B10 The BulleTin • Friday, July 2, 2021
TOP PICKS
WHERE TO EXPLORE
Lakes and rivers to cool off in this weekend
Deschutes River — No, you don’t have to limit yourself to the crowded section of the river
at the Old Mill District. As fun as that area is it can look like a freeway on Thanksgiving for
how crammed with floaties the water can be. So find another section. The upper section of
the river near Sunriver meanders nicely for kayaking and swimming, though both should be
done with caution as the water can be very cold and deep. Just make sure to exit at the take-
out before Benham Falls.
Little Cultus Lake — The little brother to the brilliant blue lake popular for boating, Little
Cultus is great for kayaking or just splashing around. The 175 acre lake maxes out at 60 feet
deep in the middle with gently sloping shorelines great for wading. Also a nice fishing spot
for rainbow trout, it’s much quieter than its sibling but much more primitive in terms of ser-
vices.
Steelhead Falls — Popular for cliff jumpers, the 20 foot waterfall near Crooked River Ranch
offers some cool waters to swim in amongst the High Desert that surrounds it. The short
half-mile trail down descends rapidly into the canyon with picturesque geologic formations.
The trail is dry and dusty and can have rattlesnakes hiding under rocks, so watch your step
and bring extra water. The river will feel that much sweeter after the hike down.
— Makenzie Whittle, The Bulletin
Travis Fuller does a flip off a rocky outcropping near Steelhead Falls in 2017.
Ryan Brennecke/Bulletin file
Metolius
Continued from B1
Mark Morical/The Bulletin
Hiking trails line both banks of the Metolius River. Many of the trails
are closed to bikes, but there are other biking options in the area.
In many places, trails line
both banks of the river, cutting
through meadows, pines, firs,
bushes and colorful wildflow-
ers.
Hikers can walk trails all
the way from the head of
the Metolius on the river’s
south end to Candle Creek
Campground to the north.
Trail signs are posted at most
campgrounds, and an official
trailhead is at Canyon Creek
Campground.
The trails cut through about
10 campgrounds along the
river, making the Metolius an
ideal camping/hiking/fishing
destination.
Mason and I hiked down-
stream from Pine Rest for a few
miles, past the Gorge camp-
ground, where the river nar-
rows into a canyon and flows
mightily through the pristine
forest. There, the Metolius al-
ternates between surging white
rapids and deep, blue pools.
The Metolius can easily be
considered a hiking destina-
tion as well as a fly-fishing des-
tination.
Biking
Because many of the trails
that line the Metolius are open
only to pedestrians, cyclists
need to get a little creative to
find their routes.
But the area is a gravel rider’s
paradise, with countless gravel
and dirt roads that branch out
west from the river toward the
Cascade Range.
For those seeking more of
a mountain biking adventure,
there is the 11-mile Lower
Butte Loop and the 13-mile
Upper Butte Loop around
Black Butte, as well as the 12-
mile Green Ridge trail, which
runs along the ridgeline just
east of the Metolius.
A tamer trail, and one that
Mason and I hiked downstream from Pine Rest for a few
miles … where the river narrows into a canyon and flows
mightily through the pristine forest. There, the Metolius
alternates between surging white rapids and deep, blue pools.
Mason and I decided on, is the
Camp Sherman trail. This is
an easy, flat trail that runs for
a few miles through the tiny,
quaint town of Camp Sherman
and connects to paved Forest
Road 14.
From Pine Rest camp-
ground, we road paved roads
along the river into Camp
Sherman, then connected to
the trail. We turned around
when we reached Road 14,
making for a 10-mile, out-and-
back ride. We rode early in the
morning to avoid the heat.
As temperatures are ex-
pected to reach the high 90s
this weekend, the cold, clear
water of the Metolius and
the shady forest that sur-
rounds it provide the perfect
respite from the scorching
conditions.
e
Reporter: 541-383-0318,
mmorical@bendbulletin.com
Trail closures west of
Bend
As of June 16 the following
trails are closed from Mon-
days to 3 p.m. Fridays (except
for federal holidays) due to
timber harvesting and forest
restoration work:
• Lower Whoops
• Pine Drops
• EXT
• Storm King from the junc-
tion with Forest Road 4615
and the junction with Phil’s
Trail
• Phil’s Trail between the
junction with EXT and it’s
western terminus at the
junction with Pine Drops
LES NEWMAN’S
QUALITY OUTDOOR WEAR
On NE Franklin Avenue across from Les Schwab
541-318-4868
Happy
Fourth of July!
We hope you have a happy and
safe holiday weekend, Central
Oregon! The nonprofi t Tower
Theatre Foundation staff, board,
and volunteers look forward to
seeing you soon.
Info and Tickets at
TowerTheatre.org • 541-317-0700