The BulleTin • Friday, april 9, 2021 B9
TOP PICK OF THE WEEK
FISHING
SHEVLIN POND
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife maintains five
youth and family fishing ponds in Central Oregon, hoping
to get the next generation hooked on angling. Shevlin Pond,
in northwest Bend, is the only one of these ponds not filled by
irrigation water, according to the ODFW.
The cool water of Tumalo Creek feeds Shevlin Pond, which is
frequently stocked with rainbow trout. Most of the rainbows
in Shevlin average 8 to 10 inches in length, but the pond is
sometimes stocked with bigger fish. Shevlin Pond is re-
stricted to anglers 17 and younger.
Directions: Travel 4 miles west of Bend via Shevlin
Park Road. The pond is next to Aspen Hall.
Chimney Rock Trail
— Mark Morical, The Bulletin
Ryan Brennecke/Bulletin file
A young angler fights a rainbow trout at Shevlin Pond.
Springtime is the right time for finding more striking hues among
the usual colors in the desert.
PHOTO AND STORY
BY DAVID JASPER
The Bulletin
The Pink Trail leads down the canyon to the Crooked River.
Otter Bench
Continued from B1
Some hiking paths in the Ot-
ter Bench trail system are mod-
erately challenging, and some
are difficult. The trails down
to the rivers are the most de-
manding and bikes and horses
are prohibited on them.
After climbing back up the
steep Pink Trail, I continued on
toward the Opal Canyon Trail,
which leads to more dramatic
canyon views and makes a loop
at the south end of the trail
network.
The Opal Canyon Trail was
uphill and rocky, and brought
me to the side of a cliff that of-
fered views of the deep, rugged
canyon and the river far below.
The terrain there calls for some
caution, as the trail parallels
the edge of the canyon, the
drop-off just a few feet away.
I continued for a mile or so,
the trail leading to a higher
point on the ridge that show-
cased even more Crooked
River Gorge scenery. Eventu-
ally, the trail looped back to-
ward the Otter Bench Trail.
Another trail in the area,
the Horny Hollow Trail, is hik-
er-only and is closed from Feb.
1 to Aug. 31 to protect breed-
ing wildlife that are sensitive to
human activity.
I hiked briskly back toward
the parking area on the Otter
Bench Trail, the last half-mile
mostly downhill. I had hiked
about eight miles in three
hours, with an elevation gain of
a little more than 900 feet.
Many of the BLM trailheads
near Crooked River Ranch —
Otter Bench on the Crooked
River and Steelhead Falls, Foley
Waters and Scout Camp on the
Deschutes River — are reach-
able via public roads.
The hiker-only Steelhead
Falls and Foley Waters trails,
both popular among anglers,
have existed for many years
but are now defined and desig-
nated by the BLM.
As summer draws closer,
more Central Oregon hikers
Mark Morical/Bulletin photo
will turn their attention to the
forests and mountains. But
during spring, the Crooked
River Gorge offers some of the
most breathtaking desert scen-
ery in the region.
e e
Reporter: 541-383-0318,
mmorical@bendbulletin.com
Until a week ago, I hadn’t
been to Prineville Reser-
voir area in over a decade,
and even then, it was just a
drive-through on Crooked
River Highway (also an Or-
egon Scenic Bikeway for
you pedal-heads) en route
to Bend from Prineville be-
fore I discovered the speed
and ease of Millican Road.
But last week’s recommen-
dation of the area by col-
league Makenzie Whittle
piqued my curiosity about
hiking options there, which
led my daughter, Lucy, and
I to hike Chimney Rock
Trail. About 35 miles east
of Bend, Chimney Rock is
a 3-mile out-and-back hike
widely billed as “moder-
ate.” The 600-foot elevation
gain could be a little tougher
for some, but we encoun-
tered multiple generations
of friendly hikers, and no
matter how grueling, the
dramatic views of the rug-
ged Crooked River Canyon
make it worth the effort.
The upper sections of the
trail are fairly smooth and
firm, with some rocky sec-
tions and a bit of scree along
the way. The many junipers
lining the path provide a
modicum of shade, but I’d
recommend getting there
soon — you might even
glimpse wildflowers — or
making this a morning hike
come the heat of summer.
Getting there: From
Bend, take Highway 20 east
to Powell Butte Highway.
Proceed about one mile to
the roundabout, then head
east on Alfalfa Market Road,
through Alfalfa, continuing
east. Alfalfa Market Road
eventually becomes Wil-
lard Road and finally Reser-
voir Road. At the terminus,
continue north on OR-27/
Crooked River Highway 6.3
miles to the trailhead, on
right.
e e
Reporter: 541-383-0349,
djasper@bendbulletin.com
Central Oregon’s Best
Kept Secret
Indulge
in Self Care
Otter Bench
Trailhead
Access to Otter Bench and
Opal Canyon trails.
Directions: Turn west on
Lower Bridge Road, off U.S.
Highway 97 just north of
Terrebonne. Follow signs to
Crooked River Ranch. To find
the Otter Bench Trailhead,
continue past the golf course
to the end of the road, about
11 miles from Highway 97.
Look for a trailhead sign and
map. Parking is free.
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