If this holiday weekend looks a little different than other years, you’re not alone. Make new traditions by heading to the snowy woods or check out the frigid river and lakes south of Bend.
Bring your snowshoes or skis and take a trip — with a map — into the forest for some seasonal cheer. Snow levels will vary going into the weekend as snow and rain are possible throughout Central Oregon, so be prepared for anything. And bundle up!
For a full list of conditions updated regularly, please visit centraloregonexplore.com
Hiking and Day Use Sites
NOTE: Many of the trailheads and day use areas located 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 accumulating snowfall. See Forest websites for more details and restrictions.
Deschutes National Forest
Beach Day Use: Open
Benham East Trailhead: Open
Benham West Trailhead: Open
Bessie Butte Trail: Open
Big Eddy Day Use: Open
Boyd Cave Day Use Area: Open
Broken Top Trailhead: Open
Charlton Lake Trailhead: Open
Crescent Lake Guard Station: Open
Cultus Lake Day Use Area: Open
Deer Lake Trailhead: Open
Devil’s Lake/South Sister Trailhead: Open
Dillon Day Use: Open
Dutchman Trailhead: Open
Edison Trailhead: Open
Elk Lake Trailhead: Open
Fall River Headwaters: Open; snow free and clear
Green Lakes Trailhead: Open
Lava Cast Forest Trailhead: Open; patchy snow and ice
Lava Island Day Use: Open
Lava Lake Day Use: Open
Lava Lands Trails: Open; potential patchy snow and ice, visitor center is closed for the season; trails and parking area open
Sun Lava Trailhead: Open; potential patchy snow and ice, heavy use on weekends
Lemish Lake Trailhead: Open
Little Fawn Day Use: Open
Lucky Lake Trailhead: Open
Many Lakes Trailhead: Open
Meadow Picnic: Open
Meissner Trailhead: Open
Metolius-Windigo: Open
Paulina Falls Picnic and Trailhead: Open
Paulina Lake Day Use: Open
Peter Skene Ogden Trailhead: Open; patchy snow, ice and mud
Quinn River Day Use: Open
Rosary Lakes Trailhead: Open
Simax North and South Beach area: Open
Six Lakes Trailhead: Open
Slough Day Use: Open
South Twin Day Use — Launch: Open
Sparks Lake Trailhead: Open
Summit Lake: Open
Sunset View Day Use: Open
Swampy Lakes Trail: Open
Ten Mile Trailhead: Open
Tandy Bay Picnic Area: Open
Todd Lake Trailhead: Open
Tranquil Cove Day Use: Open
Tumalo Mountain: Open
Wake Butte Trailhead: Open
Wanoga Trailhead: Open
Winopee Trailhead: Open
Deschutes National Forest — Diamond Peak Wilderness
Crater Butte Trailhead: Open
Fawn Lake Trail: Open
Snell Lake Trail: Open
Whitefish Creek Trail: Open
Yoran Lake Trail: Open
Stag Lake Trail: Open
Bureau of Land Management
Black Hills ACEC: Open; climbing and geocaching are prohibited
Crack-in-the-Ground: Open
Green Mountain: Open
Oregon State Parks
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
La Pine State Park: Open, expect reduced services; winter day use hours are 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; meeting hall is closed
Ski areas and snow parks
Updated 8 a.m. Dec. 24
Hoodoo: Open; 34.9 inch base, Hodag lift closed, all other lifts operating
Mt. Bachelor: Open; 48 inch base; Summit, Chipmunk Carpet and First Rays lifts are closed
Willamette Pass: Closed Friday, will be reopen for regular operations Saturday; 22 inches at lodge
Deschutes National Forest
Crescent Lake Sno-Park: Open; 4-8 inches; poor conditions due to low snow
Crescent Junction: Open; 4-8 inches; poor conditions due to low snow
Dutchman Sno-Park: Open; 30-45 inches; good conditions, limited parking and no overnight camping; 40-foot max length limit for vehicle/trailer combination; expect heavy use
Edison Butte Sno-Park: Open; 4-12; inches; fair conditions due to low snow; area roads closed to highway vehicles through March 31, 2021
Kapka Butte Sno-Park: Open; 18-24 inches; good conditions; area roads closed to highway vehicles through March 31, 2021
Meissner Sno-Park: Open; 4-12 inches; fair conditions; area roads closed through April 1, 2021; no dogs; lodge currently closed
Skyliner Sno-Park: Open; unknown snow depth, access road closed for the season, road is now a ski/snowshoe trail
Swampy Sno-Park: Open; 10-20 inches; fair conditions; no dogs; area roads closed through March 31, 2021
Vista Butte Sno-Park: Open; 12-30 inches; fair conditions; area north of parking area closed to snowmobiles, use Kapka Butte or Wanoga
Wanoga Snow Play: Open; 6-18 inches; marginal — fast and icy conditions; expect heavy use; pack out broken sleds and all trash; shelter is closed
Wanoga Snowmobile: Open; 6-18 inches; good conditions; area roads closed to highway vehicles through March 31, 2021
Newberry (Six Mile Sno-Park): Open; 0-2 inches; poor conditions due to low snow.
Newberry (10 Mile Sno-Park): Open; 8-10 inches; fair conditions with thin coverage; road beyond park closed to vehicles for the season
Cycling
Fatbike and winter trails:
Ben’s-MTB-Kent’s, Horse Butte Loop: Muddy
Wanoga — 3 PSI, Wanoga — Outer Loop: Rideable snow
All other trials riding well
Wanoga Trail Complex
Deschutes River, Funner: Winter mix
Tiddlywinks, Catch and Release: Rideable snow
All other trails reporting deep snow
Swampy Lakes trails
Swampy Dutchman: Deep snow; deadfall reported
Tumalo Creek: Rideable snow
All other trails reporting deep snow
Cascade Lakes trails
Edison-Lava and Metolius-Windigo (Todd Lake): Deep snow
Metolius-Windigo (Lava Lake): Deep snow; deadfall reported
Mt. Bachelor
Batchy West XC: Deep snow; deadfall reported
Mountain trails closed for the season
Sunriver area trails
Black Rock: Rideable snow
Crater Rim: Deep snow
La Pine State Park: Ice
All other trails reporting a winter mix
Fishing
Updated at 8 a.m. Dec. 24
Upper Deschutes at Benham Falls: 484 cfs; section is closed for the season to anglers.
Fall River: Brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout; fish during warmest parts of the day; access limited depending on snow; fly fishing only with barbless hooks; fishing has been good for trout, all public access to the hatchery remains closed
Crane Prairie Reservoir: 78% full; brook trout, kokanee, largemouth bass, rainbow trout; fishing is closed for the season
Wickiup Reservoir: 30% full; kokanee, rainbow and brown trout, largemouth bass and catfish; fishing is closed for the season
East Lake: Brown trout, kokanee, rainbow trout, Atlantic salmon; access road is closed but fishing is open year-round
Paulina Lake: Kokanee, rainbow and brown trout; good fishing for trout and kokanee
North Twin Lake: Rainbow trout; fair fishing; high clearance vehicle needed to get to the lake
South Twin Lake: Rainbow trout; fair fishing; high clearance vehicle needed to get to the lake
Davis Lake: Water level is low; rainbow trout and largemouth bass. Fly fishing only
Lava Lake: Rainbow trout; access road is closed but fishing open year-round
Little Lava Lake: Rainbow trout, brook trout and whitefish
Cultus Lake: Mackinaw, rainbow and brook trout
Hosmer Lake: Brook, cutthroat and rainbow trout; fly fishing only with barbless hooks
Elk Lake: Brook trout and kokanee; jigging, still-fishing and trolling from a boat or fly fishing are best
Crescent Lake: 26% full; kokanee, mackinaw, rainbow and brown trout, whitefish and chub; winter is good for brown trout; one lake trout per day, 24-inch minimum
Credit: Source link
