With cooler weather and possible — and much needed — rain on the way, now is a great time to get out and explore the arid High Desert region of Central Oregon.
Even though temperatures are more favorable for a desert hike or bike ride, still bring plenty of water as many places don’t have potable water available.
For a full list of conditions updated regularly, please visit centraloregonexplore.com
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 snow levels. See Forest websites for more details and restrictions.
Deschutes National Forest
Bessie Butte Trail: Open
Boyd Cave Day Use Area: Open
Horse Butte Trailhead: Open; mostly snow free and clear
Pine Mountain: Open
Ochoco National Forest
Alder Springs Trailhead: Open; access road open
Cyrus Trailhead: Open
Gray Butte Trailhead: Open
Henderson Flat OHV Trail System: Open
Henderson Flat Staging Area: Open
Rimrock Springs Trailhead: Open
Scales Corral Trailhead: Open
Skull Hollow Trailhead: Open
Tam-A-Lau Trailhead: Open
Bureau of Land Management
Badlands Rock Trail: Open
Black Hills ACEC: Open; climbing and geocaching are prohibited
Chimney Rock Trail: Open
Christmas Valley Sand Dunes: Open
Cline Buttes Recreation Area: Portions of Deep Canyon, Fryrear, Maston and Jaguar Road are closed through Aug. 31
Crack-in-the-Ground: Open
Derrick Cave: Open
Flatiron Rock Trail: Open
Fossil Lake ACEC: Open; motor vehicles and fossil collecting prohibited
Green Mountain: Open
Huntington Wagon Road: Open
Lost Forest: Open, vehicles restricted to designated roads only
Lower Crooked River: Open
North Fork: Open
Oregon Badlands Wilderness Tumulus Trail: Open
Redmond Caves Recreation Site: Open
Scout Camp Trail: Open
Steelhead Falls Trail: Open
Trout Creek Trail: South side of trail, including Trout Creek climbing walls is closed through Aug. 31
Oregon State Parks
Cline Falls State Scenic Viewpoint: Open; expect reduced services; restrooms are closed, portable toilet is on site; maintain social distancing and wear a mask
Cove Palisades State Park: Open for day-use and lake access; Crooked River Campground (E Loop) is open, Deschutes Campground and moorage slips will open May 14.
Fort Rock State Natural Area: Open; day-use hours 8 a.m,-8 p.m.; rock scrambling closed in southeast area to protect nesting falcons; cave tours cancelled for 2021
Jasper Point: Open; camping is closed for the season
Peter Skene Ogden State Scenic Viewpoint: Open
Prineville Reservoir State Park: Open; courtesy dock at Powderhouse ramp is not in use due to low water; no boat moorage in 2021 due to low water; Prineville Resort is closed and no fuel is available for purchase
Smith Rock State Park: Open — limited services; no camping; climbing closures to protect nesting raptors in place until August; park-wide drone ban is in effect.
Camping
Deschutes National Forest
Pine Mountain Campground: Open; no campfires
Ochoco National Forest
Cyrus Horse Camp: Open
Haystack Reservoir Campground and Day Use Area: Open
Haystack Reservoir Group Site: Open
Haystack West Shore Campground and Day Use Area: Open
Skull Hollow Campground: Open
BLM — Prineville District
Barr Road North Staging Area: Open
Big Bend Campground: Open
Buckhorn Staging Area: Open
Castle Rock Campground: Open
Chimney Rock Campground: Open
Cobble Rock Campground: Open
Lone Pine Campground: Open
Macks Canyon Recreation Site: Open
Palisades Campground: Open
Post Pile Campground: Open
Steelhead Falls: Open; no potable water
Stillwater Campground: Open
Cycling
East of Bend trails
Dry River Canyon: Closed through Aug. 31
Crooked Arm, Holy Loop, Sand Canyon: Sandy and loose
All other trails riding well
Prineville and Ochoco trails
66 Trails: Muddy
Cougar Creek, Independent Mine, Lookout Mountain, Round Mountain, Scotty Creek: Deep snow; deadfall reported
Prineville Bike Park: Riding Well
Maston complex
All trails riding well
Redmond trails
The Saddle: Closed for nesting eagles, likely to reopen late fall of 2021
All trails riding well
Madras East Trails
All trails riding well
Fishing
Updated at 8 a.m. April 22
Lower Deschutes (Pelton Dam to Columbia River): 4,930 cfs; redband trout, steelhead, whitefish; trout will continue to be less active through the winter but can be caught on something slow and tasty, steelhead fishing is done as most fish are entering spawning grounds in closed waters
Middle Deschutes (Benham Falls to Lake Billy Chinook): 3,810 cfs; brown trout, rainbow trout; water is high but clarity is good, hatches coming out on warmest part of the day; open year-round for trout, artificial flies and lures only; no limit on brown trout; fishing has been fair for browns and rainbows on rapalas and spinners
Crooked River (below Opal Springs): 1,158 cfs; rainbow trout and mountain whitefish; only fish downstream of Bowman Dam to Lake Billy Chinook; fishing has been good but water remains low; any trout over 20 inches are considered steelhead and must be released, bull trout must be released unharmed and reported to the USFW at crookedbulltrout@fws.gov
Prineville Reservoir: 61% full; rainbow trout, small and largemouth bass, catfish, crappie, crayfish; trout fishing has been fair, good for warm weather species
Ochoco Reservoir: 26% full; rainbow trout, black crappie, smallmouth bass; trout fishing should start increasing with lower temperatures; ramp still likely unusable due to low water levels
Haystack Reservoir: 74% full; rainbow and brown trout, kokanee, largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill and bullhead catfish; fishing is fair for rainbows on bait, troll and flies.
Lake Billy Chinook: Bull, brown and rainbow trout, kokanee, smallmouth bass; Metolius arm is now open but tribal fishing permit required, kokanee fishing has been excellent
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