Adventure Engagement Sessions

Broken top Hiking Engagement Session – Tam McArther Trailhead

Tam McArther Trailhead is one of three trailheads to Broken Top Crater Lake.

Here is a view from highway 20 Broken Top Mountain is the one far left. To the right are the three Sisters Mountians.

Broken top Hiking Session – Todd Lake Trailhead

Cortney and Jeff are super fun and adventurous, so they fit right in here in Bend, Oregon. When we were planning their hiking engagement session we weren’t sure if the road to Broken Top Crater would be open or not. When we found out that the road was still closed, in mid-July, they didn’t hesitate to sign up for a 16-mile hike. Below you can see our fun little adventure up and down the mountain.

There is some info below, but if you’re interested in eloping or taking engagement photos on this mountain, be sure to email or call me for more info.

2021 Permit Update

Permits are now required to hike in the wilderness (from May 28th – September 24th). Which includes Broken Top. Permits are released 7 days prior at 7 am. Head here to plan how to grab your permit.

https://www.recreation.gov/permits/4675312

This gate opens up from around July 30th until sometime in late September. When the gate is open you can risk driving up in a well equipped 4wd overlander, or park her and not get stuck, with no one to help. If you get lucky and you reach the top of this road you’ll only have to hike 3 miles. The forest service hasn’t spent much time maintaining this road over the last couple of years and it has gotten pretty bad.

Somehow we got lucky and ended up crossing over around 10-15 butterfly groves. Walking through these little guys is nothing short of amazing and it was surprisingly impossible to catch one.

There was a fair amount of snow this year, so we had to pave our own way through to the top. Be sure to do this hike with someone who knows’s where they’re going. Especially on the way down, since it will most likely be dark.

Once you’ve reached the 5.5-mile mark or so, you could just stop here and be rewarded with some amazing views of Broken Top and Mt Bachelor. Still a great place to take engagement photos or get married.

I think we crossed about a mile of snow. 

This is where you reach the edge of No Name Lake you’re rewarded with one of the best views of the Bend or maybe even Oregon.

I couldn’t get over how large this rock was and that it was just sitting on top of some unmelted ice. This is what made me feel confident enough to head out on the lake for some amazing photos.

After reaching the lake you have to hike just a little bit further, then you can get to see the most epic view of the Sisters Mountains.

After photos, we had a beer and headed back down the mountain.

Our trip started at 1 pm and we hike through the dark until 11 pm when we got back to our cars.

Bend, Cascade Lakes Highway Session

Kate and Tony are a Bend Oregon couple looking for an adventure. We didn’t have to travel far for some fun engagement photos. I took advantage of our smokey skies and shoot just before sunset, up off Cascade Lakes Highway and Sparks Lake.