Central Oregon outdoors and trail conditions

Published 12:00 am Friday, June 10, 2022

Young mountain bikers ride along the Roundabout Trail near Sunriver in 2020.

After a warm week, this weekend brings another dose of rain to Central Oregon. While the forecast looks a little on the damp side, there’s still lots of terrain waiting to be explored.

Head toward the lush forests south of Bend or the arid ancient lake beds of Lake County for some solitude. Just don’t forget to bring a rain jacket and be prepared for whatever weather comes your way.

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

Hiking and Day Use Sites

NOTE: Trails above 6,500 feet are under deep snow. The snow line is around 5,000 ft. Most of the trails along seasonally closed highways and Forest Service roads remain open, but can only be accessed by hiking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing or snowmobiling due to snowpack. See forest websites for more details and restrictions.

Deschutes National Forest

Bessie Butte Trail: Open

Boyd Cave Day Use Area: Open

Fall River Trail: Open; likely snow-free and clear

Horse Butte Trailhead: Open; light deadfall above Swamp Wells Horse Camp near junction with Crater Rim; likely snow-free and clear; mud and snow in high elevation areas

Lava Cast Forest Trailhead: Open; likely snow-free and clear; NW Forest Pass required

Lava Island Day Use: Open

Lava Lands: Open; likely snow-free and clear

Lava River Cave — Show Cave: limited capacity, gate may periodically close to help with attendance limitations; cave only open to the halfway point at the Sand Garden

Lucky Lake Trailhead: Open; patchy snow with moderate downfall from trailhead to Lucky Lake; deep snow beyond Lucky Lake

Many Lakes Trailhead: Open; patchy and sometimes deep snow with possible downfall

North Twin Boating Area: Open; likely patchy snow with some downfall

Sun Lava Trailhead: Open; heavy use on weekends; snow-free and clear

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

Bureau of Land Management

Black Hills ACEC: Open; climbing and geocaching are prohibited

Christmas Valley Sand Dunes: Open

Crack-in-the-Ground: Open

Derrick Cave: Open

Fossil Lake ACEC: Open; motor vehicles and fossil collecting prohibited

Green Mountain: Open

Lost Forest: Open, vehicles restricted to designated roads only

Oregon State Parks

Fort Rock State Natural Area: Open; rock scrambling closed in southeast area to protect nesting falcons; cave tours canceled

La Pine State Park: Open

Camping

Deschutes National Forest

Big River Campground: Open

Blue Bay Campground: Open; no campfires

Bull Bend Campground: Open; no campfires

Candle Creek Campground: Open

Crane Prairie Campground: Open

Crescent Creek Campground: Open; no campfires

Crescent Lake Campground: Open

Cultus Corral Horse Camp: Open; no campfires

Cultus Lake Campground: Open

East Davis Lake Campground: Open

Fall River Campground: Open

Fall River Guard Station: Open

Gull Point Campground: Open

McKay Crossing Campground: Open; no campfires

North Davis Creek Campground: Closed for the season due to hazard trees

North Twin Lake Campground: Open

Ogden Group Campground: Open; no water

Prairie Campground: Open; no water

Pringle Falls Campground: Open; no campfires

Quinn River Campground: Closed for 2022 due to hazard trees

Reservoir Campground: Closed for 2022 due to hazard trees

Rock Creek Campground: Open

Sheep Bridge Campground: Open

South Shore Campground: Open

South Twin Lake Campground: Open

Sunset Cove Campground: Open

West South Twin Campground: Open

Whitefish Horse Camp: Open; likely melted out

Windy Group Campground: Open

Wyeth Campground: Open; no campfires

Cycling

Sunriver area trails

Crater Rim: Deep snow

All other trails riding well

Waldo Lake Region

All trails under deep snow

Fishing

Updated at 10 a.m. June 9

Upper Deschutes at Benham Falls: 1,380 cfs; rainbow trout, brown trout; anglers report good rainbow and brown trout fishing below Wickiup Dam

Fall River: Brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout; open to fishing all year; fly-fishing with barbless hooks only

Crane Prairie Reservoir: 90% full; rainbow trout, brook trout, largemouth bass, kokanee; anglers report improved fishing with warmer weather

Wickiup Reservoir: 38% full; kokanee, brown trout, rainbow trout, largemouth bass; anglers should expect to see fewer kokanee this year following recent reservoir drawdowns; under low water conditions, boat ramps may be unavailable for launching large watercraft

East Lake: Brown trout, kokanee, rainbow trout, Atlantic salmon

Paulina Lake: Kokanee, rainbow and brown trout; good fishing for kokanee and brown trout

North Twin Lake: Rainbow trout; good fishing reported

South Twin Lake: Rainbow trout; good fishing reported

Davis Lake: rainbow trout and largemouth bass; water level is low and it may be difficult to launch larger boats; fair fishing for largemouth bass; fly fishing only; fair fishing, catch and release for trout, no limit on size or number for warmwater fish;

Lava Lake: Rainbow trout; algae bloom; no road access due to snow; recent reports are mixed, should improve as water quality does

Little Lava Lake: Rainbow trout, brook trout and whitefish; ; best methods are bait, lures and flies, still-fished or trolled

Cultus Lake: Mackinaw, rainbow and brook trout; troll depths for mackinaw and shallower areas for rainbows

Hosmer Lake: Brook, cutthroat and rainbow trout; fly fishing and catch and release only with barbless hooks; good fishing reported

Elk Lake: Brook trout and kokanee; jigging, still-fishing and trolling from a boat or fly fishing are best

Diamond Lake: trout; all brown and tiger trout must be released; trout fishing has been good on lures; if you catch one over 20 inches, take it to the marina to be entered for a raffle

Crescent Lake: 17% full; kokanee, mackinaw, rainbow and brown trout, whitefish and chub; one lake trout per day, 24-inch minimum; fishing is poor; lake level is extremely low, developed ramps are unavailable for launching boats

Waldo Lake: Boating restricted to electric motors or non-motorized vessels

Odell Lake: Lake trout, kokanee, rainbow trout; fair fishing for kokanee with some larger fish being caught; 25 kokanee per day in addition to daily trout limitmerged

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 April 1

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 has been closed to climbing since Jan. 10.

• The Canyon Trail near the Bald Eagle nest is restricted to travel in groups of four or less, and noise needs to be kept to a minimum.

• Peregrine and Prairie Falcon climbing closures will go into effect at a later date.

• A parkwide ban on drones is in effect for remainder of nesting season.

The Saddle is closed as of Feb. 1 and will be in effect for the remainder of the nesting season.

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