I stayed here alone the night before I hiked up South Sister.

There are a decent amount of people who come this way, even on the SS trail... except when you start at 3AM there is no one.

Highly recommend staying here, either for the lake or it’s proximity to so many other great hikes

You are also really close to an open meadow with a creek running through it right off the road 126, but seriously it’s a stunning vantage point.