After recent snowfall, many area trails may have a good covering of the white stuff to crunch through this weekend. The weather looks slightly milder, in the upcoming days, but then again, this is Central Oregon, and if you don’t like the current weather, wait a while — it’ll probably change.
Places around Redmond and Prineville usually receive less snow accumulation, not this time. So head out to these northern spots and see the beauty of snow along the Crooked River Grasslands and beyond.
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 accumulating snowfall. See Forest Service websites for more details and restrictions.
Ochoco National Forest
Alder Springs Trailhead: Open; access road closed to motor vehicles
Baneberry Trailhead: Open
Barnhouse Trailhead: Open
Black Canyon East (Formerly South Fork) Trailhead: Open
Black Canyon West (Formerly Dusty Camp) Trailhead: Open
Boeing Field Trailhead: Open
Coffeepot Trailhead: Open
Cottonwood Trailhead: Open
Cougar East Trailhead: Open
Cougar West Trailhead: Open
Cyrus Trailhead: Open
Fry Trailhead: Open
Giddy-Up Go Trailhead: Open
Gray Butte Trailhead: Open
Green Mountain North Trailhead: Open
Green Mountain South Trailhead: Open
Henderson Flat OHV Trail System: Open
Henderson Flat Staging Area: Open
Keeton Trailhead: Open
Kelsey Trailhead: Open
Line Butte East (Formerly Fawn Creek) Trailhead: Open
Line Butte West Trailhead: Open
Lookout Mountain Lower Trailhead: Open
Lookout Mountain Upper Trailhead: Open
Mascall Corral (Formerly Apple West) Trailhead: Open
Mother Lode Mine Trailhead: Open
Payten Trailhead: Open
Potlid North Trailhead: Open
Potlid South Trailhead: Open
Rim (Formerly Apple Middle) Trailhead: Open
Rimrock Springs Trailhead: Open
Rock Creek Trailhead: Open
Round Mountain North Trailhead: Open
Round Mountain South Trailhead: Open
Scales Corral Trailhead: Open
Scotty Creek Trailhead: Open
Skull Hollow Trailhead: Open
South Prong Trailhead: Open
Steins Pillar Trailhead: Open
Tam-A-Lau Trailhead: Open
Trail Crossing Corrals Trailhead: Open
Twin Pillars North Trailhead: Open
Twin Pillars South Trailhead: Open
Wildcat North Trailhead: Open
Wildcat South Trailhead: Open
Bureau of Land Management
Chimney Rock Trail: Open
Huntington Wagon Road: Open
Lower Crooked River: Open
North Fork: Open
Redmond Caves Recreation Site: Open
Scout Camp Trail: Open
Steelhead Falls Trail: Open
Trout Creek Trail: Open; please respect private lands bordering trail
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; all campgrounds and cabins are closed for the season
Jasper Point: Open; boat ramp closed due to low water conditions; camping is closed for the season
Peter Skene Ogden State Scenic Viewpoint: Open
Prineville Reservoir State Park: Open; expect reduced services; cabins are closed
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.
Ski areas and sno-parks
Updated 8 a.m. Jan. 28
Hoodoo: Open; 57.3 inch base
Mt. Bachelor: Open; 73 inch base; Summit will open weather permitting, Red Chair is being used as backup for Pine Marten, First Rays is closed
Willamette Pass: 48 inches at lodge; rentals and tickets must be reserved online in advance
Deschutes National Forest
Crescent Lake Sno-Park: Open; 8-18 inches; marginal conditions due to low snow
Crescent Junction: Open; 8-18 inches; marginal conditions due to low snow
Dutchman Sno-Park: Open; 42-60 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; 18-36; inches; good conditions; area roads closed to highway vehicles through March 31, 2021
Kapka Butte Sno-Park: Open; 30-42 inches; good conditions; area roads closed to highway vehicles through March 31, 2021
Meissner Sno-Park: Open; 16-30 inches; good 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; 27-42 inches; good conditions; no dogs; area roads closed through March 31, 2021
Vista Butte Sno-Park: Open; 30-42 inches; good conditions; area north of parking area closed to snowmobiles, use Kapka Butte or Wanoga
Wanoga Snow Play: Open; 20-36 inches; good conditions; expect heavy use; pack out broken sleds and all trash; shelter is closed
Wanoga Snowmobile: Open; 20-36 inches; good conditions; area roads closed to highway vehicles through March 31, 2021
Newberry (Six Mile Sno-Park): Open; 6-10 inches; marginal conditions due to low snow.
Newberry (10 Mile Sno-Park): Open; 15-27 inches; good conditions; road beyond park closed to vehicles for the season
Three Creek Sno-Park (Lower): Open; 6-10 inches; marginal conditions due to low snow
Three Creek Sno-Park (Upper): Open; 8-12 inches; marginal conditions due to low snow; Forest Service Road 16 may not be plowed immediately after a storm
Walt Haring Sno-Park: 6-12 inches; marginal conditions due to low snow
Ochoco National Forest:
Bandit Springs Sno-Park: Open
Mark’s Creek Sno-Park: Open
Ochoco Divide Sno-Park: Open
Walton Sno-Park: Open
Willamette National Forest
Gold Lake Sno-Park: Open
Ikenick Sno-Park: Open
Little Nash Sno-Park: Open
Maxwell Sno-Park: Open; Mountain View and South Maxwell shelters are closed
Potato Hill Sno-Park: Open
Ray Benson Sno-Park: Open
Salt Creek Sno-Park: Open
Santiam Sno-Park: Open
Waldo Lake Sno-Park: Open
Camping
Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland
Haystack West Shore Campground and Day Use Area: Open
Mud Springs Horse Camp: Open
Whistler Campground: Open
White Rock 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
Fatbike and winter trails:
Ben’s-MTB-Kent’s: Muddy
Maston, Wanoga — 3 PSI, Wanoga — Outer Loop: Rideable snow
All other trials riding well
Prineville and Ochoco trails
Independent Mine, Lookout Mountain, Round Mountain: Deep snow; deadfall reported
New reports needed for other trails
Maston complex
Rideable snow
Redmond trails
Cole Loop, Gray Butte, River, Summit: Muddy
All other trails reporting riding well, but may be snow covered due to recent storms
Madras East Trails
Peek A Boo — Berm Mountain: Muddy
All other trails riding well
Fishing
Updated at 8 a.m. Jan. 28
Lower Deschutes (Pelton Dam to Columbia River): 5,060 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 numbers will slow down this month but can be found on warmer days; Chinook season is closed
Middle Deschutes (Benham Falls to Lake Billy Chinook): 4,350 cfs; brown trout, rainbow trout; water is higher and clarity is good with decent trout fishing; open year-round for trout, artificial flies and lures only; no limit on brown trout
Crooked River (below Opal Springs): 1,321 cfs; rainbow trout and mountain whitefish; only fish downstream of Bowman Dam to Lake Billy Chinook; whitefish should be spawning and anglers have good success fishing egg patterns; bull trout must be released unharmed and reported to the USFW at crookedbulltrout@fws.gov
Metolius River: 1,440 cfs; bull trout, rainbow trout; consistent fishing reported; fly fishing only upstream of Bridge 99, artificial lures and flies permitted below; catch and release only; public access to Wizard Falls Hatchery remains closed; river is closed to fishing above Allingham Bridge until May 22, 2021
McKenzie River (at Clear Lake): 462 cfs
McKenzie River (near Belknap Springs): 981 cfs; rainbow and coastal cutthroat trout; current hatches — blue winged olive, midge, sculpin; river access may be limited due to the Holiday Farm Fire.
Prineville Reservoir: 34% full; rainbow trout, small and largemouth bass, catfish, crappie, crayfish; trout fishing has been fair, good for warm weather species
Ochoco Reservoir: 14% 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: 83% full; rainbow and brown trout, kokanee, largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill and bullhead catfish; reservoir is back to winter levels, boat ramp is closed for the season, Northshore pier parking lot is still open.
Lake Billy Chinook: Bull, brown and rainbow trout, kokanee, smallmouth bass; Metolius arm is closed until spring, no recent reports for rest of lake
Credit: Source link
