The
Cascades Lakes Scenic Byway (Forest Route 46) is a
National Scenic Byway in central
Oregon in the
United States. It runs for in the rugged country of
Deschutes and
Klamath counties on the east side of the
Cascade Range. It offers particularly good views of
Mount Bachelor and provides access to many recreational facilities in central Oregon. The route is so named because it weaves past a number of small natural lakes along the Cascades, as well as several reservoirs on the upper
Deschutes River.
Route description
The northern terminus of the route is in
Bend, at
U.S. Route 97. It follows the two-lane
Century Drive Highway west into the
Deschutes National Forest and past the
Mt. Bachelor Ski Area, then south along the Cascades into northern Klamath County, where it terminates on its southern end at its junction with
Oregon Route 58, approximately 40 mi (64 km) southeast of
Oakridge.Along the way, Century Drive (not the Century Drive Highway) turns east to
Sunriver.
The
Century Drive Highway begins at an interchange with
US 97 (the
Bend Parkway) in Bend. It heads west along Colorado Avenue and Century Drive, which it follows to the entrance to the Mount Bachelor Ski Resort, where Century Drive Highway ends.
The Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway continues south, carrying the local name of Century Drive along the west side of
Mount Bachelor. South of
Crane Prairie Reservoir, the two routes split, with the scenic byway continuing to head south towards its...
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