Tucked into the Deschutes National Forest in Oregon’s central Cascades, Crescent Lake is known for its clear waters, scenic trails, and peaceful seclusion. But for those who track the movements of Israel Keyes—one of the most calculating serial killers in U.S. history—this quiet alpine lake carries a much darker weight.
Location & Setting
- Crescent Lake, Oregon
- Coordinates: 43.5188° N, 121.9833° W
- Access: Off Highway 58, about 70 miles southwest of Bend, OR. Most visitors arrive via Crescent Cutoff Road or Cascade Lakes Highway. The area includes multiple U.S. Forest Service campsites, primitive roads, and dense woods with minimal cell reception.
The lake is remote but not inaccessible—surrounded by tall pines, it feels like the kind of place you’d go to escape everything. Which is exactly why Israel Keyes chose it.
The Kill Kit and the Chilling Discovery
In true Keyes fashion, he didn’t just stumble into this area. Years before he abducted and murdered Bill and Lorraine Currier in Vermont, he had stashed a “kill kit” near Crescent Lake. The kit—a bucket sealed with tape and buried deep in the woods—contained weapons, zip ties, Drano (his preferred method of corpse disposal), and other tools of control and death.
Keyes reportedly buried multiple kits around the country. This wasn’t a place of convenience. It was a premeditated kill zone, one of several remote locations he prepped long before selecting victims. The Crescent Lake kit was only found after his capture in 2012.
What’s especially terrifying is that Keyes may have used this site—or intended to. The FBI believes other victims may exist, and Crescent Lake is one of the few named places with physical proof of his planned violence.
Why It Matters
Crescent Lake isn’t memorialized. There’s no marker, no plaque, no real public acknowledgment. Just trees, dirt, and silence. That makes it all the more haunting. You could camp within a hundred feet of where Keyes buried his kit and never know. The sense of isolation that draws travelers to places like this is the same reason predators like Keyes found them so valuable.
How to Visit (If You Must)
- No signs or trails mark the actual kit location.
- The most likely area is near the lesser-used Forest Service roads west of Crescent Lake Junction.
- It’s public land, so dispersed camping is allowed, but be prepared: the terrain can get rough, and GPS is spotty.
- DO NOT go expecting a shrine. This is a real place tied to real trauma. Don’t vandalize or disrupt the land.
Final Thoughts
Israel Keyes weaponized solitude. Crescent Lake wasn’t just a campsite or a pretty view—it was part of a system, a strategy built on patience, cruelty, and anonymity. Visiting it doesn’t require much imagination to feel uneasy. The beauty of the lake is real—but so is the shadow that lingers in its trees.
