We love Cascadia State Park and reserve a group side every year for my husband's birthday…read more The group sites are amazing and are situated close to the river. The river has plenty of shallow spots as well as some"rapids" which the kids enjoyed going down on their floaties with their parents. The group site is intended to have a maximum of 25 people six cars or two RVs and there is plenty of room for all of them. We had our main network of family members. and wanted to be far away from other sites to reduce risk of transmission of covid. We only had people we see regularly, family and neighbors who are in our everyday circle. But there was still plenty of room. Three people slept in hammocks, there were about 10 picnic tables, and there were seven other tents set up with so much room in between. There are only two group sites next to each other but still plenty of room. Those two sites share 2 pit toilets maintained twice a day throughout covid. And a short walk away are real toilets. We had plenty of space for a giant Jenga area, an area for all the floaties to live between water adventures, an area where we played Kubb, and an area for other tabletop games. There was also plenty of room for our dogs on their leads. there was enough space for three different camping stoves and the setup of food at each. The mosquitoes are brutal so I highly recommend a high-quality mosquito repellent. Also wear shoes because there are what I believe are Oregon banana slugs around the trees that you really don't want to step on barefoot. Highly recommend for a group outing where you can keep to yourselves and socially distance appropriately. The group rate is about $71 per night and we stayed two nights. We had so much fun on the river and there's so much space at this state park. The day use brought in a lot of people to the river that we didn't feel comfortable being around so we just waited until they left to enjoy the water. there is a large open field for off leash dog exercising and it is perfect for stargazing on a clear night. For those for whom this is important currently there is not signal unless you have Verizon. This will change within a few years. But you are only about 10 minutes drive to signal if there's some sort of emergency and the rangers make themselves available multiple times a day. We were warned that it had been about 10 days since there was a cougar sighting but we had no sightings ourselves.

Beautiful, quiet and well kept campground with very friendly hosts. Very reasonably priced. A few…read morepull through sites for RV's (dry camping only) Easy river access and a short drive to sweet home for supplies. Spent max allowable nights because we loved it so much. Picks up on the weekends but everyone seemed to mind the quiet hours. Only weird thing was the ranger lady with a leaf blower came though once. I suppose that's why it's so clean looking, but wasn't relaxing and left our vehicle needing a bath. Despite that we would definitely visit again.

Cool 1/2 mile interpretive trail set amid a wildlife preserve. While you can't venture further into…read morethe valley without permission, taking in the views from the rim trail or from this preserve location while getting to learn about its history is worth the visit. The trail is short, flat, and well-maintained...easy for anyone. They have interpretive signs along the route, as well as beautiful trees and wildlife. While there for only 1/2 hour or so we saw loads of birds, turkey, and a buck wander by. It's a brief stop, but easy to get to from town. They have a handful of parking spots and a porta potty. Peaceful and lovely spot...so appreciative it's there for wildlife!

I've done this hike several times over the decades. It used to be a very well kept secret and I…read moreonly found out about it by talking to a Ranger at the Ranger station in Detroit. Seems like the word has gotten out in recent years so the chances of you being alone on the trail or at the summit are now pretty slim. This is not a difficult hike but you do need to be in shape to do it. Pretty much impossible to get lost as you are always hiking on a ridge line but it's always wise to carry a map and compass (or GPS) all the same. It's a somewhat steep, 3 mile, several thousand feet of elevation gain stroll and no drinkable water along the trail most of the year. So bring sufficient water and also a headlamp if you're starting out late in the day. Figure three hours to do the round trip and you will be under a thick forest canopy so it does get dark on the trail early. The trail is narrow and you are on a ridge so there is some exposure. Poles can be helpful although I've never needed them here. This trail is not ADA accessible. The final 100' scramble to the summit reveals a concrete slab where a fire watch station once sat. Great views of Mount Jefferson and Detroit. There has always been a few big downed trees blocking the narrow trail. But since the fire you'll start seeing felled trees about a mile up the trail. In one location you'll have to bushwhack around a half dozen or so massive fallen trees. The trailhead is easy enough to find although there are several roads to the the left before you get there that are NOT trailheads. The true trailhead parking area is marked and has space for about four cars. The left turn into the parking area is about 5+ miles from Highway 22. Turn right at the Pacific Pride filling station and follow the road for about 5 miles. Maybe a bit more.

OK, it can be crowded on weekends. Go anyway…read more It can be hot in summer. Go anyway. The mile spur up to the overlook on top is steep. Go anyway. You can make this a very very short hike if you drive up a back road to an alternate trailhead. Like a little over a mile each way; maybe less. You can make it a hike about a mile longer by hiking up from the trailhead on Deer Creek Road. You can make a seven mile loop by adding the Cone Peak Loop Trail. If you're feeling spry, you can scramble up to Cone Peak a few hundred feet higher than Iron Mountain. There is no real trail to Cone Peak, and you need to be sure to know how to get back down so you don't wander off into the wrong watershed or off a cliff. Actually you probably should skip Cone Peak! But if you want to see amazing wildflowers, go hike the Cone Peak Iron Mountain Loop trail a few times between mid-June to mid-July.

South sister was my first big mountain I ever summited so it will always hold a special place in my…read moreheart. At 10,358ft it's no joke! The first time I did it, it felt like the hardest thing over ever done. I recently went back and did it again (after years of mountaineering in Colorado) and it felt very easy. To put it in perspective, it's a long hike (13-14miles) with over 5K elevation. However it's a gradual gain and only a class one! No equipment needed. So as long as you hike a lot and have good endurance it's completely doable and very low risk. Just bring lots of water and food! The view at the top is soo breathtaking and makes it worth all of the hard work. It feels like you can see every mountain in Oregon and you're just right next to middle and north sister. It's incredible! There's a gorgeous lake on the way up called teardrop lake. It's a nice place to rest before the last final push which is the hardest part. Once you get to the top, it's an easy 1/4 mile walk to the true summit. Don't miss it!

South Sister is an absolutely beautiful hike. I started off around 6am in the silence of the…read moreforest, hit the morning sun above the treeline, and summited by 10am. A number of other hikers in the upper parts of the trail. The views were amazing and the trail is gorgeous the entire way up. Don't forget to grab your permit.

When exploring a new town or city, I always am on the lookout for parks. We came upon this park…read morewhile visiting the town of Sisters,Oregon. This park offers plenty of picnic tables, a beautiful covered bridge that is built over the creek and lovely, tall mature trees. The grass is so green but that's Oregon for you. It is an extremely clean park. We stopped and had a snack and just enjoyed the sounds of the creek. We walked along the gravel path just taking in the views but then it began to drizzle so we had to take cover. I would definitely recommend and I hope I get to return here someday.

Canyon Creek Meadows is a spectacular trail on the eastern slopes of Three Fingered Jack in the Mt…read moreJefferson Wilderness area. While hiking, you'll get great views of Three Fingered Jack, Mt Jefferson, Black Butte and even the Three Sisters. And that's just the volcanoes. The trailhead is accessed via a somewhat winding road coming off Hwy 14, which comes off Hwy 20, the main route through Sisters. Check your map for precise directions. Most any vehicle can get to the trailhead, although those with street suspensions will have to take it easy in places. There is a large parking area, which is good because this trail is popular. When we left on a summer weekday, there were several cars parked along the road, having not found spots in the parking area. Canyon Creek Meadows trail proper is a loop trail that has a couple of offshoots - one to the north which eventually takes you to the Pacific Crest Trail, and one that takes you further up towards Three Fingered Jack (the glacier trail, which might be a mile and half). Doing the loop trail only is about 5.6 miles. If you don't have it, I recommend loading the AllTrails app on your phone. The trail is fairly easy in terms of exertion and trail condition. You'll pass through quite a bit of fire-deforested areas (meaning: lots of sun) as well as thickly forested areas. Much of the trail follows Canyon Creek and you'll pass through the meadows, which is quite nice. Overall, there is a lot of scenery and terrain variation on the trail. Near the trailhead is Jack Lake, a small body of water that has no boat ramp or anything like that (this is wilderness, after all). I wouldn't mind putting a kayak in the lake, though. Summer can render the trail hot and dusty. If you have a dog, think about booties. Bring plenty of water. Speaking of dogs, there is a prominently posted regulation that requires leashes on all dogs to avoid disturbing the mountain sheep. From what we saw, almost no one leashes their dog, which is a shame. Highly recommended. We are lucky to have so many great trails in the Bend/Sisters area.

This is a beautiful area with a sweet 9 mile long hiking trail that goes out & loops back around…read more There is an address 2 mile long leg that leads to the base of Three Finger Jack Mtn. Incredible views all along the hike and appx half runs parallel to Canyon Creek. Jack Lake is directly off of the trailhead and has several campsites along the front. The trail provides varying views of forests, meadows,, lake & a creek. There are great views of Mt Jefferson & Three Finger Jack. I suggest driving a truck or similar vehicle to the trailhead because the gravel road is extremely rough for appx 6 miles. I'll definitely be going back to backpack & camp out near Three Finger Jack.

We took the loop trail that crosses in and out of the preserve and Deschutes National Forest…read more Apparently this rim trail is the only portion of the preserve that you can venture onto without permission. We parked in the turn-around at the end of Deer Ridge Road; not really marked as a trailhead when you arrive, but you can discern the trail. From here you enter a Deschutes section for a while, and when you enter in and out of the preserve you'll know as the signage is good and info provided. It was a really fun loop with...on this clear day...crazy mountain views, and on any day, nice views from the rim of the preserve valley and Whychus Creek below. We didn't meet anyone on the loop last Saturday morning. Just incredibly peaceful and beautiful start to finish.