Explore near Redmond and Prineville
Published 12:00 am Friday, December 3, 2021
- Two mountain bikers ride the Gray Butte Trail near Smith Rock State Park.
Take advantage of the unusually warm temperature for this time of year and go explore the pristine, dramatic landscapes of Smith Rock or the Ochoco National Forest. There is little snow in the forecast but always be prepared for cold temperatures and sudden changes in the weather. Check for the latest weather updates before heading out on your adventure.
For a full list of conditions updated regularly, please visit centraloregonexplore.com
Hiking and Day Use Sites
Ochoco National Forest
Alder Springs Trailhead: Open
Baneberry Trailhead: Open
Barnhouse Trailhead: Open
Black Canyon East (Formerly South Fork) Trailhead: Open
Black Canyon West (Formerly Dusty Camp) Trailhead: Open
Boeing Field Trailhead: Open
Coffeepot Trailhead: Open
Cottonwood Trailhead: Open
Cougar East Trailhead: Open
Cougar West Trailhead: Open
Cyrus Trailhead: Open
Fry Trailhead: Open
Giddy-Up Go Trailhead: Open
Gray Butte Trailhead: Open
Green Mountain North Trailhead: Open
Green Mountain South Trailhead: Open
Hammer Creek Trailhead: Open
Henderson Flat OHV Trail System: Open
Henderson Flat Staging Area: Open
Keeton Trailhead: Open
Kelsey 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
Mascall Corral (Formerly Apple West) Trailhead: Open
Mother Lode Mine Trailhead: Open
Payten Trailhead: Open
Potlid North Trailhead: Open
Potlid South Trailhead: Open
Rim (Formerly Apple Middle) Trailhead: Open
Rimrock Springs Trailhead: Open
Rock Creek Trailhead: Open
Round Mountain North Trailhead: Open
Round Mountain South Trailhead: Open
Scales Corral Trailhead: Open
Skull Hollow Trailhead: Open
South Prong Trailhead: Open
Steins Pillar Trailhead: Open
Tam-A-Lau Trailhead: Open
Trail Crossing Corrals Trailhead: Open
Twin Pillars North Trailhead: Open
Twin Pillars South Trailhead: Open
Walton Lake Trailhead: Closed
Wildcat North Trailhead: Open
Wildcat South Trailhead: Open
Bureau of Land Management
Chimney Rock Trail: Open
Cline Buttes Recreation Area: Open
Horny Hollow Trail: Open
Huntington Wagon Road: Open
Lower Crooked River: Open
North Fork: Open
Redmond Caves Recreation Site: Open
Scout Camp Trail: Open
Steelhead Falls Trail: Open
Trout Creek Trail: Open
Oregon State Parks
Cline Falls State Scenic Viewpoint: Open
Cove Palisades State Park: Open; seasonal winter closures in place, ABC (Deschutes) Campground, South and Middle Loops of E (Crooked River) are closed, Lower Deschutes Day Use closed, marina closed
Peter Skene Ogden State Scenic Viewpoint: Open
Prineville Reservoir State Park: Open; boats with motors are not advised due to low water; Prineville Reservoir, Powderhouse Cove and Jasper Point boat ramps closed
Smith Rock State Park: Open
Camping
Ochoco National Forest
Allen Creek Horse Camp: Open; no campfires
Barnhouse Campground: Open; no campfires
Big Spring Campground: Open; no campfires
Biggs Springs Campground: Open; no campfires
Bingham Springs Campground: Open; no campfires
Cold Springs Guard Station: Open; no campfires
Cottonwood Campground: Open; no campfires
Cottonwood Pit Campground: Open; no campfires
Cyrus Horse Camp: Open; no campfires; no campfires
Dry Creek Horse Camp: Open; no campfires
Elkhorn Campground: Campground: Open; no campfires
Frazier Campground: Open; no campfires
Mud Springs Horse Camp: Open; no campfires
Ochoco Ranger Rental House: Open; no campfires
Salters Cabin Horse Camp: Open; no campfires
Scotts Campground: Open
Whistler Campground: Open; no campfires
White Rock Campground: Open; no campfires
Wildwood Campground: Open; no campfires
Wiley Flat Campground: Open; no campfires
BLM — Prineville District
Barr Road North Staging Area: Open; no campfires
Big Bend Campground: Open; no campfires
Buckhorn Staging Area: Open; no campfires
Castle Rock Campground: Open
Chimney Rock Campground: Open
Cobble Rock Campground: Open
Lone Pine Campground: Open; no campfires
Macks Canyon Recreation Site: Open; no campfires
Palisades Campground: Open
Post Pile Campground: Open
Steelhead Falls: Open; no potable water; no campfires
Stillwater Campground: Open
Cycling
Prineville and Ochoco trails
Independent Mine: Rideable snow, deadfall reported
Round Mountain: Muddy
All other trails riding well
Maston complex
All trails riding well
Redmond trails
The Saddle: Closed for nesting eagles, likely to reopen late fall of 2021
All trails riding well
Madras East Trails
E-Bikes allowed on all trails
All trails riding well
Fishing
Updated at 9 a.m. Dec. 2
Lower Deschutes (Pelton Dam to Columbia River): 4,700 cfs; redband trout, steelhead, whitefish; emergency closure from mouth to Sherars Falls in effect for steelhead, mouth to Moody rapids is closed to all fishing, water temps are declining, fall Chinook and coho numbers are starting to increase
Middle Deschutes (Benham Falls to Lake Billy Chinook): 4,060 cfs; brown trout, rainbow trout; anglers reporting good fishing in the mornings and evenings; artificial flies and lures only, no limit on brown trout
Crooked River (below Opal Springs): 1,200; rainbow trout and mountain whitefish; any trout over 20 inches are considered steelhead and must be released, bull trout must be released unharmed and reported to the USFW at crookedbulltrout@fws.gov
Metolius River: 1,750 cfs; bull trout, rainbow trout; good fishing reported; fly fishing only upstream of Bridge 99, artificial lures and flies permitted below; catch and release only; public access to Wizard Falls Hatchery remains closed
Prineville Reservoir: 18% full; rainbow trout, small and largemouth bass, catfish, crappie, crayfish; trout fishing has been good near the dam, all boat ramps are closed due to low water
Ochoco Reservoir: 12% full; rainbow trout, black crappie, smallmouth bass; water level is still extremely low and bank access is limited to walk-in only
Haystack Reservoir: 89% full; rainbow and brown trout, kokanee, largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill and bullhead catfish
Lake Billy Chinook: Bull, brown and rainbow trout, kokanee, smallmouth bass; bass fishing picking up with kokanee and bull trout fishing being fair
Walton Lake: Rainbow trout; well stocked with active fish in the cooler water
Fire danger is currently listed as Moderate in the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and Crooked River Grasslands. It is listed as Low in the Willamette National Forest.
Industrial Fire Precaution Level has been lowered to Level 1 as of Oct. 1
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
The following trails will be closed weekly every Monday through 3 p.m. Friday. They will be open on weekends and federal holidays.
- Lower Whoops and Pine Drops between FS Road 310 and FS Road 300
- Phil’s Trail between FS Road 4601-336 and FS Road 300