McKenzie Bridge, Oregon

At 8,743 feet, Diamond Peak is almost as tall as the other iconic volcanoes of the Oregon Cascades, but sees just a fraction of the people. Outside the range of casual Portland day hikes and hard to see from the highway and from other peaks, Diamond Peak and the spectacular wilderness surrounding...

Following along the Dechutes river for half a mile you will see where the river progressively gets more aggressive. On both sides of the trail you will see beautiful mountain inclines and jagged cliffs. If your lucky you might just see a bald eagle soaring high above! Along with Steel Head being ...

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...

One of the most iconic hikes in the Eugene area, Spencer Butte offers sweeping 360° views of the Willamette Valley, Cascade peaks, and surrounding forestlands. The Fox Hollow Trailhead provides a slightly longer, more peaceful route to the summit, winding through lush second-growth forest, moss...

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...

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...

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...

Begin at the Lower Lake Campground and take the Lower Lake trailhead. The best direction to hike is counter clockwise, however you can do either.  Continue along Trail #717 and very shortly you come out to Lower Lake featuring Mt. Jefferson as the backdrop. From here keep hiking and you reach yo...

Set out at the Lower Lake trailhead along trail #717. After only half a mile the trail opens up to Lower Lake, with views of Olallie Butte. The trail winds around the north east side of the lake and you come to a junctions with trail #706. From here take the left onto #706 and continue about .6 o...

Getting There Searching Spencer Butte Trailhead Parking Lot on Google Maps will direct you to exactly where you need to go. From downtown Eugene/ UO you'll drive south on Willamette St. until you see an official park sign for Spencer Butte Park. Take a left on the gated road (will be locked duri...

The hike, including the initial 1.25 mile gravel road to the trailhead, is easy to complete within 1-2 hours and only requires a moderate level of fitness. Snacks and water are recommended.   Being remote, there are very few hikers on the trails most days, so one shouldn't have a problem finding...