Outdoors

Senoj Lake is a fairly quiet, easy hike that features several lakes, depending on your starting point.

5 Great Off-Leash Hikes in Oregon

Destination trails around the state offer freedom and zen for people and their dogs Oregon dogs (and their humans) are spoiled with the abundant forested trails that lead to mountain tops, beautiful ocean beaches, and crystalline alpine lakes throughout the state. Outside of the cities, dogs can enjoy responsible off-leash freedom to satisfy all of their sniffing, exploring and swimming desires. Here are five off-leash trails to consider for your next hike with your best friend. OFF-LEASH PRIVILEGES: Understanding that hiking with a dog off-leash is a privilege, not a right, will keep the trails safe and enjoyable for all users. Do not allow your dog to approach other dogs and people, even if your dog is friendly. Allowing a dog to approach without permission is impolite and can be dangerous if the other dog does not appreciate other dogs in its space. Keep your dog in sight and under…

Wallowa Lake beginning to freeze over in December.

Go East!

The Wallowas offer wide-open spaces to play, explore and discover inner and outer peace written by Cathy Carroll We all know the old-timey call for adventure: “Go west, young man!” This winter, go with the obverse: “Go east, young_____!” Fill in your own gender. And by east, aim for Eastern Oregon, specifically, the Wallowas. Take to the roads, whether they’re cleared or paved with packed, cold, dry snow (when tires get grippy). At Wallowa Lake, first notice what’s missing: traffic, noise, hurry, tension, human-made marring of the beauty of the natural world. A few things you’ll immediately gain: deeper breaths, a clearer mind and a visage with fewer worry lines. Take in the deer and elk who’ve made the winter trek down into the valleys as hawks and raptors swirl above. Reconnect with belly laughter zipping down on a sled at Alder Slope or any other of the surrounding hills….

The pre-dawn Milky Way slides past “Dino Rock” along the entry road to Prineville Reservoir State Park.

Twinkle, Twinkle

Stargazing goes big in Oregon with global recognition written by Cathy Carroll Everyone may think there’s nothing to stepping outside and stargazing, but like many things in the world, some places are simply better for some things than others. When it comes to being knocked out just by looking up, a few places in Oregon have been designated as the best in the world. Prineville Reservoir State Park in Central Oregon is one. It’s the first Oregon park to be a certified International Dark Sky Park, the newest addition to the International Dark Sky Places Program. The only other such place in the state is in Sunriver, just south of Bend. It turns out that being a dark place requires effort. In Prineville, state park workers replaced harsh outdoor lights with softer yellow and red lighting that reduces “skyglow,” and they educated the public about light pollution. The reservoir joins…

rafting the Owyhee

Rafting the Owyhee River

Travel through time in a land of legends written and photographed by Adam Thorn Smith Outdoorsy Portlanders love to say “every environment is an hour away!” But, what if we went farther? What if we went … all the way? There is a place in our state—an inexplicable convolution of time and rock—where a river spills like mercury through the heart of an ancient supervolcano. Hot springs still steam with hidden heat. Relics lie lost in caves. Legends are born and die here, some never told.  Oregon’s loneliest corner and most remote region, the extreme southeast, is seven hours and 400 miles from Portland. To most imaginations, southern Malheur County must be a bland expanse of tumbleweed and juniper, the rare hare or coyote, somewhere past Steens Mountain. In truth, earth-bending natural wonders and geologic monoliths abound. People who venture here, by luck or lack thereof, are as unusual as…

romantic getaways

Wild and Romantic Outdoor Getaways

Getting outside can be an aphrodisiac— turn up the heat this summer with an outdoor adventure written by Kevin Max We know you like to make travel plans around new and exciting experiences in the outdoors, so we happily brought together some of our top picks for outdoor getaways in every region of Oregon. These range from remote hike-in cabins in Eastern Oregon to hot springs resorts in Central Oregon, a fabulous Mid-century makeover in Southern Oregon, a fire lookout in the Willamette Valley and more. Here is the fruit of this exploration. Eastern Oregon » Halfway In a southwest breach of the Wallowa Whitman National Forest and 10 miles west of the Snake River lies tiny Halfway. It’s the remoteness of Halfway and the cuteness of Pine Valley Lodge that makes this a romantic outdoorsy getaway. The bed & breakfast has twelve rooms with two stand-alone cottages, one that…

A guide’s list of Oregon’s best climbing destinations

written by Peter Madsen Ancient seismic upheaval and and the erosive work of bygone lakes and rivers have carved many of Oregon’s striking landscapes. As a result, pockets of great climbing opportunities abound, according to Cliff Agocs, a rock guide certified by the American Mountain Guides Association. Also the co-owner of Timberline Mountain Guides, Agocs, a Bend resident, has traveled Oregon extensively in search of new climbing opportunities. And he’s yet to climb everything. Here, Agocs provides readers with some of Oregon’s best climbing destinations, including route varieties, rock type and other considerations. Most of Oregon’s climbing destinations are home to local climbing communities that set and maintain interesting routes. Respecting the local climbing ethics is one of the keys to enjoying an area without “blowing it up,” Agocs said. A great place to begin research is www.mountainproject.com, an REI-funded online climbing guide. As a general rule, Oregon’s wealth of…

Bozeman, Montana: An outdoor lover’s paradise

written by Katheryn Houghton There’s a reason people are discovering Bozeman. The town’s growing fast, but with fewer than 50,000 locals, Bozeman has held onto the character that comes with a small ski community framed by mountains. There are packed storefronts with places to eat, drink and find local creations, from leatherwork to plays with live symphonies. The sun rises over the Bridger Mountains and dips behind the Tobacco Roots with forty-three peaks reaching beyond 10,000 feet—what to do between those ranges is endless. For ambitious hikers, Sacajawea Peak is a 4-mile trip pared with a 2,000-foot elevation gain. Those who take on the trail are rewarded with views from the highest point in the Bridgers, Bozeman’s nearest range. Sypes Canyon Trail offers a less-steep family day hike. The 4-mile round trip weaves through a creek-fed canyon on the west side of the Bridgers and unfolds to rocky open sections…