The crowds have now diminished in the ever-popular Cascade Lakes area, and though many campgrounds have closed for the season, there is still plenty of daily fun to be had in the mountains.

Catch the fall colors as they begin to change on open trails and take advantage of crisp autumn air on the lakes while you cast your line or paddle around. Soak it up now. Winter is coming and soon access will close for the season.

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

Hiking and Day Use Sites

Deschutes National Forest

• Aspen Day Use: Open
• Beach Day Use: Open
• Besson Day Use: Open
• Big Eddy Day Use: Open
• Broken Top Trailhead: Open; access road is only recommended for high clearance and 4X4 vehicles
• Charlton Lake Trailhead: Open
• Crane Prairie Picnic Area: Open
• Crater Butte Trailhead: Open
• Crater Ditch Trailhead: Open
• Cultus Lake Picnic Area: Open
• Deer Lake Trailhead: Open
• Devil’s Lake/South Sister Trailhead: Open
• Dillon Day Use: Open
• Dutchman Trailhead: Open
• Edison Trailhead: Open
• Elk Lake Day Use: Open; reported swimmer’s itch in the lake, swimmers are encouraged to towel dry immediately after swimming and water shortly after.
• Elk Lake Trailhead: Open
• Fall River Headwaters: Open
• Green Lakes Trailhead: Open; heavily used on weekends
• Johnny Lake Trail: Open
• Lava Island Day Use: Open
• Lava Lake Day Use: Open
• Lemish Lake Trailhead: Open
• Little Fawn Day Use: Open
• Lucky Lake Trailhead: Open
• Many Lakes Trailhead: Open; light blowdown for the first mile into the wilderness area, unknown beyond
• Meadow Picnic: Open
• Meek Lake Trail: Unknown
• Meissner Trailhead: Open
• Mirror Lakes: Open; light deadfall
• Moraine Lake: Open; please stay on trail and walk single file to protect the fragile meadow
• Osprey Point Day Use: Open
• Phil’s Trailhead: Open
• Quinn River Day Use: Open
• Rimrock Trailhead: Open
• Rosary Lakes Trailhead: Open
• Six Lakes Trailhead: Open; one down tree
• Skyliners Trailhead: Open
• Slough Day Use: Open
• South Twin Day Use — Launch: Open; reported swimmer’s itch in the lake, swimmers are encouraged to towel dry immediately after swimming and water shortly after
• Sparks Lake Trailhead: Open
• Steve Larson Trailhead: Open
• Sunset View Day Use: Open
• Swampy Lakes Trail: Open
• Todd Creek Horse Camp: Open
• Todd Lake Trailhead: Open; stay on trails and walk single file to protect the fragile meadow
• Tumalo Falls Trailhead: Open
• Tumalo Mountain: Open
• Wake Butte Trailhead: Open
• Wanoga Trailhead: Open
• Wickiup Plains Trailhead: Open
• Winopee Trailhead: Open

Camping

Note — Campfire restrictions have been lifted in designated campgrounds unless otherwise noted.

Deschutes National Forest

• Big River Campground: Open; no water
• Crane Prairie Campground: Partially open
• Devils Lake Campground: Open; no campfires
• East Lake Campground: Open; swimmer’s itch reported at the lake, swimmers are encouraged to towel dry immediately after swimming and rinse with water shortly after
• Gull Point Campground: Open
• Lava Lake Campground: Open
• Little Lava Lake: Campground: Open
• North Twin Lake Campground: Open; no water; reported swimmer’s itch in the lake, swimmers are encouraged to towel dry immediately after swimming and rinse with water shortly after
• South Twin Lake Campground: Open; swimmer’s itch reported at the lake, swimmers are encouraged to towel dry immediately after swimming and rinse with water shortly after
• West South Twin Campground: Open

Cycling

Phil’s Trail Complex

• Expressway, Grand Slam, Helipad, Marvin’s Garden, Ticket to Ride (North and South) and Upper Storm King: Sandy and loose
• All other trails are riding well

Wanoga Trail Complex

• Funner and Lower Storm King: Sandy and loose
• All other trails are riding well

North of Skyliner trails

• Lower Mrazek: Sandy and loose
• All other trails are riding well

Swampy Lakes trails

• Upper Flagline: Sandy and loose
• Swampy/Dutchman: Riding well; deadfall reported
• All other trails are riding well

Cascade Lakes trails

• Metolius-Windigo (Todd Lake): Riding well
• Edison-Lava and Metolius-Windigo (Lava Lake): Riding well; deadfall reported

Mt. Bachelor

• Closed for the season

Fishing

Updated at 8 a.m. Oct. 1 

• Upper Deschutes at Benham Falls: 994 cfs; section is closed for the season to anglers.
• Fall River: No flow data available; brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout; fly fishing only with barbless hooks; fishing has been good for trout, all public access to the hatchery remains closed 
• Crane Prairie Reservoir: 65% full; brook trout, kokanee, largemouth bass, rainbow trout; water temperature is warm and fishing is fair for rainbows, wild rainbow trout must be released.
• Wickiup Reservoir: 1% full; kokanee, rainbow and brown trout, largemouth bass and catfish; Deschutes Arm is closed from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife marker at Gull Point to the markers near Sheeps Bridge
• 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; best methods are still-fishing with bait and fly fishing by casting toward the banks. 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 with barbless hooks; good fishing and recreational crowds have diminished
• Elk Lake: Brook trout and kokanee; jigging, still-fishing and trolling from a boat or fly fishing are best
• Odell Lake: Recreational use advisory has been lifted
• Waldo Lake: Boating restricted to electric motors or non-motorized vessels; lake is no longer stocked, but some trout species have continued to repopulate the lake, fishing should pick up in October on the southern end of the lake.

Fire danger is currently listed as High in both the Deschutes National Forest and Ochoco National Forest.

As of Sept. 29, the Industrial Fire Precaution Level as been lowered to a Level 2, Partial Hootowl for the Deschutes and Ochoco national forests and the Prineville District — Bureau of Land Management.

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

Many sections of the trail remain closed including the entire section along the California/Oregon border and the sections in the Umpqua, Deschutes and Mount Hood national forests. Some sections within the Willamette National Forest are open, but though hikers should use caution and check a map as the trail winds in-between forests.