Lake of the Woods, Oregon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lake of the Woods
Boat dock at Lake of the Woods
Country	United States
State	Oregon
County	Klamath
Elevation	4,957 ft (1,511 m)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (Pacific)
ZIP code	97603

Lake of the Woods is a small community in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. It's not a city or town with its own local government, which is why it's called an unincorporated community. This community is found on the eastern side of a beautiful lake that shares its name, Lake of the Woods.

The area is part of the Winema National Forest, a large protected forest. You can find Lake of the Woods about one mile south of Oregon Route 140, a main road in the region.

History of Lake of the Woods

The lake was named in 1870 by a person named Oliver C. Applegate. He was busy building a road around the lake at that time. That same year, Applegate also built a small cabin at the lake's southern end.

Post Office and Name Changes

A post office for the community was first opened in 1930. It was called "Lake of the Woods" and was located at the north end of the lake. However, it only stayed open for about a year, closing in 1931.

Later, in the late 1930s, people tried to change the name to "Lake O' Woods." A new post office with this shorter name opened in 1941. It operated on and off until 1965.

In 1961, a group called the United States Board on Geographic Names made a decision. This board is in charge of making sure place names are consistent across the country. They decided that the original name, "Lake of the Woods," should be used again for both the lake and the community.

So, a post office named "Lake of the Woods" reopened in 1970. But it eventually closed for good in 1977.

Recreation at the Lake

Today, Lake of the Woods is a very popular spot for outdoor activities. People love to visit the lake for fun and relaxation. In the background, you can often see the impressive Mount McLoughlin, which adds to the beautiful scenery.