What a beautiful national park! It is definitely worth the drive from pretty much anywhere. No…read morematter what you are expecting, you will experience so much more. We went today when only a small portion of the rim was open and it was absolutely beautiful. It was a bit 45°F out with strong winds but it was still an amazing experience. We stopped at the Steel Information Center after going through the entrance to the area, then drove up to Rim Village and went to the Rim Visitor Center. There is plenty of parking there and you can follow the path to the rim and get some stunning views of the lake. It was a beautiful day and the water was so clear and blue. I definitely want to come back in July or August when it's a bit warmer and the whole rim is open. If you have a permanent disability you can get a free lifetime national park pass, which is how we got in today. This is a beautiful national park and we need to do everything we can to protect it.

Pro tip: Stay in Bend, OR and pack lots of food and drinks, and drive into the park for a day trip…read more There may still be snow, yes - even in July! We visited the park and stayed at the cabins Jun 19 -20 and they got five inches of snow the night we left. There is not much to do in the park after dark and not really anything to do in the cabins so bring books and cards, because there is no cell service. You can almost drive all the way fully around the whole lake but there are closures happening so you won't be able to go all the way around. Food is very limited and not good, so bring your own! There is NO CELL SERVICE on most of the volcano. However, there is Wifi at the Mazama Store. I was able to sit in my car (once connected inside) and use the wifi for the apps that it would allow over WIFI. It is not a secure network either. You will need to drive to most all of the sites and activities at the park. If the park activities are open for the season, you will probably have about two fulls days worth of activities to do. However, in off season, a day visit is plenty to take in the sites.

This is a little too rustic. The trail to the hot springs is steep and not well maintained. The…read morepools are gritty and shallow. Went once and that's enough.

This place was worth everything! We recommend coming early when they open so you get a pool. We got…read morethere at 8 and most were full but luckily they

Their website talks about lot about damage from the fires but don't let that stop you from…read morevisiting. The forest is recovering beautifully, and you will get to see the wonderful work of the rangers and community to restore the area. We stayed for four nights in the campground and wished for longer. Expect walks by the creek and river, lots of wildlife, friendly camp hosts and a fun logging museum.

Awesome!! Definitely worth the stop, highly recommend. Beautiful river, bridge, history. Dogs…read morewelcome on leash! We enjoyed the park, had lunch under the shade of the cool trees by the river... Bring a picnic.

The Lava River Cave is a unique experience. It is something I remember doing with my grandpa as a…read morechild. It is 1.1 miles from the enterance to the end of the cave and 2.2 miles round trip. My boyfriend is really in to caverns and mines so I thought this would be perfect to take him to when visiting the area. He loved it. Its awesome that it is a self guided tour, they give you safety instruction and have a booth you can rent lights at. We walked the duration of the tunnel and back. We spent a little over an hour and a half exploring the cave. It is definitely something to experience and would reccomend it. It is on average 42 or below in the cave so bring a sweater and is only open in the late spring - summer.

An amazing natural phenomenon to explore when in central Oregon…read more Be aware: It's cold in the cave, so bring a coat. The footing is uneven, so wear sturdy shoes. It's pitch black in the cave, so bring it rent a powerful flashlight. Enjoy the cave, but be prepared.

Crater lake is a far drive from Bend where we were staying. It is well worth it especially if you…read moredrive down early and get there before the parking lot fills up. When we were leaving at 2 pm it was packed so 10 am is perfect for getting parking. There is only two bathrooms at the parking lot, and supposedly one at the bottom of the hike but I didn't see it. We hiked down with kids, my 4 and 8 year old were able to do it. The 4 year old needed some carrying at the end but I was able to carry her up. I am not sure where people see "easy" for this hike. I would consider it medium because it's gradual and not straight up. Yes it's a gravel sand mixture but not slippery, especially on a dry day. The dusty trail got us all covered by a layer by the end. There is some points where you are in full sun and others with full shade. We jumped in the water and it was 61 degrees according to the Apple Watch. It helped the bottom up was in sun and helped keep me warm and drier. When we got to the shade it was a bit cold. The water is rocky so there isn't an easy place to get in but the kids were able to do it. They have boat rides on to the lake at the bottom but we didn't partake in it. The walk up was not difficult because of the switch backs. Had it been stairs straight down I would say that would be difficult. The path allows for people to rest and is wide enough for 3 people wide. They also have benches on the trail which is lovely. The view from the trail is much better than the lookouts from the road.

2.2 mi, 604 elevation gain, 1 hr to complete…read more Trail is well maintained though it appears there is high risk for rock slides. It is very highly traveled and probably one of the busiest trails in the park. There were several people swimming at the bottom. Heading back up there are many benches along the way to take a breather and have a sip of water. It was pretty smokey today so it was difficult to see Wizard island and the other side of the lake from the trail. Though, looking down you can see the bright blue water and boats anchored waiting to take passengers to wizard island and on tours of the lake.

We enjoyed an early fall trip here with our travel trailer. The campsites have good spacing from…read moreeach other and the camp hosts were all very friendly. Sadly the resevoir was shockingly low and what would have normally been nearby water views were limited. Our campsite had water and power and everything worked well for the entire stay. There are two dump stations near the entrance. When the park is full I suspect the dump station could get crowded. There are playgrounds for the kids in between the major campground areas. Restrooms and showers were decent. It's a well maintained campground especially for a public one.

Great place to camp. We were there this past weekend, probably will avoid holidays going forward…read more Wish they'd upgrade tho, old setups, no 50 amp and no sewer. There is a dump tho. Busy place on the holiday weekend. LOTS of kids riding all over the place on noisy motorized playtoys / scooters / power wheels. Campsites are well spaced. If you have a trailer / 5th wheel / motorhome, watch out for dead dry branches that'll tear up your rig. ​

The OG flagship park for Medford. Gone is the huge wooden play structure we grew up on where battle…read morewounds were earned from hitting your head running up and down the labyrinth of stairs and hiding spots. Gone are the onslaught of splinters, burns from the hot metal slides and being attacked by the countless wasps hiding in the nooks, crannies and roof peaks. Even back then, this was the park to go to! Fast forward to a recent refresh, the playground is still sprawling and super diverse, something for everyone! Wood has been replaced by plastic and metal but the laughter of kids as they run wild is still here. The only downside is maybe the lack of parking, but on hot summer days you'll find the ice cream truck posted up in the lot closest to the playground. What I really love about this park is that's it's more than just a playground. The greenway cuts through it making bike riding an awesome option. Keeping in that theme, there's a BMX style dirt track with whoops, table tops and fat banks and burms. A comprehensive skateboard park, tennis courts, a huge open grassy area, covered seating for parties and a large dog park round out this sprawling Medford classic.

Sadly, the bear house and little kids playground was burned on or about Feb 8, 2023. Luckily the…read moreplay area for older kids is still there. My 4-year-old was sad that she couldn't play bear; hopefully the bear house will be replaced. If you choose to give a thumbs-up or not, I hope you found my review helpful!

We love this park! Our 2nd time going when coming to town to visit my Nana. Last time when we came…read morethe water park was on due to weather and my daughter loved it. This time around we came back and no water due to winter but just as fun. Very nice nice for the kids to play along the river

Clean and void of homeless these days. There's a simple children's area for playtime year round and…read morewater play during the summer months. Check on times. People were bird watching, chatting, reading, walking, and just enjoying the beautiful day. The park is on the Rogue River in Grants Pass, Oregon.

A beautiful park right here in downtown Bend. What seems so far away is within walking distance if…read moreyou are anywhere close to downtown Bend. Lots of space to throw a blanket and chill. You can put i. to float here as well.

Drake Park has a lovely walking trail as well as water access, restrooms, picnic tables and large…read moregrassy areas. There is alot of street parking (4 hour max). There were people floating on paddle boards, there could be some good fishing within as well as alot of crayfish. There are beautiful homes along the waterfront as well as some resturants and downtown access from the parkway.

We were excited to complete the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway and visiting Tumalo Falls was our first…read morestop. We visited in late September and the temperature was pretty perfect. Be sure to arrive early to grab a good parking spot. The lot is small and fills up very quickly. Once parked, we walked up to the viewing area and took in these gorgeous falls. They are located within the Deschutes National Forest and the falls head over a cliff face of 97 feet. Tumalo Creek continues down the mountain. We followed the trail up further and discovered more waterfalls which I believe are called Middle Tumalo Falls. I believe we hiked a total of 4 miles and we really enjoyed hanging out here. I love and seek water hikes of all types and this one just kept providing us a good time. It was a great way to start our day and prepared us for a whole day of experiencing the beauty of Central Oregon. Always remember when visiting these natural areas to pack in/pack out and LEAVE NO TRACE.

Beautiful Falls. We went to Tumalo Falls and Deschutes National Forest with our family (locals) and…read moreloved it. We started our hike at the trailhead just steps from the parking lot. The path is well-maintained and leads directly Tumalo Falls. It is incredible and cascades from a height of 89 feet. So impressive. The sound and power of the Falls is such an outstanding sight. It took us 2 1/2 hours-but it was worth every view. See you next year!