Central Oregon outdoors, ski and trail conditions
Published 12:00 am Thursday, March 3, 2022
- Catherine Jasper makes her way back to the Lava Lands parking lot after hiking up Lava Butte in this photo from February 2021.
Hiking and Day Use Sites
NOTE: Many of the trails along seasonally closed highways and forest service roads remain open, but can only be accessed by hike, snowshoe, cross country ski or snowmobile due to accumulating snowfall. See Forest websites for more details and restrictions.
Deschutes National Forest
Fall River Trail: Open; snow, ice and mud
Horse Butte Trailhead: Open; light deadfall above Swamp Wells Horse Camp near junction with Crater Rim; snow, ice and packed snow
Lava Cast Forest Trailhead: Open; snow, ice and packed snow
Lava Lands: Open; visitor center closed for season, trails still open; snow and ice
Metolius-Windigo: Open; packed snow, snow and ice
Peter Skene Ogden Trailhead: Open; snow, ice, packed snow; deep snow above Mckay
Sun Lava Trailhead: Open; heavy use on weekends; snow, packed snow and ice
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
Ski areas and sno-parks
Updated 10 a.m. March 3
Hoodoo: Open; 52.8-inch base; Tiny Treat, Leap of Faith, Dante’s Vision. Hodag’s Horn, Hodag’s Trail, Rabbit Run, Impossible Dream Lower closed, all other trails open
Mt. Bachelor: Open; 69-inch base; Skyliner is closed for the season, all other lifts open
Willamette Pass: Open; Twilight and EPA operating
Updated 10 a.m. Feb. 23
Deschutes National Forest
Crescent Lake Sno-park: Open; 12-36 inches; poor conditions with shallow coverage
Crescent Junction: Open; 12-36 inches; poor conditions with shallow coverage
Newberry (Six Mile Sno-park): Open; 0-10 inches; poor conditions due to low snow
Newberry (10 Mile Sno-park): Open; 12-30 inches; fair conditions with thin coverage; Road 21 beyond 10 Mile closed to vehicles for winter season
Willamette National Forest
Salt Creek Sno-park: Open
Waldo Lake Sno-park: Open
Cycling
Fatbike and Winter trails
Horse Butte Loop, Maston: Riding well
Ben’s, MTB, Kent’s: Muddy
Wanoga: 3 PSI, Wanoga: Outer Loop: Rideable snow
Sunriver area trails
Afternoon Delight: Winter mix
All other trails deep snow
Waldo Lake Region
All trails under deep snow
Fishing
Updated at 10 a.m. March 3
Upper Deschutes at Benham Falls: 460 cfs; rainbow trout, brown trout; fishing closed until May 22
Fall River: Brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout; good fishing throughout the river; fly-fishing with barbless hooks only
Crane Prairie Reservoir: 82% full; closed to fishing until April 22
Wickiup Reservoir: 48% full; closed to fishing until April 22
East Lake: Brown trout, kokanee, rainbow trout, Atlantic salmon; good fishing but water temps are warm; water level is lower for this time of year, may be difficult launching larger boats
Paulina Lake: Kokanee, rainbow and brown trout; good fishing for kokanee and brown trout; Paulina-East Lake Road closed for the winter
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; Odell Creek Channel and Odell Creek are closed to fishing upstream of the West Davis Lake Campground boat launch until May 22
Lava Lake: Rainbow trout; algae bloom; recent reports are mixed, should improve when the 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; Cascade Lake Highway closed for winter; 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: 9% 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 nonmotorized vessels
Odell Lake: Lake trout, kokanee, rainbow trout; good fishing for kokanee with some larger fish being caught; 25 kokanee per day in addition to daily trout limit
Fire danger is currently listed as Low 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 Monument Area will be closed to climbing beginning January 10th, 2022.
• The Canyon Trail near the Bald Eagle nest is restricted to travel in groups of 4 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 park-wide ban on drones is in effect for remainder of nesting season.
More Conditions

Heading outside: Tamolitch Falls along the McKenzie River Trail makes for a great springtime destination
