Conditions report: Take a hike, camp in the woods

Published 12:00 am Friday, July 24, 2020

Cool off under the shade of ponderosa pines in one of Central Oregon’s many forests. The following hikes and campgrounds feature wooded areas currently open.

For a full list of conditions updated regularly, please visit centraloregonexplore.com

Hiking and Day Use Sites

Deschutes National Forest

Bear Valley Trailhead: Open

Bessie Butte Trail: Open

Black Butte Trailhead: Open

Black Crater Trailhead: Open

Buttes Loop Trailhead: Open

Canyon Creek Trailhead: Open

Chush Falls: Open; snow-free until last half-mile

Cold Springs Day Use: Open

Crater Butte Trailhead: Open

Crater Ditch Trailhead: Open

Devil’s Lake/South Sister Trailhead: Open; likely snow-free for the first mile, deep snow beyond on the trail up to South Sister

Dutchman Trailhead: Open; Tumalo Mountain is likely clear of snow

Edison Trailhead: Open

Green Lakes Trailhead: Open; trail is snow-free with patches in the basin, light deadfall, heavy deadfall from Pole Creek trail to Park Meadow Junction

Lava Cast Forest Trailhead: Open

Lower Black Butte Trailhead: Open

Lower Canyon Creek (West Metolius Trailhead): Open

Meissner Trailhead: Open

Mile Camp Day Use: Open

Millican Trail Trailhead: Open; clear as far as Trout Creek Tie with heavy deadfall reported beyond

Pacific Crest Trail: Moderate blowdown throughout with deep snow on higher elevations

Park Meadow: Open; clear from the trailhead to 1/4-mile west of Whychus Creek

Phil’s Trailhead: Open

Pine Mountain: Open

Pole Creek Trailhead: Open

Rimrock Trailhead: Open

Scott Pass Trailhead: Open

Sisters Tie Trailhead: Open

Skyliners Trailhead: Open

Sparks Lake Trailhead: Open; likely snow-free with light deadfall

Swampy Lakes Trail: Open

Tam McArthur Rim Trailhead: Likely snow-free

Ten Mile Trailhead: Open

Tandy Bay Picnic Area: Open

Todd Creek Trailhead: Open; likely snow-free

Wake Butte Trailhead: Open

Wanoga Trailhead: Open

Whychus Creek Overlook Trailhead: Open

Whychus Portal (Lower Whychus Trailhead): Open

Wickiup Plains Trailhead: Open

Ochoco National Forest

Baneberry Trailhead: Open

Barnhouse Trailhead: Open

Black Canyon West (Formerly Dusty Camp) Trailhead: Open

Coffeepot Trailhead: Open

Cottonwood Trailhead: Open

Cougar West Trailhead: Open

Fry Trailhead: Open

Giddy-Up Go Trailhead: Open

Green Mountain North Trailhead: Open

Green Mountain South Trailhead: Open

Hammer Creek Trailhead: Open

Keeton Trailhead: Open

Line Butte East (Formerly Fawn Creek) Trailhead: Open

Line Butte West Trailhead: Open

Lookout Mountain Lower Trailhead: Open

Lookout Mountain Upper Trailhead: Open

Mother Lode Mine Trailhead: Open

Payten Trailhead: Open

Potlid North Trailhead: Open

Potlid South Trailhead: Open

Rock Creek Trailhead: Open

Round Mountain North Trailhead: Open

Round Mountain South Trailhead: Open

Steins Pillar Trailhead: Open

Walton Lake Trailhead: Open

Wildcat South Trailhead: Open

Bend Park & Recreation Trails

Coyner Trail: Open maintain social distancing

Deschutes River Trail — Awbrey Reach: Open; maintain social distancing

Deschutes River Trail — Old Mill Reach: Open; maintain social distancing

Deschutes River Trail — Pioneer Reach: Open; maintain social distancing

Deschutes River Trail — River Run Reach: Open; maintain social distancing

Deschutes River Trail — South Canyon Reach: Open; one-way trail, closed to bikes, keep dogs leashed, maintain social distancing

Pine Nursery Park Trail: Open; maintain social distancing

Riley Ranch Nature Reserve Trails: Open; maintain social distancing

Sawyer Park Trails: Open; maintain social distancing

Shevlin Park Trails: Open; maintain social distancing

Oregon State Parks

La Pine State Park: Open; reduced services

Tumalo State Park: Open; reduced services

Camping

Note — annual campfire restrictions are now in place on portions of the Deschutes, John Day, White and Crooked rivers as well as BLM land along Lake Billy Chinook. See centraloregonfire.org for more details.

Deschutes National Forest

China Hat Campground: Open

Cold Springs Campground: Open; no water

Crescent Creek Campground: Open; no water

Graham Corral Horse Camp: Open

Pine Mountain Campground: Open; no campfires

Quinn Meadow Horse Camp: Open

Sisters Cow Camp Horse Camp: Open

Soda Creek Campground: Open; no water, no campfires

Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland

Allen Creek Horse Camp: Open

Barnhouse Campground: Open

Cottonwood Campground: Open

Cottonwood Pit Campground: Open

Elkhorn Campground: Campground: Open

Mud Springs Horse Camp: Open

Ochoco Divide Campground: Open

Whistler Campground: Open

Wildcat Campground and Day Use Area: Open

Cycling

East of Bend trails

Arnold Ice Cave: Sandy and loose

Dry River Canyon: Closed to protect nesting raptors

Horse Butte Loop: Sandy and loose

All other trails riding well

Phil’s Trail Complex

Expressway, Marvin’s Garden, Ticket to Ride (North and South) and Upper Storm King: Sandy and loose

C.O.D., Phil’s and Upper Whoops are riding well with deadfall reported

All other trails are riding well

Wanoga Trail Complex

Duodenum: Riding well with deadfall reported

Dinah Moe Humm, Tiddlywinks and Tyler’s Traverse: Sandy and loose

All other trails are riding well

North of Skyliner trails

Lower and Upper Mrazek: Sandy and loose

All other trails are riding well

Swampy Lakes trails

Lower Flagline, S.S.T., Sector 16, Swampy Lakes Loop, Swampy-Dutchman, Tumalo Ridge and Upper Flagline: Sandy and loose

Middle Flagline: Closed until Aug. 15 to protect elk habitat

All other trails are riding well

Cascade Lakes trails

Edison-Lava: Sandy and loose

Metolius-Windigo (Todd Lake): Riding well

Metolius-Windigo (Lava Lake): Riding well; deadfall reported

Mt. Bachelor

Last Chance and Redline need new reports

All other trails are riding well

Sunriver area trails

Black Rock: Sandy and Loose

Crater Rim, Elko Point and La Pine State Park: Riding well; deadfall reported

All other trails riding well

Prineville and Ochoco trails

66 Trails and Cougar Creek: Riding well; deadfall reported

All other trails riding well

Sisters trails

Green Ridge and Metolius-Windigo (Black Butte): Riding well; deadfall reported

Metolius-Windigo (99) and Peterson Ridge Tie: Sandy and loose

All trails riding well

Maston complex

All trails reporting sandy and loose conditions

Redmond trails

Dry Canyon: Riding well; deadfall reported

All other trails riding well

Fishing

Updated at 8 a.m. July 23.

Crane Prairie Reservoir: 80% full; brook trout, kokanee, largemouth bass, rainbow trout; fishing is good for “cranebows” and fair for bass, algae bloom throughout the lake but heaviest by the dam.

Wickiup Reservoir: 25% full; kokanee, rainbow and brown trout, largemouth bass and catfish

East Lake: Brown trout, kokanee, rainbow trout, Atlantic salmon; Fishing is fair with still-fishing, trolling, fly fishing, jigging and casting being the best methods.

Paulina Lake: Kokanee, rainbow and brown trout; fishing is fair for kokanee and browns. Recommended still-fishing, trolling, fly fishing and jigging.

Ochoco Reservoir: 32% full; rainbow trout, black crappie, smallmouth bass; fishing is fair to good

North Twin Lake: Rainbow trout; fishing is fair on powerbait, crawlers and trolled flies

South Twin Lake: Rainbow trout; fishing is fair on powerbait, crawlers, lures and flies

Davis Lake: Water level is low; rainbow trout and largemouth bass. Fly fishing only

Lava Lake: Rainbow trout; Still and fly fishing with casting lures toward the bank; fishing is good. Algae bloom.

Little Lava Lake: Rainbow trout, brook trout and whitefish; bait, lures and flies are best with still-fishing or trolled

Cultus Lake: Mackinaw, rainbow and brook trout; troll the depths for mackinaw and shallows for rainbow

Hosmer Lake: Brook, cutthroat and rainbow trout; fly fishing only

Elk Lake: Brook trout and kokanee; jigging, still-fishing and trolling from a boat or fly fishing are best

Crescent Lake: 47% full; kokanee, mackinaw, rainbow and brown trout, whitefish and chub; fair to good fishing for rainbow trout and kokanee

Odell Lake: Recreational use advisory in effect due to a harmful algae bloom

All raptor closure have been lifted.

Fire use restrictions are in place for lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, the Deschutes National Forest and the Ochoco National Forest and the Crooked River National Grassland.

All open fires, wood stoves and charcoal briquette fires are prohibited except in the certain designated campgrounds. See the full list on centraloregonfire.org or in the full conditions report available online at centraloregonexplore.com

The restriction does not apply to wilderness areas in the Deschutes National Forest.

As of July 14, a level 2 Industrial Fire Precaution Level or Partial Hoot Owl has been issued meaning the use of power saws for personal or commercial cutting operations may only happen between 8 p.m. and 1 p.m.

As of July 22, Deschutes River access is closed due to safety concerns and to prevent further erosion to the river bank. The access point will be closed until further notice. For more information visit bendparksandrec.org

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