Kayaking and Hiking Adventures

  Elk Lake Starting Location:   Little Fawn CG Point of Interest :  Elk Lake Bathrooms:  Yes Parking : gravel, lots of room EV Chargers : No Even though we were camping at Elk Lake Resort, we decided to go to Little Fawn campground across the lake to put our boats in. We walked through Little Fawn on the Elk Creek Trail earlier in the day, and it seemed a nice, quieter place to put in, since the resort was hosting a music concert, which would have made their boat ramp very congested. Little Fawn has a small inlet, or bay, so the water is calm, and the wind is minimal. Once we got onto the lake proper, the wind picked up and the waves got a bit choppy, but not bad. There was some haze from fires, but we could still see Mt. Bachelor and the 3 Sisters. The lake is nice and big, with forest coming up to the edge in places, and lots of places you can put ashore to rest or swim. I got out and took a nice swim. The water was clear and the temperature very comfortable.  The only real issue we

  Elk Lake Trail Starting Location:   Beach Day use Area (hard to find) or Little Fawn CG Point of Interest  :  Elk Lake, forest scenery Length of hike:  Just under 5 miles out and back Level :  Moderate Bathrooms :  yes, at campground, day use areas Parking : gravel lots at Beach Day Use, Little Fawn CG EV Chargers : No We went to the Beach Day use area just south of Elk Lake Resort to start this trail. It is a bit hard to find, with no signage at all. There is a lone picnic table on the south side, on a small rise with the forest behind it. This is where the trail begins. It wanders through the forest, but mostly keeps the lake in sight. You will also pass through the Point CG, with a swimming area, easy to find the trail again. In less than a mile, there was a small creek, a few inches deep that we had to cross. We used these small logs to help keep from getting our feet wet. This is just at the edge of Little Fawn CG. There is a bathroom here (although the latch was broken.) The be

 Benson -Tenas Lake Trail trail map Starting Location:  parking lot of Scott Lake Campground  (end of road) Point of Interest  :  forest, and smallish lakes Length of hike: 5 miles roundtrip Level :  Moderate. Trail in good condition Bathrooms :  at main parking lot in campground Parking :  Decent gravel parking EV Chargers :  No We were camping at Scott Lake, so this hike made sense. The trailhead starts at the campground parking lot. However, you need a Central Cascade Wilderness Permit ($1), and the rangers were out and checking. The Trailhead is easy to find, with pit toilet nearby. The trail is well maintained, and mostly dirt with the occasional tree root. Not very steep, but gently inclines most of the way.  The trail is well marked and easy to follow. We did not see much in the way of wildlife, but it's a pretty hike, and the huckleberries were ripe. Mosquitoes were around, but with our spray, and steady pace, they weren't really an issue. There are a few small lakes o

Scott Lake  Campground Starting Location:   Makeshift boat ramp about 1/4 mile from entrance to campground. Point of Interest :  Scott Lake, 3 Sisters Mountains Bathrooms:  Yes, several throughout campground Parking : Some along road, gravel parking lot at end of road. EV Chargers : No Scott Lake is just off the Old McKenzie Hwy 242. There is a restriction on vehicles and trailers over 35 feet about 10 miles from where it starts on Hwy 126, right where Camp White Branch is. We were in our truck, pulling our small Malone kayak trailer, which is (I measured after we got home) just about 35 feet long. Our trailer is very narrow, so we went anyway. We did okay, but that road is so narrow and winding, that bigger trailers or vehicles would not do well. The boat ramp starts out gravel, then grass, then mud. There was a small drop to the water, about a foot. Not difficult, but squishy. That said, the thing about Scott Lake is the view. The water is very shallow, or was when we were there in

 Hosmer Lake Starlight Float   (Wanderlust Tours) Starting Location:   Wanderlust Tour office in Bend Point of Interest :  Hosmer Lake (this may change), starry nights Bathrooms:  Yes, at office, and at Hosmer Lake Parking : Plenty of parking at office, they shuttle to lake. EV Chargers : No This was our 30th anniversary experience. We had actually won a gift certificate at the Perrydale Auction for Wanderlust tours, and we chose this Starlight Float. We checked in at the office, got in the van, and headed to Hosmer Lake, which we were at last year. It sounds like they go to different lakes, depending on conditions, like fires and smoke. There were 14 of us, including our guide. We met at the office in Bend, piled in the 14 passenger van, and headed up to the lake. We paired up in canoes, and headed out to the North end of the lake, just beyond the riparian section. We put in at dusk, and it was easy to see where we were going.  There was a slight haze due to smoke, but otherwise very

Smith Rock State Park Starting Location:  parking lot - Welcome Center Point of Interest  :  Smith Rock, rock formations, Crooked River Length of hike:   Many Hikes Available  (Trail Map) Misery Ridge Loop 4 miles Level :  Misery Ridge trail is hard, to to steepness, some loose gravel. River trail is easy. Bathrooms :  at main parking lot, and down by river. Parking :  Decent paved lot along the road.  EV Chargers :  No We got here around 9am, hoping to get the hard climb out of the way before it got hot. The parking lot along the road was already full, so we parking the the overflow/RV parking on the South side. Not too long of a walk to the welcome center.  Obviously there were groups who had come early and were finished hiking. There were a lot of people, but it didn't feel too crowded. There are trails for everyone. Our first time at Smith Rock. We decided to do the Misery Ridge loop, which includes the Mesa Verda trail which joins with the river trail to bring you back to the