend.

Brokenparts said:

Wow, looks like quite a find. Being waaaaaaay over here on the west side of Portland/Hillsboro, Joyce Lake wasn’t even on my radar, but after watching your video, it definitely is now. Looks like a great excuse to point the rig east and go explore.

I’m usually over in the Tillamook State Forest area when I get time to play around off-road, mostly in an old Toyota Land Cruiser, but I’m always looking for new places to take my Bronco that combine trails, camping, fishing, and a little bit of “get away from people” factor. Joyce Lake looks like it might check a lot of those boxes.

Couple questions for you, if you don’t mind:

1. Any idea how popular Joyce Lake gets? I’d love to take my boy over there and spend a few days exploring, fishing, and camping, but I’m not a huge fan of camping shoulder-to-shoulder with half the state. A few people here and there is no big deal, but I hate finding a beautiful spot only to have it ruined by “Cousin Eddie” and company rolling in with the whole circus.
2. You mentioned seeing trout. Were they decent size? Any idea if there are other fish species in there?
3. Are there any permits, fees, or access rules I should know about? I’m totally fine paying or getting whatever is needed. I just like to do my due diligence before heading out, especially if I’m bringing my kid and planning to stay a couple days.
4. A little off topic, but I’ve watched some of your other videos too. Thanks for putting those together, by the way. What drone are you using for your shots? I’ve been a casual drone pilot for a few years, but lately I’ve been getting more into the cinematography side of it for some work projects and personal stuff. I’m currently looking into getting my Part 107, and I always like hearing what other people are flying and what they think of their setup.

Thanks again for the video. Really enjoyed it, and now I’ve got another Oregon spot added to the list.

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1. It's very remote. One person did mention that there was some homeless activity but I can't imagine it was all the way up at Joyce Lake. There might be some activity on the weekend, but I'm thinking it's more the handful of people, certainly no crowds. I went on a Monday and there wasn't a soul up there. Since the nearby Santiam Forest just opened last year there isn't a lot of traffic there either.

2. I read that it's stocked with trout. The largest one I saw was maybe 6in? I don't fish so I'm not much help.

3. No fees.

4. DJI AIr 2, DJI Avata 2. For that video it was the Air 2.

See the other videos in this post for notable sights in the vicinity. There is no cellular service at all so keep that in mind. Something like onXoffroad is highly recommended.

Let me know if you need other suggestions.

swooshdave said:

I have made multiple attempts to reach this lake and each time I was stopped by snow. I finally smarted up enough to go in June.

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Nice report and great video too!