Recommended Excursions In by newsdesk

Camping and Hiking Beachside State Recreation Site : This small, exquisite destination campground is right alongside miles of broad, sandy beach. Every site is mere seconds from the beach, which makes the park perfect for watching storms, sunsets and whales. This is a popular winter camping park. Beachside is an excellent mid-point stop as one takes a jaunt on the coast. Cove Palisades State Park : The Cove Palisades State Park is central Oregon's year-round recreational destination for the entire family. Located in Oregon's high desert region, the weather is sunny and warm in the summer months and chilly but generally mild in the winter. The park is situated among towering cliffs that surround beautiful Lake Billy Chinook. Rustic lakeshore log cabins can be found here. Nature lovers will find nearly 10 miles of hiking trails that give access to areas rich in wildlife and splendid scenery. State Recreation Area : The Deschutes River State Recreation Area is a tree-shaded overnight oasis for campers. The sparkle-laden, swift green rush of the Deschutes converges with the Columbia here, and there's no better place for family outing activities like hiking, biking, swimming, camping, rafting, world-class steelhead and trout fishing and equestrian trail riding. Spring comes early in the Deschutes canyon, painting the walls of the canyon green for a few months each year before heat begins to build in June, turning the vegetation a golden shade of brown. The canyon is sheltered and warmer than one might think; the first wildflowers break from winter's grip in late February. The early season brings a full fantasia of blooms on the canyon walls through June. What a great escape from the rainy weather. The Atiyeh Deschutes River Trail at river level is a favorite jaunt for hikers on hot summer days. One just can't beat the cool river and the shade of white alder and birch trees. One can find basket-type nests of orioles hanging from the trees. The Deschutes, drops about a quarter of a mile in its final 100 miles as it twists through canyons 700 to 2,200 feet deep. Great for days of fun whitewater rafting, kayaking, and inner-tubing. McIver State Park : River-lovers can challenge the sometimes wild (but always picturesque) Clackamas river with rafts, canoes or kayaks. One can hike, or ride a horse or spend a lazy afternoon playing the 18-hole disc golf course. : Appropriately enough for a park in the blustery , the name Viento (pronounced Vee-EN-toe) is Spanish for wind. Just an odd coincidence, actually. In this case, the name comes from the first letters of three railroad tycoons (Villard, Endicott and Tollman) who put the first railroad in the area. Viento is a great place to camp. A 1-mile trail from Viento to Starvation Creek takes you along a section of the Historic Columbia River Highway. Now a hiking trail, there hasn't been auto traffic here in more than 50 years. Hunting and Fishing : Like magic, a well-known walkway goes under the highway and emerges to the long expanse of sandy beach extending from (one can see the lighthouse from here) to the headlands of Otter Rock. When the weather cooperates, kites color the air and whip in the wind. Surfers often head to the north beach, while folks looking for fossils head south. A few steps from the ocean one can find the forest-sheltered campground. Giant, wind-sculpted trees and nurse logs surround the campsites strung along pebbly Spencer Creek. The picnic area is a grassy, tree-lined spot protected from summer winds by a charming yurt group meeting hall. Bonnie Lure State Park : If you want to get off the beaten path, Bonnie Lure State Park along Eagle Creek provides a refreshing getaway. You may catch a rare glimpse of a pileated woodpecker or hook an elusive steelhead trout (otherwise known as a silver-sided freight train) on its way back to the hatchery. : The first thing that strikes you when you arrive at Cascadia is the tranquility. The park is large and a pair of hiking trails give you a chance to explore the area. A .75 mile trail leads to the spectacular Soda Creek Falls. A newer trail ushers you through historic Douglas fir trees along the South Santiam River (a good place to fish and swim). Ruts from the historic Santiam Wagon Road are visible in the park .The trail was used as a military route in the 1800s. : One can immerse oneself in a subalpine pine forest where the air has that high-Cascades tang. It has a twisting, cold river brimming with trout (and a nearby legendary fly fishing spot) and surrounded by miles of waiting-to-be-explored wilderness. One can sit smack in the middle of dozens of high-mountain lakes (in winter, near some of the best ski-spots in the land), to see eagles or red-tailed hawks. Robert Straub State Park : Known locally as , the park is located in Pacific City. This is a nice place to go to walk on the beach and explore the Nestucca sand spit. The Nestucca River is legendary for 50 pound chinook salmon.

Recommended Excursions In Oregon by newsdesk