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Things to Do in Bend Oregon
Located smack in the center of Oregon, the city of Bend boasts access to some of the state’s best outdoor offerings. The charming mountain town lies sandwiched between a national forest, a desert wilderness, and a national volcanic monument. Within half an hour, its tourists and residents can reach a string of sparkling lakes, some of the country’s best rock-climbing cliffs, and Oregon’s largest ski resort. Bend is a scenically-endowed town that is teeming with things to do and places to visit. Once merely an afterthought on Oregon itineraries, Bend…
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Exploring the Cascade Lakes Highway in Oregon
When it comes to natural splendor, Central Oregon is a land of plenty. It features everything an outdoor adventurer could dream of: verdant forests, towering snow-capped mountains, arid desert, and ancient lava flows. Amongst all its alpine beauty and high desert magic, I sometimes forget that the area is a mecca for water sports as well. But Central Oregon’s lakes and rivers are not merely an afterthought. In fact, the Cascade Lakes—a necklace of sparkling pools along the eastern edge of Central Oregon’s Cascade Mountains—are some of the state’s most…
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Visiting the Coastal Sand Dunes in Oregon
The wind-sculpted Oregon dunes are among the most alluring features of the central Oregon coast. Formed over the course of millennia and ever expanding, they comprise one of the largest tracts of temperate coastal sand dunes in the world. Along a 50 mile stretch of Highway 101 between Coos Bay and Florence, the shifting sand mountains harbor a unique ecosystem. They conceals coastal lakes, marshes, rivers and spruce forests. At the heart of this sandy wonderland, lies the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. Whether you’re looking for peaceful solitude or…
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Off the Grid at Hells Canyon in Oregon
When explorers came across the immense canyon that forms the border of present-day Oregon and Idaho, they figured they may as well have stumbled upon Hell. The inhospitable landscape—home to rattlesnakes, sweltering temperatures, and rugged barren landscapes—proved to be a formidable obstacle on their westward journeys. Many tried to tame the Snake River with boats and ferries, but hardly any were successful. Even today, Hells Canyon is no easy place to visit. The cavernous river gorge is remote, desolate, and hundreds of miles from the trodden tourist trail. But it…
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Hiking the Wallowas: Guide to Oregon’s Eagle Cap Wilderness
The Wallowa Mountains are one of the Pacific Northwest‘s most impressive geological features. Their snowcapped peaks adorn the pristine Eagle Cap Wilderness and tower over the bucolic farmlands and chiseled canyons of northeast Oregon. And yet, unlike many of Oregon’s other natural highlights, they remain largely undiscovered. The scenic splendor of the Wallowas is particularly surprising considering that I—a native Oregonian and lover of the Pacific Northwest—hand’t even heard of them until a few years ago. Prior to my visit, I believed that the northeastern corner of Oregon was a…
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The Trail of Ten Falls in Oregon’s Silver Falls State Park
Whenever I find myself complaining about the Oregon rain, I’m always quick to remind myself that the state’s jaw-dropping beauty is thanks, in large part, to its dreary climate. The precipitation that drenches western Oregon for nearly nine months out of the year gives birth to a wonderland of lush forests and scenic waterways. Without it, places like Silver Falls State Park would not exist. The iconic Silver Falls State Park is a microcosm of what makes western Oregon so beautiful. It is verdant. It is lush. It features towering…
