Cresent Lake Oregon 97425
is one of the impressive mountain lakes of Oregon, on the
east slope of the Cascade Range just southeast of Diamond
Peak. It is fed principally by Summit Creek, and its outlet
is Crescent Creek, which flows into Little Deschutes River.
Its south shore is skirted by the old Oregon Central Military
Road, and the Southern Pacific Cascade Line passes a little
to the east of the lake. It is named because of its shape.
Evelyn Lynes Reeve, a long-time resident of the area, states
in An Illustrated History of Early Northern Klamath County,
pg. 123, that Indians called it Simax Lake. See Simax Bay. The normal elevation is about 4,837 feet, but there is some
variation due to water storage. USGS Professional Paper
9 describes this lake in detail. The geography of the lake
and its immediate surroundings are shown on the USGS maps
of the Crescent Lake, Odell Lake, and Summit Lake quadrangles.
Crescent Lake was named in July 1865, by B. J. Pengra and
W. H. Odell while making a reconnaissance for the Oregon
Central Military Road. Pengra's report, dated November 29,
1865, is in part on file at the Oregon Historical Society.