Tumalo Falls was an amazing adventure and one of the highlights of our trip. We chose the loop…read moretrail so we could see all of the waterfalls, and it was absolutely worth it. One of the most exciting parts was crossing the river several times. In some places there were bridges, and at one point we had to carefully balance across a log, which made the hike even more fun and memorable. We visited in April, and there was still a little snow on the trail. The weather was beautiful, but I would recommend bringing traction spikes if conditions are slippery and hiking poles for extra stability. The waterfalls were spectacular, and the scenery along the trail was breathtaking. It was a perfect mix of adventure and natural beauty. I'm sure I'll return one day with my kids to experience it all again.

It's been awhile since my last stay here. We love the yurts here. Easy access, they have heat, a…read morecouple of tables and beds, and it's comfortable. The fire pits are nice to but they cemented the bottom of them. They need to have more holes for air flow. Still I'm grateful to have those. Love the river trail as well. So beautiful! It's been awhile since we've been here. No snow this time but that's ok. Still peaceful and beautiful and not far at all from Bend.

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 river trail on our last visit to the park. The trek is great, meandering along the…read moreCrooked River directly below the wall of rock and climbers above. The trail itself is fairly flat, and should be pretty accessible for almost anyone. There are countless offshoots down to the water and up into the rocks. My only slight disappointment was that it's an out&back. Would be so great if there was at least one place to cross over the river to enjoy a trip back from the other side. There's plenty of parking along the drive in the park, and bathrooms at the start AND down the trail a ways. This time of year there are some gorgeous fall colors to take in along the water. Great, easy hike...and many more to take nearby.

A nice, mellow, gentle trail that takes you around a good section of Smith…read more The grade is calm enough that you'll frequently see families with strollers. I use it mainly to get to climbs. As a destination in and of itself, it's kind of a snooze.

Tam-a-lau seems like a bucket list hike, at least in terms of those in Central Oregon. It's not…read moreterribly difficult but is well worth the effort nonetheless. The trail runs from near lake level in Cove Palisades State Park to the top of the 'Peninsula', as it's called. The Peninsula is that bit of land jutting north into Lake Billy Chinook between the Deschutes and Crooked Rivers (minus The Island, which is a whole 'nother experience if you are fortunate enough to get a chance to go there). Tam-a-lau Trail is about seven miles in length, which comprises 1.7 miles hiking from the trailhead parking lot and then ascending the steep canyon wall, about 3.6 miles of relatively flat hiking on top of the Peninsula, and then 1.7 down. The trailhead is two locations, really. One starts at the big parking lot just past the boat launch on the Deschutes River and has you walk a bit to the other trailhead. That one is at the Deschutes Campground and is the beginning of your ascent up the slope. Unless you're staying in the campground, I recommend the further trailhead - the half mile or so extra is a nice trail. Footing is OK throughout, although the ascent has some steep bits that you'll want to be careful with. Once you're at the top, it's a piece of cake. The top reminds me of the Oregon Badlands, except for the really nice lake views. Once you get to the top, you'll be at a junction. Left takes you to the tip of the peninsula by way of the Deschutes River side, while right takes you overland to the Crooked River side and thence to the tip. Either way, your goal is the peninsula tip. Some folks seem to think the overland section is boring but not me. If for some reason you want a shorter hike, go left and then backtrack the way you came. Tam-a-lau is about views of Lake Billy Chinook, the canyon lava walls and, if the weather is good, the distant views of the Cascades. It's also a good bit of exercise. During the summer, it will be hot. There's not a lot of shade - this isn't a ponderosa forest hike. Take plenty of water. Being in a state park, you'll either need an annual/biannual pass or pay $5 to park. Note that you can access the upper part of the Tam-a-lau (the flat part on the Peninsula) from roads to the south. You don't have to enter the state park from that way. In fact, much of the Tam-a-lau is not actually within the state park boundaries but rather on BLM land.

Very nice views from the top of trails definitely will be back used to go camping there al the time…read morewhen I was a kid now going back as a adult

3.9 miles, 932 ft elevation gain, 1 hr 38 minutes to complete…read more We started the hike around noon which is probably the least advisable time to complete it. Aside from that the weather was fairly mild and the skies were blue! The trails and grounds are well maintained by the staff. The bathrooms available are also very well kept. The hike itself is supposedly easiest if done clockwise. I decided to go counterclockwise to get the hardest part out of the way. Several stops were made along the way to the top. The entire trek was gorgeous and while you're catching your breath you can look out over the river. There's lots of wildlife down at the river level you can watch as you trek by. It's also neat to see rock climbers up above you. A fun little surprise!

Misery Ridge Trail (in my opinion) is the epicenter/main attraction hike while visiting Smith Rock…read moreState Park. If you complete this hike, you'll comprehend what makes Smith Rock so stunningly beautiful, especially for being nearby an under the radar town like Terrebonne, Oregon. Misery Ridge is a difficult 3.7-mile round trip loop gaining almost 2000 feet in elevation. And, if you begin the hike located just past the entrance area, there'll be a warning sign stating..."steep, rough trail", but that should not deter you whatsoever. When I was here, everyone was hiking this pathway without hesitation. Starting out past the trailhead, you'll confront the hardest part to it all, the stairway incline going up the mountainside. Within the first few moments, the ascent is pretty vertical that if you turn and look back down below, you realize how high you've climbed. But think, if you get past this part...the rest of the way will be pretty easy, especially arriving at the summit/plateau portion of the hike. Then, it's flat ground where you can sit down and relax at any point in time (maybe even have a picnic) and overall, just enjoy the gorgeous scenery from high above. So while walking along the plateau area...you'll have plenty of moments for picture taking. I'd describe the vast Oregon landscape as primarily flat level with small towns and green grass surroundings set in the distance. And it's sort of interesting that this part of Oregon is not mountainous at all, but when you arrive here in Smith Rock SP...the rugged terrain makes for a rock climbers' paradise! Towards the latter part of the hike, you'll confront the well-known "Monkey Face", a 350-foot rock spire standing high and mighty that's the primary focal point of the park. The views are so rewarding, like out of a postcard scene. And if you look closely, it's truly unbelievable...you'll notice rock climbers dangling off the cliffs of Monkey Face. It's thrilling to look at, you think..."how do these people hang on without a fear of heights"??? Just past Monkey Face, the trail winds down with a series of switchbacks from the plateau and back towards the base. During these switchbacks, I'd advise to be cautious when descending as there are no handrails to grab onto and the downslope can be unsteady if you're not wearing sturdy hiking shoes. Finally returning to the bottom...the trail is easy for the remainder of the way. You'll walk among a pretty nature setting while passing beside a pristine lake with the jagged peaks hovering above you. This Misery Ridge Trail will take a few hours to half a day to complete depending on how much time you afford yourself at the summit plateau. Once finished, if you're still interested in hiking more, I'd recommend the Wolf Tree Trail. In the end, Misery Ridge Trail is a fantastic hike to embark upon. Smith Rock State Park opens at 7am and for those early birds, you can venture out here first thing in the morning and get in some great hiking exercise for beginning your day.

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.

4.6 mi, 1621 ft elevation gain, 1hr 52 minutes…read more The road to the trail is washboard gravel for two miles which then turns to large gravel/rocks for the last mile. A northwest forest pass is required to park at the trailhead. If you don't already have one you can purchase a day pass in the parking lot. This is a popular trail so I recommend coming early! The trail itself is a steep and dusty incline. It is hard work to get to the top, but you will be distracted by the Mountain View's and gorgeous wildflowers along the way. Once at the top there are 360 degree views and an old fire lookout. This is a great spot to stop and enjoy a snack and take it all in!

Perfect combination of challenging but doable! Great workout and even greater views! Fairly…read morepopulated when we went, but everyone was very friendly of course. Took a little less than 2 hours to complete, will definitely do this one again.

I came here to see the source of the Metolius and was blown away by how well done they've made this…read morespot. Big parking lot, a beautiful paved path through the forest with a really nice rustic wood fence along the entire stretch. Takes you right to the source, which you can kind of see bubbling up out of the earth through the trees. There's also a nice view of the river with a snowy mountain (Jefferson?) in the background. I don't know that I need to come back, but I'm really glad I stopped by.

I'm a big fan of the Metolius River, it's just a stunning place for a hike. We didn't pull off to…read moresee the head last time so we decided to when passing through this weekend. While the air of mystery associated with the head is very cool...the river seems to appear from nowhere...the actual visual reward once there in person was definitely underwhelming. It's a very nice trailhead with lots of parking, picnic tables, and toilets (which were very clean). A short, paved, flat walkway takes you directly to the head. I'm not sure what I expected to see, but there's honestly nothing to take in. Maybe it would've been better to leave the head of the Metolius as a mystery! :) It's an easy find and a peaceful leisurely stroll to the head, but one and done. Save your time with this and just hike the beautiful river instead!