Steelhead Falls on the Middle Deschutes near Crooked River Ranch.

Recreationalists looking to indulge in fall activities have been greeted by warm, mild weather this week, offering a great opportunity to head out to the trails north of Bend. Most trails in the area should be dry and free of snow. Expect overcast skies this weekend with temperatures reaching the 60s and possible rain Saturday.

Sno-parks have opened up, so keep an eye on the forecast. It may snow at higher mountainous elevations beginning next week. And don’t forget to pick up a permit before you head. Most sno-parks require one as of Nov. 1.

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

Hiking and Day Use Sites

Deschutes National Forest

• Bear Valley Trailhead: Open
• Black Butte Trailhead: Open; likely snow on upper portions
• Black Crater Trailhead: Open; snow likely near summit
• Buttes Loop Trailhead: Open; patchy snow
• Cabot Lake Trailhead: Open; snow free and clear from trailhead to point 1.25 miles past Cabot Lake, heavy blowdown beyond
• Canyon Creek Meadows: Open
• Chush Falls: Open; snow free and clear
• Cinder Beach Day Use: Open; snow free; operated by the Suttle Lodge
• Green Ridge Lookout: Open
• Green Ridge Trail: Open
• Head of Jack Creek Trailhead: Open; light downfall
• Metolius River Trail: Open
• Jack Lake Trailhead: Open; likely snow
• Jefferson Lake: Open; likely snow on upper portions
• Lake Creek Trail: Open; snow free and clear
• Lava Camp Lake Trailhead: Open; possible snow
• Lower Black Butte Trailhead: Open
• Lower Bridge Day Use: Open
• Lower Canyon Creek (West Metolius Trailhead): Open
• Metolius-Windigo: Open; likely snow
• Millican Crater Trailhead: Open; possible snow
• Park Meadow: Open
• Pole Creek Trailhead: Open; snow likely about 4,500 feet
• Rockpile Lake: Open; likely snow on upper portions
• Round Lake Trailhead: Open; light downfall
• Scott Pass Trailhead: Open; possible snow
• Scout Lake Day Use: Open
• Sisters Cow Camp: Open
• Sisters Mirror Trailhead: Open
• Suttle Lake Day Use: Open
• Tam McArthur Rim Trailhead: Open
• Whychus Creek Overlook Trailhead: Open; please stay on designated trails
• Whychus Portal (Lower Whychus Trailhead): Temporarily closed, follow signs to alternate parking area

Deschutes National Forest — Diamond Peak Wilderness

• Crater Butte Trailhead: Open
• Fawn Lake Trail: Open
• Snell Lake Trail: Open
• Whitefish Creek Trail: Open
• Yoran Lake Trail: Open; likely snow
• Stag Lake Trail: Open

Ochoco National Forest

• Alder Springs Trailhead: Open
• Cyrus Trailhead: Open
• Giddy-Up Go Trailhead: Open
• Gray Butte Trailhead: Open
• Henderson Flat OHV Trail System: Open
• Henderson Flat Staging Area: Open
• Rimrock Springs Trailhead: Open
• Scales Corral Trailhead: Open
• Skull Hollow Trailhead: Open
• Tam-A-Lau Trailhead: Open
• Trail Crossing Corrals Trailhead: Open

Willamette National Forest — Three Sisters Wilderness Area

• Dee Wright Observatory: Open

Willamette National Forest — Diamond Peak Wilderness

• Bear Mountain Trail: Open
• Blue Lake Trail: Open
• Corrigan Lake Trail: Open
• Diamond Peak North: Open
• Diamond Peak South: Open
• Diamond Peak Tie: Open
• Happy Lake: Open
• Hemlock Butte Trail: Open
• Marie Lake Trail: Open
• Mt. Yoran Trail: Open
• Pioneer Gulch Trail: Open
• Rockpile Trail: Open

Willamette National Forest — Waldo Lake Wilderness Area

• Abernethy-Deer Creek Trailhead: Open
• Betty Lake Trailhead: Open
• Betty Lake Trailhead: Open
• Black Creek Trail: Open
• Bobby Lake Trailhead: Open
• Bunchgrass Trailhead — Lower: Open
• Bunchgrass Trailhead — Upper: Open
• Cupit Mary Meadow Trail: Open
• Devil’s Garden Trailhead: Open
• Erma Bell Trailhead: Open
• Fuji Mountain Trailhead at Gold Lake: Open
• Gander Lake Trailhead: Open
• Gold Lake Day Use Area: Open
• Harralson Trail: Open
• Helen Lake Trailhead: Open
• High Divide Trailhead: Open
• Jim Weaver Loop Trailhead (Waldo Lake Trail): Open
• Koch Mountain Trailhead: Open
• Marilyn Lakes Trailhead: Open
• Mt. Ray Trailhead: Open
• North Waldo Day Use Area: Open
• Rigdon Lakes Trail: Open
• Salmon Lakes — Waldo Mountain Trailhead: Open
• Spirit Lake-Waldo Meadows Trailhead: Open
• Swan Lake Trailhead: Open
• Twin Peak Trailhead: Open
• Verdun Trailhead: Open
• Wahana Trail: Open
• Whig and Torrey Way Trailhead: Open
• Winchester Ridge Trailhead: Open

Bend Park & Recreation Trails

• Alpine Trail: Open
• Big Sky Park: Open
• Cascade Highlands Trail: Open
• Central Oregon Historic Canal Trail: Open
• Coyner Trail: Open
• Deschutes River Trail — Awbrey Reach: Open
• Deschutes River Trail — Old Mill Reach: Open
• Deschutes River Trail — Pioneer Reach: Open
• Deschutes River Trail — River Run Reach: Open
• Deschutes River Trail — South Canyon Reach: Open
• Discovery Trail: Open
• Haul Road Trail: Open
• Larkspur Trail: Open
• Outback Trail: Open
• Pine Nursery Park Trail: Open
• Riley Ranch Nature Reserve Trails: Open
• Rockridge Park Trail: Open
• Sawyer Park Trails: Open
• Shevlin Park Trails: Open
• Stone Creek Park Trail: Open
• West Bend Trail: Open

Bureau of Land Management

• Cline Buttes Recreation Area: Open
• Horny Hollow Trail: Open
• Huntington Wagon Road: Open
• Redmond Caves Recreation Site: Open
• Scout Camp Trail: Open
• Steelhead Falls Trail: Open
• Tumalo Reservoir: Open
• Trout Creek Trail: Open

Oregon State Parks

• Cline Falls State Scenic Viewpoint: Open
• Cove Palisades State Park: Open
• Peter Skene Ogden State Scenic Viewpoint: Open
• Smith Rock State Park: Open
• Tumalo State Park: Open

Ski areas and sno-parks

Updated 11 a.m. Nov. 2

Deschutes National Forest

• Three Creek Sno-park (Upper): Open as of Nov. 1; no report
• Walt Haring Sno-park: Open as of Nov. 1; no report

Willamette National Forest

• Gold Lake Sno-park: Open as of Nov. 1; no report
• Maxwell Sno-park: Open as of Nov. 1; no report
• Potato Hill Sno-park: Open as of Nov. 1; no report
• Ray Benson Sno-park: Open as of Nov. 1; no report
• Salt Creek Sno-park: Open as of Nov. 1; no report
• Santiam Sno-park: Open as of Nov. 1; no report
• Waldo Lake Sno-park: Open as of Nov. 1; no report

Camping

Deschutes National Forest

• Allen Springs Campground: Open
• Camp Sherman Campground: Open
• Lower Bridge Campground: Open
• Pine Rest Campground: Open

BLM — Prineville District

• Barr Road North Staging Area: Open
• Buckhorn Staging Area: Open
• Macks Canyon Recreation Site: Open
• Steelhead Falls: Open; no potable water

Cycling

Cascade Lakes trails

• All trails in deep snow

Prineville and Ochoco trails

• All trails riding well

Sisters trails

• Green Ridge: Sandy/loose
• Metolius Windigo (99 Upper): Variable, likely snow
• All other trails riding well

Maston complex

• All trails sandy/loose

Redmond trails

• All trails riding well

Madras East Trails

• E-Bikes allowed on all trails
• All trails riding well

Cascade Crest

• Swamp Peak: Variable
• Bachelor Mountain, Browder Ridge, Bruno Meadows, Bugaboo Ridge, Coffin Lookout, Gate Creek, Gordon Meadows, Heart Lake, Santiam Wagon: Needs Report
• All other trails: Riding Well

McKenzie Region

• Frissell: Needs report
• All other trails: Riding well

Fishing

Updated at 4 p.m. Nov. 1

• Lower Deschutes (Pelton Dam to Columbia River): 4,640 cfs; redband trout, steelhead, whitefish
• Middle Deschutes (Benham Falls to Lake Billy Chinook): 4,140 cfs; brown trout, rainbow trout; anglers should use caution on the river margins where shelf ice may be present; open year-round for trout, artificial flies and lures only, no limit on brown trout
• Crooked River (below Opal Springs): 197; 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: 1,200 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; the Metolius above Allingham Bridge is closed till May 22
• McKenzie River (at Clear Lake): 154 cfs
• McKenzie River (near Belknap Springs): 669 cfs; rainbow and coastal cutthroat trout; fire cleanup still being conducted in the area, access may be limited; all nonadipose fin-clipped trout must be released; lures and artificial flies only
• Ochoco Reservoir: 31% full; rainbow trout, black crappie, smallmouth bass; fishing has been good near Ochoco Dam with reports of nice size rainbow trout
• Haystack Reservoir: 76% full; rainbow and brown trout, kokanee, largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill and bullhead catfish; slow fishing until restocked and populations rebound
• Lake Billy Chinook: Bull, brown and rainbow trout, kokanee, smallmouth bass; anglers in the Deschutes arm are seeing bull, brown and rainbow trout, while a few bull trout are being caught in the Metolius arm; Tribal fishing permits are required for the Metolius; for the remainder of the reservoir, harvest is limited to one bull trout over 24 inches under the daily trout limit; anglers can now keep five kokanee in addition to daily trout limit; no bag or size limits on brown trout and bass

Fire danger is currently listed as Moderate in the Ochoco National Forests, the Crooked River Grasslands. The Deschutes National Forests and Willamette National Forests fire danger is low.

Industrial Fire Precaution Level has been lowered to 1 as of Sep. 20 in the Deschutes, Ochoco and the Crooked River Grasslands and the Willamette National Forests.

As of July 22, 2020 Deschutes River access is closed due to safety concerns and to prevent further erosion to the riverbank. The access point will be closed until further notice. For more information visit bendparksandrec.org

• The Monument Area will be open to climbing beginning July 7, 2023.