This is one of my favorite areas to hike, camp and fish. Talapus is very close to Bandera Mountain, which is a great hike and viewpoint by itself, and is close to Olallie Lake and Island Lake. Throw in old growth cedars, wild Lily of the Valley and great views and you have a wonderful setting to play outside.

This is a easy 4 mile round trip hike with only 1,120' of elevation gain and great campsites around all the lakes. The one drawback are the number of visitors during the summer.

Directions: Take I-90 about 15 miles east of North Bend to Bandera exit 45. Take the overpass to the north side of I-90 and follow the road 1/4 mile to the junction and turn right and continue for 3 miles. The trailhead is at the end of the road.