HIKING, CYCLING

The Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests contain over 1,000 miles of non-motorized trails suitable for all experience levels. Many trails extend into alpine regions of the Cascade Mountain wilderness areas.Trails are not confined to the remote outback of Central Oregon, however, as urban trail systems put walking and cycling within everyone’s reach.

The award-winning Bend Metro Park & Recreation District maintains 48 mi of trails, including a Deschutes River trail that eventually will extend to Tumalo State Park. The 3.5-mi Dry Canyon Trail runs north and south through Redmond. Central Oregon’s destination resorts are lined with walking and cycling trails. Sunriver Resort contains over 30 miles of paved bike trails; Eagle Crest Resort has over 11 miles.

For the committed mountain biker, the Phil’s Trail complex just west of Bend is a network of 10 major trails extending into the Cascade foothills. Central Oregon’s popularity as a mountain biking, hiking and running venue has brought an onslaught of media attention by journals like Outside magazine, Mountain Bike magazine and Bike Magazine.

For cyclists who prefer a smooth surface to mountain trails, there is plenty to encourage participation. Several prominent races are held each year, including the Cascade Chainbreaker and the Cascade Cycling Classic, the longest consecutively run elite stage race in the country.

CLIMBING, MOUNTAINEERING

SOUTH CASCADES TO SMITH ROCK STATE PARK Smith Rock State Park is world famous as a climbing venue. The 651-acre park near Terrebonne, 9 mi NE of of Redmond, contains several thousand climbs, with over 1,000 bolted routes. Smith Rock is mentioned on several climbing web sites, one of which declares it home to some of the hardest routes on earth. The major rock faces are composed of compressed volcanic ash reaching up to 550 feet in height. Picnic and campground areas sit on columnar basalt rimrock. Hiking and mountain bike trails offer spectacular views of the area and extend into the Crooked River canyon and outside the park. A day use permit is required. Volcanic peaks in the Cascade Mountains are home to many routes suitable for mountaineers of all experience levels. These include Belknap Crater in the Mt. Washington Wilderness Area, and peaks in the Three Sisters Wilderness Area. Climbing is also found near Tumalo Falls west of Bend, in the Crooked River Gorge, and the cliffs around Prineville. The popularity of climbing in Central Oregon has spun off a variety of gear manufacturers, outfitters, schools and guides.

ROCKS AND FOSSILS

FOR ROCKHOUNDS OF ALL AGES Central Oregon’s volcanic geology makes it rich in mineral resources of interest to rockhounds. Ten sites on the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests are open to private rock collectors. Principal minerals are agate, jasper, limbcast, petrified wood, moss, dendrite and angel wing. Richardson’s Rock Ranch, a fee-based private site off Highway 97 some 11 miles north of Madras, provides acres of thunderegg, agate and opal beds. The John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is a place to look and learn, but not to disturb the artifacts. Three separate units are located near the towns of Mitchell, Dayville and Fossil; a visitor’s center is located on the Sheep Rock Unit about 120 mi east of Bend. The region is rich in paleontology. The Oregon Paleo Lands Institute dedicated a new 1,400-sq ft Field Center in Fossil, Ore., in September 2009.

CAMPING

There are over 125 developed campsites on the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests. These include campsites managed by the Forest Service as well as by counties, utility companies and other federal agencies. There are 12 state parks in Central Oregon, of which five contain campgrounds. “Dispersed camping” where no improved facilities are provided is permitted on much of the National Forest land; users are encouraged to leave no imprint.

OUTINGS

More than 170 developed day-use sites on the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests include picnic areas, trailheads and roadside viewpoints. Fourteen resorts operate under special use permits on the Deschutes National Forest. Other than Mt. Bachelor, they are associated with popular fishing lakes and provide rustic accommodations, stores and limited food service during the summer tourist season.

RAFTING AND FLOATING

THE DESCHUTES,NOT JUST A BEER

The Deschutes River provides a wide range of rafting experiences. Whitewater is found on the upper Deschutes, in the Cascade mountains southwest of Bend, and in the lower Deschutes, where the river rushes through scenic canyons on its last 100 miles before emptying into the Columbia River. Maupin, about 90 mi north of Bend, is the center of rafting activity on the lower Deschutes. An estimated 80,000 people participate in whitewater rafting on the Deschutes every year.

Many outfitters and raft rental companies do a thriving business in Bend and Maupin. Novices are encouraged to use the services of an experienced river tour operator. Several of these package rafting trips into a broader vacation experience that includes camping, fishing and/or lodge accommodations.

Even areas of the Deschutes not associated with the more popular whitewater rafting reaches can produce unexpected river hazards. Casual floaters should be watchful for unexpected rapids and keep an eye out for warning signs. Flotation gear should be worn.

A river experience of a more leisurely type can be found in Bend, where an irrigation diversion dam and a no-longer-used sawmill log pond dam slow the Deschutes to inner tube speed as it flows toward placid Mirror Pond in the heart of town. This is a popular summertime venue for slow-speed drifting. A water park with parallel channels for floating, whitewater activities and fish habitat is being built by the Bend Park & Recreation District to replace a hazardous spillway near SW Colorado Ave.

BOATING

Central Oregon’s many lakes are the result of its volcanic topography and glacial action. In addition, reservoirs behind stream management, hydroelectric power and irrigation dams support boating and fishing activities. There are 22 lakes in Deschutes County, 12 in Jefferson County and three in Crook County. Many are off limits to motorized watercraft and speed limits apply to others. The larger reservoirs are popular boating and water skiing areas. They include:
Haystack Reservoir, in Jefferson County.
Lake Billy Chinook, in Jefferson County.
Lake Simtustus, in Jefferson County.
Ochoco Reservoir, in Crook County.
Prineville Reservoir, in Crook County.
Suttle Lake, in Jefferson County.
Wickiup Reservoir, in Deschutes County.
Speed limits apply to designated areas within these lakes, and in some cases at specified times.

FISHING

Sections of the Metolius and Deschutes rivers are world-class fly-fishing streams, and the many mountain lakes are rich with opportunities for fishing enthusiasts. Check with the Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife for regulations.

Coldwater native fish include bull trout, Chinook salmon, mountain whitefish, rainbow trout, redband trout and sockeye/kokanee. Rainbow trout and sockeye/kokanee are stocked in several lakes by ODFW. Paulina Lake holds the Oregon record for sockeye/kokanee.

Coldwater introduced fish include Atlantic salmon, brook trout, brown trout, cutthroat trout and lake trout. Atlantic salmon are stocked by ODFW in Hosmer and East lakes. State records claimed in Central Oregon include brook trout, 9 lb, 6 oz in Deschutes River below Little Lava Lake, and brown trout, 27 lb, 12 oz in Paulina Lake. East and Paulina lakes have produced brown trout of 20 lb; brown trout up to 15 lb have been taken from the Deschutes River.

Warmwater species found in Central Oregon include black crappie, brown bullhead catfish, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. the summer tourist season.