The Queen of the Lake is one of the most popular trails in the extensive Spence Mountain hiking-mountain biking trail system off Highway 140, and an often-asked question is how did it get its name.

That answer is coming, but first comes information about the trail.

The Queen’s popularity stems from its expansive views. The trail begins at the Spence Mountain Trailhead parking area off Highway 140, roughly 63 miles from Medford. After a short meander, the trail loses elevation as it heads north overlooking Upper Klamath Lake’s Howard Bay. Fittingly, the views are the stuff of royalty, especially in early spring when distant mountains are crowned with snow.

It’s nearly two miles and an elevation loss of nearly 400 feet to the Queen’s junction with the Winema Trail, where most hikers pause to rest, snack, have lunch and double back. It’s also possible to follow the Winema Trail and, depending on several options, reach the Shoalwater Bay Trailhead parking area in another five or so miles.

Although the Queen currently ends at its junction with the Winema Trail, the Klamath Trails Alliance, which oversees Spence Mountain’s 47-mile and growing trail network, is preparing to extend the Queen another 2-1/2-miles to Sesti Tgawaals Marsh and Point (shown on many maps as Squaw Point), which is part of Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Klamath Wildlife Area.

Also planned from the Queen of the Lake Trail extension is the new 2-1/2-mile La Lake Trail that will connect with the North Star Trail and create more biking and hiking options.

Drew Honzel, who has helped guide Spence Mountain’s ongoing trail development, said the current Queen-Winema trail junction will be realigned to a future picnic area near the lake.

Other Klamath Trails Alliance projects planned in coming months include work at both the Spence Mountain and the Shoalwater Bay Trailheads, with vault toilets and expanded parking areas.

Honzel said the Shoalwater Bay Trailhead often cannot accommodate the volume of parked vehicles during running and mountain biking races and events. The current capacity of about 50 will be enlarged to about 100. At the Spence Mountain Trailhead, more parking will be added by leveling and graveling an undeveloped area adjacent to the existing parking area.

In addition, construction of the Chinquapin Trail is hoped for this spring. Work on the challenging mountain bike trail began last year.

In Klamath Falls, the Geo Trail near Oregon Tech and Sky Lakes Medical Center will be extended to provide improved access to and from Crystal Terrace and Harmony Lane.

So, how did the Queen of the Lake get its name?

The Queen of the Lake was the unofficial name of the steamship “Winema,” which carried both passengers and freight on Upper Klamath Lake during the early 20th century, an era when boats were the chief mode of transportation in Klamath County. In “Klamath Echoes No. 2,” Darle Runnels described the “Winema” as, “A plush sternwheeler, originally constructed with three decks, she ruled as the undisputed ‘Queen of the Lake’ from 1905 until 1919 when she was placed in dry-dock near the present-day Pelican Marina, where she finally burned in 1927.”

Runnels said the Winema was 125 feet long, 22 feet wide and, because Upper Klamath Lake is shallow, had a minimum draught of 22 inches when empty.

According to Runnels, “Saturday, January 28, 1905, the eagerly awaited launching was accomplished. Mrs. Jennings smashed a bottle of French wine across the bow of the boat and declared, ‘On the waters of the Mighty Klamath, under God’s blue canopy, with wine from sunny France, I christen thee ‘Winema.’” The boat was launched sideways into the Link River with about “250 people from the booming little town of Klamath Falls … That this was a major event in the community we can tell from this turnout, since they had either to walk or drive by horse and buggy quite some distance to reach the site. There were no heated automobiles for these hardy folk, where they could sit protected from the weather.”

The Winema/Queen was retired to drydock in 1919 when railroads and highways had taken the bulk of freight and passenger business. After it burned in 1927, Runnels wrote, “Still, on a warm summer evening, if we look closely at that patch of moonlight on Upper Klamath Lake, perhaps we can see the ghostly outlines of the ‘Queen of the Lake.’”

For information about the Klamath Trails Alliance, including maps showing trails at Spence Mountain, Moore Mountain, Rye Spur and Brown Mountain, see www.klamathtrails.org.