This reservoir is located next to one of the most beautiful rivers in Central Oregon. The Mckenzie…read moreRiver flows into and out of this reservoir. I have hiked around this reservoir many times and it is always surrounded by fisherman, so I would imagine that there are plenty of fish in the reservoir. The water is super clear and blue. This makes it an amazing spot for photographers. There is a good amount of parking spaces at this lake making it great for large groups and gatherings. There are trails that pass this lake and both trails lead to some of the most beautiful locations. The trial towards the north will take you to Woosah Falls and Sahalie Falls. This is a short uphill trek that travels along the Mckenzie River. The trail toward the south will take you to the Blue Pool AKA Tamolitch Falls. This is a large deep blue colored pool that is fed by some underground springs. This Reservoir is a great base point for a day of exploring and even has a nice little campground. If you have a family who all have a different interest that all involve nature, then this is the right place for you!

Last stop on our trip to Oregon before heading back to San Diego. It was May 1st and we arrived…read morearound 9am so it was not that busy. Drive: Basic mountain roads. Most roads feel brand new with well marked lines and signs. Parking/trailhead: Signs clearly marked parking area for Blue Pool. Long road leading up to trailhead is unpaved and parking is only allowed on one side. Luckily we were early so got a spot not too far down. Two restrooms, pretty stinky but what can you expect? Trail: Pretty easy hike. Mostly even paths I think overall theres about 300 feet gain on it. Some parts were very muddy, a big portion is rocky with lots of lava rock. Some parts have tree roots sticking up. CAUTION: Parts of trail have a really high cliff that drops off into the river with no markings so be careful especially with dogs or kids. Pool: Of course amazing views once you get to the pool. The side you arrive on is on a cliff with the view of the pool below. You can hike down to the pool by hiking around the edge but some parts are really close to the edge. Descending and ascending is difficult and is not for the weak. Over all we had an amazing time. The hike was a little longer than I thought but nothing too crazy even for a novice hiker. I would suggest bringing water and snacks, we didn't and regretted it. If you get down to the water at least dip your feet in. We did and it felt amazing and we actually felt reguvenated for our hike back.

Great trail leading up to the pool. Not a difficult hike at all. Wouldn't suggest doing it when…read moreit's dark though as there are small rocks and rocky areas that can seem to pop out of nowhere and destroy your ankles. The pool is Absolutely beautiful and this is my favorite color. Once you see the one sign that says no bikes allowed, turn towards the water and look over the cliff.

So I was very disappointed when me and my wife took a day trip and tried to find these caves. It…read moreled us to the small town of Detroit dead center of the town no one there or anywhere around had a clue or have ever heard of this place. There's no direction of where to go how to find it or anything else. This was a complete waste of time and we ended up try to go to Brighton Bush we made it, but it was 30 mile detour a huge pain in the ass and then they were completely full when we got there so ended up taking a trip to Bagby instead and we were glad we could soak in a tub because bagby it's pretty much falling apart

A well-known secret among landscape photographers, Boca Cave is a pretty spectacular place…read more The hike is short. The cave is enormous, but not "spooky". The mouth of the cave almost perfectly-aligns with a view of Oregon's second-tallest peak: Mt Jefferson. Proof of intelligent design?! You access the cave by taking a slight detour on the way up to Triangulation Peak. Enough babbling, just go there. It's not close to any major metro, but it's worth the drive.

This time of year one must assume the area is not at its peak of entertainment value. But every…read moretime we are passing through I've been inclined to stop for a night. So we decided to do just that a couple weeks ago, and as I expected, even though half the campground is closed at this time there were plenty of available sites. We chose the last water side site, although currently the water is nowhere near the park. We ran into the ranger on duty who was very helpful and friendly, letting us know that since the tent sites are closed and we weren't using any (hookup) amenities we could pay the tent site fee for the night. I would say since the grounds run right along the highway that the sites nearest to it could probably be quite loud...hence our choice to grab the one furthest away. We took a walk down to the water just before dark. I found there to be an eerie, calm beauty about it at sunset. There wasn't much to the brief stop besides our walk and a quiet night of sleep, heading off first thing in the morning. But I can see where during peak season there'd be more adventures to partake in here. Again, a highway setting, but there are some lovely trees within the grounds. While not my favorite campground, it was nice to finally check things out here, even if during the off season. Sure would be nice to see the water level back up where it clearly used to be!

The campground was well kept and my kids enjoyed our stay. HOWEVER.. the staff are extremely rude!!…read moreThe volunteers addressed my kids in the most inappropriate manner regarding our dog. She was just plain nasty!! She chose to address my 11 year old instead of speaking to as adult. We were late in checking out and the employee named Greg was beyond rude about it!! As we were setting up our RV to leave, Greg decided to park his golf cart right in front of the site. When we asked if we could help him, he said he was going to sit there until we were gone and charge us if we were not out by 3pm. It was only 1:50 at this time. When I asked for the employees name I was asked why I needed to know?? We will never stay here again just based on the staff alone!!

I visited McDowell Creek Falls decades ago for a quick hike and to take some pictures. We decided…read moreto take a drive for the day and head here to see what it was like now. We arrived to a very busy and almost full parking lot, making us think the trails were going to be incredibly busy. Luckily, most were just using the picnic tables and walking to some falls that are close to the parking area. We grabbed our water and started on the trails. The trails are well-groomed and easy to walk on. One of the great parts is there are trails for easy-walking, and others that will challenge your legs! If you want to hike to the top of the triple falls, you will get a nice view from above. We kept hiking and ended up on the loop back to the parking area. I believe there are a couple more falls we may have missed, but we would have needed more water for sure. If you want a place to take a nice hike for the day, add this one to your list.

It's a very nice old forest trail. There's a bit elevation gain and steps/stairs to take whichever…read moredirection you go. Trail was not very crowded.

Sweet horses nice people and lots of fun. Would definitely recommend. Super great supportive place…read moreto learn.

My daughter and niece had a wonderful time learning to ride at Century Farms. We were greeted by a…read moretrue rancher who gave an excellent lesson and had the girls comfortable on the horses very quickly. They were able to ride around the arena with the help of a few high school volunteers after a short lesson and were thrilled to help take the horses out of their stables and reward them at the end. What a great time and we're heading back in the summer for the outdoor lessons.

Such a magical spot to learn about waterfalls and experience nature. There was a rainbow and snow…read moresimultaneously during our visit and it created the most magical wonderland. Must see and well worth the drive out.

Sahalie Falls was a quick stop on our way back to Bend from Clear Lake. We were able to find a…read moresmall parking stall right at the waterfall without having to run across the road with the kids. The walk to the lookout viewing area from the parking lot was very short. We walked a few yards down the trail past it to take pictures of the river. We then took a side trail down to the waterfall to get some pictures. This was a fun quick stop to see a beautiful waterfall.

I recommend parking at the Koosah Falls parking lot- there is ample parking available there…read more Parking at Sahalie Falls is overcrowded and some folks had to park across the highway. There is a dig out restroom available in the parking lot. The trails are very well maintained and the overlooks offer excellent views of the falls. The path between the falls offers views of the BLUE McKenzie River. Across the river you will see the McKenzie River Trail with runners and hikers. There are several unmaintained paths going from the trail to the river- wander down at your own risk! Definitely a low effort high reward hike! Do not miss this one!

Koosah Falls sits right along Waterfalls Trail beside the McKenzie River. It's not difficult to…read morereach and there are a bunch of overlook viewpoints with benches offering different perspectives. The first few lookouts are partially obstructed by trees and branches, but eventually as you keep walking, you're afforded undisturbed panoramas which are special, imo. And before walking over to this Koosah Falls (since it's barely strenuous, I wouldn't even consider it hiking), you'll immediately confront another terrific looking waterfall, and that's Sahalie Falls. You get two scenic waterfalls by simply stopping here for an hour or so. That's pretty efficient in my opinion, lol. I showed up in late July around 3:30pm and although the small parking lot was mainly full, I was still able to nab a spot. It's free to visit at your own accord. This Highway 126 situated next to the McKenzie River is the epitome of exploring around nature and is "one of Oregon's most famous recreation areas". Just 3.5 miles up the road from here at Koosah and Sahalie Falls is the iconic Tamolitch Falls - Blue Pool. That should not be missed as well. Including hiking to the colorful Blue Pool, it takes about half the day to visit. Back to this Koosah Falls...while walking along Waterfalls Trail, you'll have opportunities to relax at any point and soak up the McKenzie River forest surroundings. It's a pleasant setting. Extra notes... - Koosah Falls is 64 feet tall but appears more grand in real time. Sahalie Falls is about the same length. - Although you can't reach down to the base of Koosah Falls, Sahalie Falls is accessible and I suggest climbing over the railing for closeup views. It's not hard to do. Last thing I can say, I discovered Koosah and Sahalie Falls through TikTok mentions. TikTok is a great source of information for adventurers looking to find hidden gems among the great outdoors. Thank you to TikTok.