SPORTS PULLOUT & CLASSIFIEDS INSIDE
• B SECTION • FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2021
THE REGION’S HUB FOR
OUTDOOR ADVENTURES
Each week in this section, you will find the area’s
most complete guide of what’s open and closed;
outdoor activities and events; top picks of places to
explore; conditions of hiking and biking trails,
fishing holes, water flows, camping spots, parks
and more — as well as features from outdoor
writers and field experts.
Craving
elevation,
but not
snow? Try
Gray Butte
BY CRISTINA PETERSON
For The Bulletin
The shoreline at South Twin Lake is home to many snags outside the day-use beach area.
Makenzie Whittle/ Bulletin photos
Beat the summer
crowds to take in
Twin
Lakes
WATER
A pine bough lay in a snow patch along
the North Twin Lake trail. The trail cur-
rently has moderate deadfall and sev-
eral patches of snow that remain.
BY MAKENZIE WHITTLE • The Bulletin
which reopens for the season April 20
The brilliant, crystal blue
with its restaurant opening April 22,
sky opened wide above the
modest South Twin Lake while a
variety of goldeneyes, canvasbacks and
meaning that summer is truly on the way
for Central Oregon.
Like many Central Oregonians, I have
mallard ducks glided gracefully along the
spent long summer days basking on the
surface without being disturbed by boats
wide beaches and swimming in the cool
or swimmers that fill the shores come
waters, but I haven’t seen it when snow
summer.
still clings to the southern shore.
South Twin Lake and its nearly identical
As that snow continues to melt and
neighbor, North Twin Lake, sit directly
temperatures steadily rise, the serenity the
northwest of Wickiup Reservoir off S .
ducks had on the lake will diminish as the
Century Drive near La Pine. The southern
popularity of the lakes increases.
sibling is home to the Twin Lakes Resort,
See Twin Lakes / B9
Spring arrives at different
times around Central Oregon.
East of the Cascades, at a lower
elevation, abundant sunshine
coaxes grasses and flowers out
of winter dormancy long ahead
of the high
alpine. Many
areas in the
High Desert
bloom with
wildflowers
in April and
TRAILS
May. If you
want to experience signs of
spring but are also craving var-
ied terrain before the mountain
trails thaw, explore Gray Butte.
This volcanic butte looms
about 5,000 feet in elevation
above Smith Rock State Park.
However, it is located within
the Crooked River National
Grassland. Designated in 1960
by Congress, the Grassland en-
compasses over 170,000 acres
stretching from Lake Billy Chi-
nook to the south and east.
The Grassland is administered
by the Ochoco National Forest
though remains a separate unit
by its unique designation.
Like most national forests
and grasslands, multiple uses
are allowed on Gray Butte.
Grazing and a large communi-
cation site on the summit ex-
isted before this area became
popular for recreation. For
a long time, the trails in the
area were mostly enjoyed by
horseback riders. Some still get
mostly equestrian use, such as
the Cole Loop.
Increasingly, the Gray Butte
Trail, especially, has become a
spring favorite for mountain
biking and trail running. Tech-
nical, rocky terrain mixed in
with smooth, buffed-out single
track keeps the adventures inter-
esting. And glorious views of the
High Desert spread out around
Gray Butte from angles unseen
anywhere else. There are sec-
tions of landscape that are hard
to recognize or seem unfamil-
iar because of the unique view-
points gained in this area.
The trails around Gray Butte
can be accessed from Smith
Rock State Park or by parking
at Skull Hollow Trailhead. The
campground at Skull Hollow
was recently expanded, offer-
ing more campsites to accom-
modate the growth in popu-
larity of this area. The adjacent
trailhead is likely to be im-
proved in the near future also.
Connecting the trails from
Smith Rock to Gray Butte
makes for a nice long day with
significant elevation gain.
Heading up the road from
Skull Hollow on foot or bike, to
the Gray Butte Trailhead, tak-
ing the Gray Butte Trail to the
Cole Loop Trail back down to
Skull Hollow to make a loop
around the Butte is another
good option.
See Gray Butte / B10
2021 SUMMER YOUTH ACTIVITY GUIDE
Get your copy in The Bulletin today!
• Valuable tool for planning ahead and keeping kids busy all summer long.
• Includes detailed information on day and overnight camps, art, science and
outdoor adventure programs and summer safety tips.
• Includes camps and other activities from out of the area.
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