Talapus Lake Backcountry Camping

Come here! I took a friend of mine who had never been backpacking or camping before. It was the perfect level of difficulty - which is to say that it was very easy and short. We took many breaks where we sat and chatted, we weren’t in a rush - I think it took us about two hours to get to Talapus. We found a beautiful spot to pitch our tents right by the water. This seems like a popular area, but... Come here! I took a friend of mine who had never been backpacking or camping before. It was the perfect level of difficulty - which is to say that it was very easy and short. We took many breaks where we sat and chatted, we weren’t in a rush - I think it took us about two hours to get to Talapus. We found a beautiful spot to pitch our tents right by the water. This seems like a popular area, but we arrived on a Wednesday and left on Friday, in late September - we hardly saw other people, it felt very secluded. Even though it was late September, I swam in the water a lot. It was slightly chilly at first but quickly became like a warm bath, very pleasant and peaceful. There’s a pit toilet about a 5-10 minute walk from the lake. I would recommend going there while it’s light out, as soon as you arrive, so you don’t get lost trying to find it in the dark. Talapus has become my new go-to spot for camping with friends, especially when we’re not aiming for anything too strenuous. Oh - Go very slow on the unpaved road leading to the trailhead! Those potholes are serious, go too fast over them and you’ll damage the underside of your car.

Come here! I took a friend of mine who had never been backpacking or camping before. It was the perfect level of difficulty - which is to say that it was very easy and short. We took many breaks where we sat and chatted, we weren’t in a rush - I think it took us about two hours to get to Talapus. We found a beautiful spot to pitch our tents right by the water. This seems like a popular area, but... Come here! I took a friend of mine who had never been backpacking or camping before. It was the perfect level of difficulty - which is to say that it was very easy and short. We took many breaks where we sat and chatted, we weren’t in a rush - I think it took us about two hours to get to Talapus. We found a beautiful spot to pitch our tents right by the water. This seems like a popular area, but we arrived on a Wednesday and left on Friday, in late September - we hardly saw other people, it felt very secluded. Even though it was late September, I swam in the water a lot. It was slightly chilly at first but quickly became like a warm bath, very pleasant and peaceful. There’s a pit toilet about a 5-10 minute walk from the lake. I would recommend going there while it’s light out, as soon as you arrive, so you don’t get lost trying to find it in the dark. Talapus has become my new go-to spot for camping with friends, especially when we’re not aiming for anything too strenuous. Oh - Go very slow on the unpaved road leading to the trailhead! Those potholes are serious, go too fast over them and you’ll damage the underside of your car.

The views on this hike are gorgeous! The trail is well maintained. We did this hike on a Saturday and arrived around 8 am. The small parking lot was full, and many cars were parked along the road. When we left around 12 pm more spots were available. There were low-clearance vehicles that made it just fine on the unpaved road. If you drive carefully and slowly, it’s no problem at all. Watch out for... The views on this hike are gorgeous! The trail is well maintained. We did this hike on a Saturday and arrived around 8 am. The small parking lot was full, and many cars were parked along the road. When we left around 12 pm more spots were available. There were low-clearance vehicles that made it just fine on the unpaved road. If you drive carefully and slowly, it’s no problem at all. Watch out for the big pothole right at the end of the pavement. I highly recommend to hike to Ollalie Lake, it’s totally worth it!

The views on this hike are gorgeous! The trail is well maintained. We did this hike on a Saturday and arrived around 8 am. The small parking lot was full, and many cars were parked along the road. When we left around 12 pm more spots were available. There were low-clearance vehicles that made it just fine on the unpaved road. If you drive carefully and slowly, it’s no problem at all. Watch out for... The views on this hike are gorgeous! The trail is well maintained. We did this hike on a Saturday and arrived around 8 am. The small parking lot was full, and many cars were parked along the road. When we left around 12 pm more spots were available. There were low-clearance vehicles that made it just fine on the unpaved road. If you drive carefully and slowly, it’s no problem at all. Watch out for the big pothole right at the end of the pavement. I highly recommend to hike to Ollalie Lake, it’s totally worth it!

The road to the parking lot is just like in the photos. After exiting I-90, it starts paved but quickly turns into an unpaved off-road track. The biggest pothole is right at the point where the pavement ends, so watch out there. Other than that, the road is well packed and generally easy to drive. Near the top it does get quite bumpy, but an SUV can handle it without any issues. I even saw some no... The road to the parking lot is just like in the photos. After exiting I-90, it starts paved but quickly turns into an unpaved off-road track. The biggest pothole is right at the point where the pavement ends, so watch out there. Other than that, the road is well packed and generally easy to drive. Near the top it does get quite bumpy, but an SUV can handle it without any issues. I even saw some non-AWD cars like a Prius make it all the way up to the parking lot. I arrived around noon and there were still a few open spots. (Visited September 2025)

The road to the parking lot is just like in the photos. After exiting I-90, it starts paved but quickly turns into an unpaved off-road track. The biggest pothole is right at the point where the pavement ends, so watch out there. Other than that, the road is well packed and generally easy to drive. Near the top it does get quite bumpy, but an SUV can handle it without any issues. I even saw some no... The road to the parking lot is just like in the photos. After exiting I-90, it starts paved but quickly turns into an unpaved off-road track. The biggest pothole is right at the point where the pavement ends, so watch out there. Other than that, the road is well packed and generally easy to drive. Near the top it does get quite bumpy, but an SUV can handle it without any issues. I even saw some non-AWD cars like a Prius make it all the way up to the parking lot. I arrived around noon and there were still a few open spots. (Visited September 2025)