Central Oregon trail conditions: Wanoga trails reopen, and rainbow trout are biting at Laurance Lake
Published 9:00 am Saturday, October 5, 2024
- A mountain biker gets some air over rocks on the Upper Tyler’s Traverse Trail in the Wanoga Trail Complex southwest of Bend.
More warm fall weather is on the way this weekend.
Saturday’s high is 74 degrees Fahrenheit, and Sunday’s high is 77 degrees. Monday and Tuesday should be similar. The forecast predicts clear skies and sun all four days.
Enjoy the warm weather and get up high. Most trails are in good shape, if not a little dusty and sandy. Ride and hike in the mountains while you still can.
Below are some recommended spots for recreation this weekend. For mountain bike and other trail-specific updates, check out bendtrails.org and the BendTrails Facebook group.
Wanoga trails reopen following fire closures
Wanoga area trails reopened last week following evacuation orders and fire closures due to Bachelor Complex, Little Lava Lake, Firestone and Flat Top fires last month. South of Century Drive, most of these trails are intermediate level, except for Catch and Release and Steve Larsen, which are beginner trails, and Lone Wolf, which is expert. All these are flowing and fun, and being close to the river, they can connect the Deschutes area near Sunriver to Tyler’s Trailhead and the Wanoga trail system via a variety of trail combinations.
Funner, a popular, two-way technical trail and shuttle route in the summer, pairs well as a climb and descend loop from Wanoga Trailhead with its neighbor Tiddlywinks. (The entire length of Tiddlywinks will be closed Monday through Friday due to maintenance in the area, according to the U.S. Forest Service.)
For a longer loop, head out from the trailhead via Upper Tiddlywinks and take Kiwa Butte to the top of Tyler’s Traverse. The one-way trail has 1,700 feet of vertical and a variety of features, including an uphill route from the trailhead at the bottom. Another option is to head the opposite way on Dinah Moe Humm, which is a 6-mile trail that heads west to Edison Sno-Park. The trail is more of a cross-country trail compared to some of the other Wanoga trails, and has one decent climb/decent along the way with some great views of Bachelor and a bench at the summit.
If you’re lucky enough, you can do both Dinah Moe and Tyler’s and have someone pick you up the trailhead at the bottom.
Rainbow trout at Laurance Lake, plus hiking, views
Fly-anglers have reported success catching rainbow trout at Laurance Lake near Mount Hood, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) website. Now’s the time to get in one last weekend before the snow falls up there. Although the water level of the reservoir has dropped in the last few weeks, anglers continue to see consistent returns on trout.
Buoys are deployed near the mouth of Pinnacle Creek and Clear Branch to indicate the fishing boundaries. They have been adjusted over the irrigation season as the reservoir pool has lowered.
Bull trout are also abundant at Laurance this time of year. Anglers who catch a bull trout should practice good catch-and-release techniques, keep the fish wet, and release all bull trout unharmed, as regulations call for.
The Laurance Lake area also has great hiking. Spend the morning and evenings out fishing on the lake and the day on the Laurance Lake High Ridge Trail. The 6.6-mile, out-and-back trail starts at Clear Branch Dam and climbs nearly 1,200 feet up the lake’s north side ridge, offering wide-open views of Mount Hood and the lake below. Considered moderately challenging by AllTrails, the hike takes an average of three hours to complete. Dogs are welcome but must be on a leash.
The lake is about a 160-minute drive from Bend. Camping at Kinnikinnick Campground appears to have closed for the year. The day use area is expected to close by mid-October.
Check out the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s website for more fishing reports.
Enjoy fall colors in Shevlin Park
Shevlin Park is a great spot to go this time of year for fall colors, and a perfect destination to take the family. The park has easy hiking and mountain bike trails and a pond for the kids to fish.
Donated to the community in 1920, the park is part of Bend’s parks and recreation district. Located in Northwest Bend, its nearly 5-mile loop trail along Tumalo Creek is a beautiful option for a quick midday jaunt. The trail winds its way through old-growth forest and High Desert sage-covered lands, offering rich nature scenery. Dogs are welcome but must be on a leash.
For a full list of conditions updated regularly, visit bendbulletin.com/explore/conditions.
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