Here is my review of clear lake for row boat use!…read more We got here at 930 am. Found the pay box at the entrance $9, no cash. There is an option to pay at the bottom which we should have done because they take the national park passes there (see picture). We were able to find parking in the main lot and there were a few people there. We weren't sure how the process of renting the boats or availability of life jackets. There is a shop that sells food, snacks, drinks, ice cream , and desserts. They also have a selection of fishing items, shirts, jackets. We paid for the boat - $60 for the large boat all day. The life jackets were plentiful and available. My husband rowed most of the time because I am not a good rower. We made it from the dock to the start of the river that you can't go past which is good since you could hear the rapids. The way to the left was a lot calmer and clear. We had a blast out on the lake. You could see down near the shallows but not in the middle of the lake. Make sure to bring sunscreen because there isn't much shade. The facilities are great!! Two bathrooms in the shop. Large tables to sit and enjoy a hot cooked meal or ice cream. I am so glad we were able to make a morning on the lake super easy and stress free! Next time I'm thinking of renting a kayak or a stand up paddle board. That would be fun! If you are in the area make sure to stop by early. As we were leaving, the parking lot was filled up so make sure to get there early! I hope my review and pictures help you plan for a successful visit to Clear Lake!

A beautiful setting for the perfect romantic getaway or family weekend escape. The cabins are…read morecozy with gas stoves and heaters and the boat rentals are very affordable is you want to connect with the water. We enjoyed a wonderful hike around the lake which took us through forests, lava fields, and springs with wooden bridges. The views were amazing!

This is my second time completing this trail. It is very popular so make sure to get here early if…read moreyou don't want to park far from the trailhead. There are dig out restrooms available at the trailhead as well as a trash bin. The trail is easy though there are some boulders you need to scramble over in the lava fields. You will walk along a beautiful river and cross a couple foot bridges and streams along the way. Once at the blue pool you will truly see that the photos you've seen online are not edited! The water is unbelievable. You can walk down to the water but it is not recommended to jump in unless you are experienced. The water is 30 degrees year around and several injuries have occurred here- so be wise and have fun.

It rained the whole drive over it seemed! But the trees kept the hike dry. Free parking and porta…read morepotties at the front entrance. The trail is a fairly easy one but you have to watch where you step. The first .75 miles was quite flat but the next .75 miles was fairly rocky. My husband and I both rolled our ankles at different points. Once you get to the actual spot to see the blue pools, there is one sign that says no biking. At that point, veer off towards the water area to see the pool! We missed it and were in the zone of walking and we ended up going too far! Don't go to the bridge that only has one side to hold on to. That means you've gone too far

It's been awhile since my last stay here. We love the yurts here. Easy access, they have heat, a…read morecouple of tables and beds, and it's comfortable. The fire pits are nice to but they cemented the bottom of them. They need to have more holes for air flow. Still I'm grateful to have those. Love the river trail as well. So beautiful! It's been awhile since we've been here. No snow this time but that's ok. Still peaceful and beautiful and not far at all from Bend.

Nice little state park. Well maintained. Crowded but quiet. Didn't have a lot of time to walk the…read moretrails but the ones that I did were nice.

My partner is a hot springs enthusiast and always seems to have this on his list for how he wants…read moreto celebrate his birthday. The drive out from Portland is long, but after you get here the trip is really enjoyable, we often try to plan a night somewhere closer. It's 12$ for a 2 hour visit, they do take credit cards. We tend to be here mid week mid day so we have not had any issue with parking. There are always other people present, but it has never seemed overly busy. The staff we interact with are always very pleasant. There is a bathroom in the parking lot. It's a short walk up to the hot springs, I'm confident mostly anyone could do this. It's nice to feel like you are in nature. I imagine this was a much more beautiful area before the fires, but I am thankful that it did reopen and is usable. Do make sure you bring some water to stay hydrated while hot springing. Do be aware that sometimes people are unclothed at hot springs. Also know that hot springs are hot and this may not be how you want to spend a hot day. There are multiple pools of multiple sizes which do vary in heat. There is a small stream with cold water running nearby. There are places to sit where you can be partially in the water. If you are planning to walk around a lot you may want water shoes as these rocks can be hot on your feet. We always have a nice time and leave feeling rejuvenated. I keep meaning to look into camping options nearby. I'd love to experience this with some friends on my next visit.

A friend and I went to Cougar a couple of hours before dawn. Encountered a group of maybe 10-12…read morevery intoxicated people all over the place, seemed to have been there overnight. Pools cluttered with floaties, booze bottles, and beer cans. Female called True in small stream by top pool spinning around with a toy light-saber while some male she called Travis filmed her. They then came tumbling into pool and kept splashing and bumping into me and my friend. We tell them several times to respect some space, but to them it's all sport. This goes on for a while, then True for some reason decides my friend and I are gay (we're both female). So she and Trav go full-tilt bonkers and start screaming homophobic, misogynist slurs so hateful and obscene I can't type them here, going on and on about everything from our appearances to our perceived low income economic status. Then Travis gets inches from our faces ordering us out of the pool while True keeps shrieking, including some really weird pseudo-religious stuff. Several others in the group joined in, the rest watched. By now both seemed to be in some full-blown mental illness freak-out, especially True. We kept repeating to back off, but all this did was cause first True and then Trav to take their arms and start vooshing water all over us. When they finally wore out, my bigger friend stood up and vooshed back at them, at which point True cried out, "How dare you splash me!" and they both started screaming at us how they're going to eff us up, etc. Finally True and Trav and trio of followers went down to second pool and the rest of the group gathered up and left, maybe they came to some sense or decency, but we took the chance to get out, with True in particular still screaming slurs all the way up the stairs until we left. Luckily my friend got almost everything from start to finish crystal clear on camera. Waited in parking lot, sunrise long gone and still no official hot springs human around (and no cell phone service either). So we left, discovering two vans (probably but not provable theirs) parked along the road above the parking lot. Everyone in the group was Anglo/American; late twenties to late thirties, all ordinary looking with no stand out features or tats that I could see. A nice spot overall, but please be aware of groups like this, as Trav slurred several times that he'd been to Cougar before, though hopefully he and the other bigoted sociopaths get some mental health services before returning.

Last stop on our trip to Oregon before heading back to San Diego. It was May 1st and we arrived…read morearound 9am so it was not that busy. Drive: Basic mountain roads. Most roads feel brand new with well marked lines and signs. Parking/trailhead: Signs clearly marked parking area for Blue Pool. Long road leading up to trailhead is unpaved and parking is only allowed on one side. Luckily we were early so got a spot not too far down. Two restrooms, pretty stinky but what can you expect? Trail: Pretty easy hike. Mostly even paths I think overall theres about 300 feet gain on it. Some parts were very muddy, a big portion is rocky with lots of lava rock. Some parts have tree roots sticking up. CAUTION: Parts of trail have a really high cliff that drops off into the river with no markings so be careful especially with dogs or kids. Pool: Of course amazing views once you get to the pool. The side you arrive on is on a cliff with the view of the pool below. You can hike down to the pool by hiking around the edge but some parts are really close to the edge. Descending and ascending is difficult and is not for the weak. Over all we had an amazing time. The hike was a little longer than I thought but nothing too crazy even for a novice hiker. I would suggest bringing water and snacks, we didn't and regretted it. If you get down to the water at least dip your feet in. We did and it felt amazing and we actually felt reguvenated for our hike back.

Great trail leading up to the pool. Not a difficult hike at all. Wouldn't suggest doing it when…read moreit's dark though as there are small rocks and rocky areas that can seem to pop out of nowhere and destroy your ankles. The pool is Absolutely beautiful and this is my favorite color. Once you see the one sign that says no bikes allowed, turn towards the water and look over the cliff.

The Deschutes National Forest is one of the twelve national forests in Oregon (Oregon is in a three…read moreway tie for second place with the most national forests in the US & Puerto Rico) and covers over a million and a half acres. They are all beautiful, but Deschutes is special. It spans the area between the McKenzie River area to the high desert in eastern Oregon. You start in the warm(er) area and by the time you hit the summit there's snow on the ground. And as you're reaching higher elevation, you find yourself passing through the lava beds. One of the volcanos in the forest was used by the Apollo astronauts in the 60s. It's a really peaceful drive, and a breathtaking one. Suttle Lake is near Sisters, and it's really beautiful. There are several pull-out areas along the highway to take in the view. Bend is the big town in the area, and Sisters is a popular tourist stop as well.

National Parks have always been at the top of my list of great things: America's Best Idea…read more National Monuments are not far behind. But National Forests really hadn't registered with me until lately - they've just been large undeveloped places with lots of trees that I drove through to get to a park. Not anymore. I love Deschutes National Forest. What with the Cascade Volcanoes, the river, the creeks, the lakes, the many hiking trails, the dirt roads for my 4WD, this forest is like a huge national park. And so close to Bend. You literally are in the forest as you drive out of town. It will take many years to explore even a small fraction of the forest, but I'm up for the challenge.

I recommend parking at the Koosah Falls parking lot- there is ample parking available there…read more Parking at Sahalie Falls is overcrowded and some folks had to park across the highway. There is a dig out restroom available in the parking lot. The trails are very well maintained and the overlooks offer excellent views of the falls. The path between the falls offers views of the BLUE McKenzie River. Across the river you will see the McKenzie River Trail with runners and hikers. There are several unmaintained paths going from the trail to the river- wander down at your own risk! Definitely a low effort high reward hike! Do not miss this one!

Koosah Falls sits right along Waterfalls Trail beside the McKenzie River. It's not difficult to…read morereach and there are a bunch of overlook viewpoints with benches offering different perspectives. The first few lookouts are partially obstructed by trees and branches, but eventually as you keep walking, you're afforded undisturbed panoramas which are special, imo. And before walking over to this Koosah Falls (since it's barely strenuous, I wouldn't even consider it hiking), you'll immediately confront another terrific looking waterfall, and that's Sahalie Falls. You get two scenic waterfalls by simply stopping here for an hour or so. That's pretty efficient in my opinion, lol. I showed up in late July around 3:30pm and although the small parking lot was mainly full, I was still able to nab a spot. It's free to visit at your own accord. This Highway 126 situated next to the McKenzie River is the epitome of exploring around nature and is "one of Oregon's most famous recreation areas". Just 3.5 miles up the road from here at Koosah and Sahalie Falls is the iconic Tamolitch Falls - Blue Pool. That should not be missed as well. Including hiking to the colorful Blue Pool, it takes about half the day to visit. Back to this Koosah Falls...while walking along Waterfalls Trail, you'll have opportunities to relax at any point and soak up the McKenzie River forest surroundings. It's a pleasant setting. Extra notes... - Koosah Falls is 64 feet tall but appears more grand in real time. Sahalie Falls is about the same length. - Although you can't reach down to the base of Koosah Falls, Sahalie Falls is accessible and I suggest climbing over the railing for closeup views. It's not hard to do. Last thing I can say, I discovered Koosah and Sahalie Falls through TikTok mentions. TikTok is a great source of information for adventurers looking to find hidden gems among the great outdoors. Thank you to TikTok.

Beautiful lake on the cascade lakes highway with the most incredible emerald color of water when…read morethe sun hits! It's also the starting point for south sister and it's fun to camp here the night before to get an early start. The camp sites are phenomenal right on the water, complete with fire pits. Great Lake for water activities for just to come hang out/walk around. Do watch out for mosquitoes though!

Another jewel on the Cascade Lake trail. Plenty of camping here. Beautiful views everywhere…read more Lakes here were formed by volcanic activity. This particular lake is in average 9' deep. Very clean banks and areas surrounding the lake. Plenty of places for day use and picnicking.

Gorgeous falls! The trail out to the falls is about a half mile. Parts of the trail are steep and…read morerocky, so make sure you wear decent shoes. The trail has many trees that provide a decent amount of shade. The falls are absolutely gorgeous! They aren't tall, but wide and cascading. Such an amazing view! We really enjoyed our time here. Would definitely recommend.

This trail is an easy .5 hike to the Steelhead Waterfall with breathtaking views. It goes further,…read morebut we just went to the Falls and back. It is a bit narrow in some areas and you must walk in a single line, but it's comfortable and maintained. The trail also has a few flat rock steps that both decline and incline at times. We did encounter other hikers and everyone was courteous and happy to be there. Not a single piece of litter in sight! It is a bit out of the way, but we would definitely return to this beautiful trail and maybe jump in next time!

We were spending the day in Sisters and wanted to do a hike with our 4 and 8 year old kids. We…read moredrove up early and got there a little after 7 am. There is a small parking lot out front with 2 handicap stalls. We were able to do the hike pretty quick with them, about 15 min. There is gravel/sand with a wide path. It's curves through the woods with vegetation around. Three points to stop and look. The last view was nice of the sisters and broken top. No water access from this hike but the other, longer, trail has it. The kids liked the hike and enjoyed running through and finding walking sticks. Two restrooms at the beginning - gender neutral. Shady for the most part with a few sun rays coming through. We used some bug spray so no issues for us. On the way out we saw a coyote running across the road. Stay safe!!

Nice, easy hike with fabulous views!…read more The trailhead is an easy and pretty drive from Sisters. We'd seen some reviews for this trail and decided to try it out while in town. The trail head has a decent sized lot and toilets, and the trail itself is well marked. It's a loop, and according to the sign taking the trail to the right was supposedly a bit rougher...we didn't find it so. We did the full loop, along which you're provided multiple overlooks. The main overlook towards the mountains is large, with views down to the river below as well. The whole path is easy and not much of a slope. We decided to take an offshoot trail down to the river after we left the overlook. It was a nice, narrow trail that zig zagged down. There were other trails that crossed it at the bottom that weren't marked, so we just used the sounds of the water to get there. A very peaceful, easy trail with beautiful views of the Sisters.