Rowland Lake, formally named DeBois Lake, is so beautiful ! This little lake is so picturesque,…read moreespecially in the spring when the wildflowers are in bloom and growing along the slopes, framing the water. If you have driven along SR-14 four miles east of Bingen, then you have driven through Rowland Lake, literally, since the SR-14 and the train track cut through the lake! It makes for some pretty spectacular photo snaps! When you turn onto Old Highway 8 there is a small parking lot and a few areas where you can pull over to take in the scene. Further up the hill on Old Highway 8 is a pull off area for even better views from above. If you are heading to Catherine Creek area or Syncline Wines, you will pass Rowland Lake. It's worth pulling over for a few minutes to take in the beauty. The north lake is stocked with trout, both rainbow and broodstock. There are two fishing openers: the first is from the last Saturday in April through the Sunday before Thanksgiving.; the second is the Friday after Thanksgiving through February. People have also caught bluegill, crappie and largemouth bass. Check their website for details. There is a small boat launch area; electronic boats only. WA access pass is required if you are spending time here other than just pulling over for a few quick pics. I walked around, took pics, then headed to Catherine Creek.

With Horsethief Butte as the scenic backdrop, this lake is a relaxing spot for fishing & kayaking…read more Equipped with bathrooms & showers, a popular place for camping & RV sleepovers. Not naturally formed, flooded into existence by the Dalles Dam. Without a natural circulation of water, the summer creates toxic algae harmful to humans and fish. Warning signs are posted. A petroglyph trail is a highlight for all; in depth tour guide available by reservation. Boat launch access to the Columbia River.

Lovely piece of the Gorge. We've stopped by the lake portion and checked out the Petroglyphs before…read morewhile passing through, as well as briefly jumping onto a trail at the Butte. This weekend we got around to investing more time in the trails of Butte and it was pretty fun. The trails don't allow for a complete loop around the rock, as there's a block for restoration on the east side. But you can wander most of the way around the water side...up and around the rocks is really where's it at though. There are 3 access points to the top from the trails, and the bouldering up is loads of fun. Once atop you can roam all about and enjoy fabulous views from every angle. While the remainder of the trails at Butte are average, we found it pretty entertaining to climb around the rock portion. There's a decent amount of parking...Discover Pass required...as well at a vault toilet at the trailhead.

Small, serene park. Perfect for a lunch after hiking the nearby Catherine Creek Trail or Arch Loop…read more Especially since they have clean restrooms with soap and water. 5 stars just for that! When it's windy, it is a great spot to watch the windsurfers and kites. There is launch area for small boats. I've seen people fishing, too. And people playing with their dogs, fetching their toys from the water. Lots of picnic tables, the kind where you can slide into from the side, another plus! Peaceful place to read, have a picnic or just chill. Plenty of parking. And just a minute from the downtown area of Bingen and just a few more minutes from the bridge over to Hood River. Lots of times when I'm exploring the trails and sights on the WA side of the Gorge, I stop here afterwards to use the restroom and have a snack or lunch that Ihave packed. Feels like a secret since there is hardly anyone here!

I've been shopping this spot regularly for the past year. Fantastic staff, products and selection…read more When friends come to town to fish with me, it's a favorite stop. The folks here are really knowledgeable and easy to geek out with.

I had ordered a Orvis combo from them a couple of years ago as well as flies/ leaders/tools at…read morevarious times. Prices were always great and shipping was fast. I recently ordered a 3wt Redington CT combo with the Big Y standard reel. The combo was delivered in a couple of days. I noticed a problem with the fly line the 1st time I cast it. I emailed them and got a quick response even though it was Labor Day. They emailed me a shipping label to send the reel back. I had the reel back in my hands respooled with new line in less than a week. Great customer service! I've also got to say I'm really impressed with their Big Y Standard reel for the money. The machining is great and it's a really smooth reel that seems to shoot way above its price point.

My father-in-law is an avid fisherman from Nevada who wanted to fish for walleye in the Columbia…read moreRiver, so we chartered a guide boat in Rufus (26 or so miles from The Dalles) for our adventure. First off, if you're staying in Rufus (pop: 210), be forewarned: there isn't much there. Two motels, one restaurant/bar, a gas station, an RV park and a few homes. But since your destination isn't likely to be the town itself, that hardly matters. Our guide, an affable old guy by the name of Touché (well, it's a nickname, but he insisted we call him that), met us for breakfast at the local restaurant-slash-lounge at 6 AM on a Saturday morning. I thought it was odd that we'd sit down and share a meal with a stranger, but he's a great guy - real easy to get along with - and since we were at his mercy for the next 8 hours, it served as a nice little icebreaker. During breakfast he'll go over details of the fishing trip, and you'll order lunch. Fly By Nite provides a sack lunch, and it's a generous one: a good-sized sandwich of your choice, side (chips/coleslaw/potato/macaroni salad), fresh fruit, and a cookie or slice of pie. The pie, I should point out, is to die for. After breakfast, you'll walk across the street to pick up licenses from the bait shop, then follow Touché the 1/2 mile or so to the boat launch area. You're on the water by 8 AM. The boat itself is comfortable and fully decked out. It's got a covered cabin with bench seats, and four additional swivel chairs where you do the actual fishing. All rods and reels are provided, as well as bait. If it's cold out, the boat is heated. We lucked out and had sunshine and warm temps. Touché is a great guide; he knows all the best places to catch fish, and is not afraid to abandon a spot if the fishing doesn't pan out. We made several trips up and down a good portion of the river, from the John Day Dam to the Dalles Dam. When bathroom breaks were needed, he pulled to the shore. Throughout the excursion he regaled us with stories, and shared tips on proper trolling and baiting techniques. At one point we stopped for lunch, and he pointed out some Native American drawings on a rocky hillside; these would have gone completely unnoticed if not for his expertise. 8 hours (and six fish - it was a slow day) later, we docked where we had started, then followed Touché to his shop in town, where he cleaned, filleted and vacuum-packed our fish for us. I highly recommend Fly By Nyte if you are in the mood for a fishing excursion. Whether you're a novice like me or a pro like my father-in-law, you're sure to have a good time!

Wow. The views! We came by to use the clean restrooms on our way home. We were blown away by the…read morefantastic views from the parking lot. I wonder what the policy is for parking overnight? There is lots of picnic benches and plenty of green space to stretch out. I didn't check out the boat launch, but I saw it from the freeway and it looked nice. Another great rest stop on our way home.

I stayed here twice: 08/25 and 09/25. The most peaceful, quiet, and calming place. I felt so at…read morepeace here. my service dog loved it, too. Unfortunately we were on a time crunch both ways. We will be heading there again this year to stay for a few days.

This is a nice State park as most of Oregon State parks are. Well kept, helpful Rangers, great…read moreviews and perfect for a picnic lunch. Several hiking trails. This is one of the better State parks in Oregon. Right off SR206 south of Wasco. $30/yr for an annual pass or $50 for a two year pass and well worth it. Oregon has one of the best State park systems in the USA.

Hidden treasure in Sherman County. Yet another well maintained and placed Oregon State Park…read moreCampground. I am so impressed by all Oregon SP's. especially their campgrounds. Wow! We stayed in Cliff Swallow Cabin which was beautiful. Smelled like Juniper inside. The park boosts many amenities. Including a bike repair and tire fill station clean and hot water showers, and in each cabin was a small fridge and conditioner and heaters. Plus there is a bbq and big sinks on the side of the bathroom/showers to wash dishes if you wanted to cook. We saw Nighthawks and heard Common Poorwills in the evening. I will definitely be back!

Don't be confused by the fairly parallel names, Mah Hah Adventures and Mah Hah Outdoors, in recent…read moreyears they are all part of the same operation. I fished with Steve Flemming numerous times in the old days when he owned and ran the Mah Hah bass fishing operation on the John Day. World-class bass fishing. No kidding, that good. Flemming sold his fishing operation to John W., a large ranch operation near mile 144 on the John Day River. Among other things, John and his crew run a big game, waterfowl, upland bird outfitter operation on his system of large properties alongside the John Day River. There are multiple tens of thousands of acres of private land, with many more thousands of acres of BLM in-holdings unaccessible to the public, with parts of the main ranch immediately adjacent to the sprawling Spring Basin Wilderness and Sutton Mountain Wilderness areas. This is not a hunted out area and the adjacent unrelated ranches do not allow public hunting. On the ranch and on adjacent ranches, lush alfalfa fields line the John Day River and the Mah Hah ranch system owned by John has miles of some of the best steelhead (and bass) fishing on the river. I've taken my sons on several big game hunts with John. 100% success, but naturally YMMV. This is not a rough-it operation. Modern ranch houses, extensively remodeled and updated form the basis of operations. Meals and amenities are outstanding. The country is rugged, varying from 1,500 feet in elevation to about 4,000 feet. Older hunters with "shorter legs" can hunt the river bottoms and thoroughly enjoy themselves and have excellent success, while fit younger hunters can enjoy the challenging, isolated terrain which is in great abundance. I've had multiple Mah Hah guides over the years, and all have been top notch, seasoned people I'd live to hunt and share a meal with again. Over the years I've also had both bad guides and bad outfitters in other operations and know the difference. The ranch has a walk-in cooler and game care after the hunt is excellent. Need taxidermy or meat processing? They've got you covered. Mah Hah takes a limited number of guests for each hunting season. This is the opposite of a volume-driven operation. Everything is managed for quality of total experience. John loves ranching, the land, big game hunting, fishing and football. I love big game hunting, so it is a plus there aren't any cattle on John's land (not over-grazed by cattle). The bottomlands have lush cover for ducks and upland game hunting. In addition to guys like me who just like to take themselves and their sons hunting, Mah Hah would be an excellent choice for a small, corporate retreat exclusive to your group that can be hosted privately in one of the ranch's several ranch houses, whether a steelhead or bass float trip that, according to time of year could be combined with bird shooting, or a big game hunt. Pricing is reasonable, but the high quality of the arrangements and outright fun of the experience is disproportionate to the cost. This is not an advertisement, I'm not related, and this description is almost certainly the only review I have written for someone in the last 20 years. A few days ago I got home from a successful Mah Hah mule deer hunt. When I first arrived at the ranch I noticed behind the main ranch house a new jeep trail leading 600-800 or more yards up the mountain. My first thought was the guy on the bulldozer must have been insane. First, he did a terrible job. Even I could've done a better job on the dozer than that catskinner. Second, it more or less went straight up the mountain, a new bright, wide scar reaching to the top of the rimrock at just impossible angles. No way, I thought, could the ranch's Polaris side-by-sides traverse that road, up or down, but it looked wide enough for my pick-up with room to spare. Puzzled, I called it out to John since I couldn't figure out how or why this would have been built. John said around 500 head of elk recently "bulldozed" that trail. I've got elk on my own property at home but have never anywhere seen something like that. There's bound to be bull or two in there somewhere. Mah Hah has more than just world class bass fishing. You might go for the fishing, or the hunting, but I think you've find the total end-to-end experience with enjoyable people is the best and most memorable part.

Myself, a Friend and his Father fished with Steve Fleming 20 years ago. We had a blast and had to…read moredo it again. We fished with him again recently and had a great time again ! The scenery was great, saw tons of wildlife, the Dutch Oven lunch was excellent, the fishing was incredible and fishing with Steve is a real pleasure. He knows his Bass fishing and was great having things set up, giving us tips and showing us what to do with each type of lure. Was amazed how long we fished and then I realized that he wanted to be sure we each landed 100 + Bass. Absolutely great time and very appreciated the trip with Steve !

Trillium lake is such a special place to visit. I love being able to kayak somewhere without motor…read moreboats. If you're looking want to be able to actually have a decent parking spot and get some paddling in then go early.

Relaxing. Very good view of mt hood. Picnic areas clean. Public restroom available. You can go on…read morefishing here.

An incredibly gorgeous place to camp in the Cascades Mountains so close to Portland. Lots of…read morecrayfish in the lake to trap for delicious appetizers before dinner.

Super clean & clear lake. Perfect for an afternoon outing on the beach or paddling on the water…read more Pretty large with a 12 mile walking/biking path circling the entirety of the lake. Day use areas are scattered all along the shore of the lake, very accessible from path. The rocks in the water are smooth, so less chance of cutting your foot. $10 parking fee 10 mph speed limit on water -- no wake entire lake