Foster, Oregon

The Santiam Forest is well known for its many beautiful spots, but this one is fairly uncommon. It's likely you will be the only person out here. Since it's such a short hike, just about a mile round trip, you could easily make it a pit stop on your way to or from someplace else and not have to w...

GPS coordinates Lat: 44.46389 Long: -122.68278Exit off I-5 in Albany onto Highway 20 and proceed for approximately 20 miles to McDowell Creek Road and turn left, follow McDowell Creek Road - watching for signs for the park - for about 6 ½ miles, to the first of three parking areas within the park...

Just outside of Sisters, Oregon, near Bend, is a beautiful hike to a picturesque waterfall. It is rarely crowded thanks (and no thanks) to the Pole Creek Fire, which ravaged the area several years ago. Because of the fire, the hike and landscape have been drastically altered. What used to be a 2-...

Gold Butte Fire Lookout is a real gem in the Willamette National Forest. At 4618 feet elevation, the nearby Cascade Mountain views are nothing short of spectacular! At the summit, sits a L-4 Ground Structure Type Fire Lookout that was built in1934 to be used as a Fire Lookout. Additionally, durin...

With no officially marked trailhead, this hike begins slightly west of Elk Lake in Marion County. Take Highway 22 to Detroit, OR. East of the bridge over Breitenbush River, turn onto (FR) Forest Road 46, with signs pointing to Breitenbush River. After 4.5 miles turn left at a sign for Elk Lake, a...

Starting in the "Old West" town of Sisters, Oregon and ending at Smith Rock State Park outside the small town of Terrebonne, this route takes riders past a variety of historical sites, shows the gentle curves of the Deschutes River and frames spectacular views of the Cascade Mountains, and ends w...

Bend, Oregon has a deserved reputation as one of the top mountain bike destinations in the country. Unless you are from the area, you might not be familiar with nearby Sisters. Sisters is a sleepy western-themed town of 3,000 better known for it's annual rodeo and quilt festival but the locals ha...

I went for a quick overnighter. The end of August is great for weather, very little bugs, and perfect time to meet and chat with PCT through hikers.The weather was absolutely perfect for night photography and lounging around camp. It's also one of the best views in Oregon if you ask me.If you're ...

From the Breightenbush Lake PCT trailhead (5,600ft Elevation) you hike through a thick forest until you reach an old burn area. This area was burned from a forest fire and has rebirthed lush green plants and bushes to help feed all the animals in the area. After a mile of climbing through the bur...

To get there from Salem, Follow Hwy. 22 east to Mehama. Turn on Little North Santiam Road (FS 2209) and proceed for 12 miles to Three Pools Day Use Area. Three Pools is by far one of the most popular swimming holes in the Northwest. With multiple swimming holes within just feet from one another i...

This 8.5 mile roundtrip hike to Green Lakes basecamp gains elevation gradually as it meanders along beautiful Fall Creek with numerous small cascades. Depending on the season (expect significant snow on the trail through early-to-mid June) the stark contrast of the snow with creek is beautiful, t...

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...

The Tam McArthur Rim Trail is a day hike in the Three Sisters Wilderness that will have you gaining about 1,500' of elevation for beautiful views of Three Creek Lake and the surrounding Three Sisters Mountains. On a clear day you can also catch a peak of Mt. Bachelor Ski Area.  The trail is less ...

The hike takes you along a glacial lake and to unbeatable mountain views at the end. It’s a hidden gem! The trail isn’t marked and the best way to get there is know someone that’s been before. The lake is unbelievably beautiful with deep blue glacial water and the view of the mountains at the end...

Just a quick 26-mile drive from Bend you'll find Sparks Lake, where shallow water, amazing lakeside camping grounds, and the possibility of catching a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis make for some of the best weekend camping in Oregon.Pay for a site or park along the road before you come to the "C...

Looking for the beauty and serenity of a backcountry campsite, but with the convenience of car camping? These 20+ secluded paddle-in campsites along the shoreline of Sparks Lake are just for you. Park your car, load up your watercraft of choice with all of your camping supplies, and paddle out to...