Camp Sherman, Oregon

The Deschutes River Trail is a must do mountain bike ride or hike in between Sunriver and Bend, Oregon. The river varies from calm water to waterfalls. The trail follows along the river and goes through pine forests, meadows, and lava flows. Most of the single track is smooth with a few more tech...

Located just 4.36 miles past the popular Elk Lake Day Use turnoff, the trailhead is on the right side of the highway, marked by a small 'trailhead' sign. The hike begins at the Senoj Lake Trailhead and climbs up to the lake for 1.26 miles. Once you reach the lake, you can choose to go left or rig...

Soaking in Terwilliger (otherwise known as "Cougar") hot springs is a great way to relax and wind back while exploring the Cascades. A spring flows from a small cave and cascades into multiple pools leading down a small gully, creating pools which have varying temperatures from hot (closer to the...

Just a mere 15 minutes outside of Bend, Oregon the Bessie Butte Trail is a wonderfully scenic hike to overlook Bend on one side and the Deschutes National Forest on the other. The butte provides an excellent view of the surrounding mountains of which there are many: Mount Bachelor, The South Sist...

Note: this trail is closed due to fire damage. For more updates, please visit the Forest Service website.  The Opal Creek pools are a wonderful place to visit year-round, but they’re a true oasis on a hot summer day. With a variety of rock outcroppings and ledges to jump off of, and plenty of ro...

On Saturday, I slid into the backseat alongside weekend belongings crammed in the car trunk. Backpacks with patches and streaks of dust. Bags of food that could be cooked over the flames of a fire. We drove south on the 5, leaving Portland and crossing through Salem, as Lake Street Dive albums p...

Located just 12 miles South of Bend and 5 miles Northeast of Sunriver in the Deschutes National Forest, the Lava River Cave is a unique experience the whole family can enjoy. To get there from Bend, drive South on Highway 97 for about 10 miles until you see a large sign for the Lava Lands Visitor...

Soda Creek Falls flows 150 feet down a curvy basalt rock groove at Cascadia State Park. The trail follows Soda Creek through a lush Oregon rain forest. The site was a former hotel and health spa with the mineral water from the creek as the main attraction. The park has a small campground, and pic...

Located 20 miles southeast of Bend, Boyd Cave is a well preserved lava tube stretching close to a mile. To get there, take Highway 97 South through Bend and turn left on China Hat Road. Go straight for exactly 9 miles. Turn left at mile 9 onto the trail at FS242. You will know it has been 9 miles...

Bagby Hot Springs is actually a set of amazing bathhouses nestled in the forest outside of Estacada. They are one of Oregon’s most poplar hot springs, and for good reason. The hike into the hot springs is easy and quite scenic. You’ll cross a bridge over Nohorn Creek and follow the Hot Springs Fo...

The trail is a washed out, old mining road making its way through a lush forest with a mix of ferns, moss covered trees, and towering Douglas Firs with trees blown over from wind storms lining both sides of the trail. I call those Big Foot traps. The trail comes to a fork, stay to the left you ar...

...Deep in the central Oregon Forest is a cave that is surrounded by Juniper Trees, Ponderosa Pines and the landscape of a secret volcanic underground world! This short hike is located roughly 12 miles East of Bend, and makes for an epic adventure for all to enjoy. A little history on the cave.....

Located about 2 hours outside of Portland, Timothy lake is a great home base to adventure from. It has many campgrounds, lots of lake access and great loop around the lake that is open to both hiking and Mt biking. While the hiking loop is 13 miles, the Mt. bike loop is 15 since you need to make ...

Little Crater Lake to Timothy Lake Campground is an out-and-back trail that takes you by a lake located near Government Camp, Oregon.

The Fall River Trail follows meanders through an old growth ponderosa pine forest along the banks of the Fall River. There are several pull-out parking spots along Forest Service Road 42 but probably the easiest is to start at the Fall River Campground day-use area. The day-use area has pit toile...