Marion Forks, 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...

Just outside of Sisters Oregon is the stunning and popular day hike to the summit Black Butte (Elevation 6,436 feet). At the top, spectacular views of the surrounding Cascades await the intrepid hiker. To get to the trailhead, turn off of Highway 22 onto National Forest Road (NFR) 11, also known...

The hardest part about getting to Skylight Cave is the drive. Start by coming from Sisters, Oregon, and use the driving directions below to find it. The Google Maps pin is accurate, and if you like coordinates, you can use 44°20'55.3"N 121°42'55.9"W as well. It's recommended you download an offl...

The hike out to Tamolitch Pool, or "Blue Pool," is 2 miles each way and follows the McKenzie River to a lava flow pool. Off Highway 126 14 miles east of McKenzie Bridge, turning into the Trailbridge Campground, drive right 1/3 of a mile to the trailhead. The trail is relatively flat, which gives ...

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...

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...

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 Black Crater Trailhead parking lot is accessed off the McKenzie Pass (Hwy 242). The trailhead starting elevation is 5,040ft. (using the iPhone app "Topo Maps". Great app) with a 3.8 Mile hike one way to the Black Crater Summit at 7,251ft of elevation. Some parts of the trail are steep and g...

On your way to Proxy Falls from Bend? Stop by the Dee Wright Observatory to take some photos of the gorgeous mountains. The Observatory is at the summit of McKenzie Pass in Oregon's Cascade Mountains. Built right in the middle of a large lava flow, the open structure itself is actually construct...

Beautiful spot to set your tent up for a night or longer.About 12 spots scatter the immediate campground area, but while hiking we spotted several more dispersed throughout the towering Ponderosa Pine trees. Most of the spots circle a small lake. The ground in this site is a VERY soft dirt, perfe...

Begin your hike at the Lava Camp Lake Trailhead. The trail winds through a forest flush with hemlock and fir while opening up into black lava flows. Continue for a little over two miles until you reach North Matthieu Lake. This is your first stop. Go for a swim out to the little island and have a...

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...

Unlike many other springs you'll find, this pool has basically no barriers to entry – it is accessible via a short hike, has no fee, and is available year-round. While the temperature is less than 100 degrees, the scenic surroundings make up for the slightly less than hot water.

Starting from Scott Lake in the Willamette National Forest, take the Benson Lake Trail head that starts at the end of the road. This climbs gradually up to Benson Lake, a large, deep, cold lake. From there follow the trail up until you see a junction and a sign to Tenas Lakes. Follow this trail u...

Scott Lake Campground is truly a hidden gem off the McKenzie Pass Scenic Drive. Nestled right next to the Mt Washington Wilderness Area, this small campsite with only 20 primitive sites lining the lake gives spectacular views over toward the Three Sisters to the South-East.To get there - turn ont...