Owens Lake is one of those places that, the first time you see it, takes your breath away. Even with its proximity to logging, it remains beautiful. I only wish I could have seen this wondrous place before the logging happened. This pretty lake is located between Mound Romeo and Mount Juliet at the head of the valley. Owens Creek, which flows from the lake, is a major feeder to Montague Creek, which flows down past Montague Falls before entering the Eve River.
To reach Owens Lake, drive up the island highway from Sayward and go until you pass Rooney Lake, then look for the Rooney Lake Main and turn left. You follow this road until you come to a split in the road, follow the Owen Lake Main until you see the lake, and you will be amazed at its beauty. At the far end of the valley, just past the lake. You will find Mount Romeo on the right and Mount Juliet on the left.
On a visit in June 2025, we saw plenty of grouse on the road up and near the lake. We saw two very big and healthy black bears; they were both magnificent beasts. There was plenty of scat on the road, so these bears are residents of the valley. Although we saw none, there was plenty of elk sign and deer tracks as well.
An interesting sight was the remains of a small plane that must have crashed here sometime in the past. There were lots of names and dates scratched in the remains, one was dated in 1968. I wonder what the story is with this plane. I would suspect this road was not here at the time this plane crashed. I have tried to learn anything about this event, but so far, there is nothing. I will continue my search; there has to be some record of it somewhere.