Bulletin file photoA mountain biker rounds a corner while riding the Maston Area Trails.

If you’re not sure where to go this week, try exploring east of Bend. With plenty of room to roam, interesting geologic features and wide-open skies, the eastern side of Central Oregon is a wonderful place to explore any time of year.

This weekend the temperatures are looking cold so wherever you decide to go, dress in lots of warm layers. 

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

Hiking and Day Use Sites

NOTE: The snow line is around 4,500 feet and most summer trails have some snow on them. These trails remain open, but may only be accessed by hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing or snowmobiling due to accumulating snowpack. See forest websites for more details and restrictions.

Deschutes National Forest

• Pine Mountain: Open

Ochoco National Forest

• Antelope Flat Reservoir: 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
• 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
• Rock Creek Trailhead: Open
• Round Mountain North Trailhead: Open
• Round Mountain South Trailhead: Open
• Scales Corral Trailhead: Open
• Scotty Creek 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

• Badlands Rock Trail: Open
• Black Hills ACEC: Open; climbing and geocaching are prohibited
• Chimney Rock Trail: Open
• Christmas Valley Sand Dunes: Open
• Cline Buttes Recreation Area: Open
• Crack-in-the-Ground: Open
• Dry River Canyon Trail: Open
• Derrick Cave: Open
• Flatiron Rock Trail: Open
• Fossil Lake ACEC: Open; motor vehicles and fossil collecting prohibited
• Green Mountain: Open
• Lost Forest: Open, vehicles restricted to designated roads only
• Lower Crooked River: Open
• North Fork: Open
• Oregon Badlands Wilderness Tumulus Trail: Open

Oregon State Parks

• Fort Rock State Natural Area: Open; rock scrambling closed in southeast area to protect nesting falcons; cave tours canceled
• Jasper Point: Open; boats with motors are not advised due to low water
• Prineville Reservoir State Park: Open; boats with motors are not advised due to low water

Ski areas and sno-parks

Updated 10 a.m. Dec. 1

• Hoodoo: Closed
• Mt. Bachelor: Open; 38-inch base
• Willamette Pass: Closed

Updated 10 a.m. Dec. 1

Ochoco National Forest

• Bandit Springs Sno-park: Open
• Mark’s Creek Sno-park: Open
• Ochoco Divide Sno-park: Open
• Walton Sno-park: Open

Camping

Deschutes National Forest

• Pine Rest Campground: Open

Ochoco National Forest

• Allen Creek Horse Camp: Open; no campfires
• Antelope Flat Reservoir Campground and Day Use: Open
• 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 campfire Creek Campground: Open
• 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
• Skull Hollow Campground: Open
• Sugar Creek Campground and Day Use Area: 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

• Big Bend Campground: Open; no campfires
• Castle Rock Campground: Open
• Chimney Rock Campground: Open
• Cobble Rock Campground: Open
• Lone Pine Campground: Open
• Palisades Campground: Open
• Post Pile Campground: Open
• Stillwater Campground: Open

Cycling

Fatbike & Winter Trails

• Ben’s » MTB » Kent’s Trail, Tumalo Creek, Horse Butte: Rideable snow
• Maston: Riding well
• Wanoga 3 PSI, Wanoga Outer Loop: Closed

East of Bend trails

• All trails under deep snow

Prineville and Ochoco trails

• Scotty Creek: Variable
• Potlid, Prineville Bike Park: Needs new report
• All other trails riding well

Fishing

Updated at 10 a.m. Dec. 1

• Crooked River (below Opal Springs): 1,210; 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, the water is currently low and dirty with plenty of aquatic vegetation in the channel
• Prineville Reservoir: 10% 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: 0% full; rainbow trout, black crappie, smallmouth bass; water level is still extremely low and bank access is limited to walk-in only
• Walton Lake: Rainbow trout; no recent update

Fire danger is listed as Moderate in the Ochoco National Forests and the Crooked River Grasslands. It is listed as low in the Deschutes and Willamette National Forests.

Industrial Fire Precaution Level has been lowered to 0 as of Nov. 1 in the Deschutes, Ochoco and the Crooked River Grasslands. It is still at a level 1 in the Willamette National Forests.

There are still some closures in the Deschutes National Forest as a result of the Cedar Creek Fire. Check inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8307/ for updates.

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

• Peregrine and Prairie Falcon climbing closures have been lifted as of July 16, 2022. The parkwide ban on drones has also been lifted.