The oath is well cleared so the walk is easy. It's about 100 paces from the parking lot to seeing…read morethe falls. And if you want to walk more it's a little less than half a mile to Paulina lake. Then you can go across the bridge and hike down the otherwise to see the falls from the other side. I don't think it actually loops all the way around unless you go even further.

Loved this spot! The falls were easy to get to. The upper view was an easy walk from the parking…read morelot. The lower view point required a little bit of hiking, but nothing strenuous. I would recommend some sneakers or hiking boots for the lower view.

Very nice lake, RV camping…read more 6 miles out of town, in the high desert of Central Oregon.

Oregon Eclipse Gathering was held at Big Summit Prairie, which is located in Ochoco. The prairie is…read morehuge - it held 7 stages of music, as well as spaces for talks, classes, vendors and food stands. The lake takes up a significant space as well and it's quite the hike to walk around it. We camped for 7 days in mid-August. We were lucky and assigned a camping space with minimal shrubs and rocks. As a result, we slept fine with just double-layered tarp under our tent and a sleeping pad inside. Be prepared. With high elevations, it gets very windy. A few neighboring canopies were picked up by the wind and at least one in our area was destroyed. Be sure to bring something to weigh it down. The wind will also cause dust to pick up significantly. I wore a dust mask for most of my time here and others had on bandanas. If you'll be up at random hours like we were, it's important to know that the temperature change is drastic. The temperature started to warm up quickly around 7 am and drop quickly around 6 pm. During the day, we wore bathing suits, lathered on sunscreen, stayed under our shade structures and hydrated well. At night, we would be in beanies, layers of fleece and wool socks. I would also suggest proper footwear, as there are small dried shrubs, rocks and gravel everywhere. I wouldn't recommend bringing any shoes with zippers, as the dust gets stuck in it and it gets difficult to zip up. Though we didn't experience it, there are supposed to be ticks in the area. In any case, I'd recommend bringing bug spray, as there are mosquitos - each member of our party was bitten at least once. I can't rough it this hard, so camping here isn't for me. But if you're up for a challenge against rapidly changing temperatures, dusty air and rocks all over the ground, this is all you!

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!

Kyle and I love to come to this lake in the summer. It's nice small lunch is always good at the…read morerestaurant.. Great little atmosphere!

It was a little smokey due to all the fires. The lake was nice and the scenery was peaceful &…read morebeautiful. Our family had a nice picnic & day. The kids loved seeing all the butterflies, dragonflies & frogs. We'll be back again.

Tam-a-lau seems like a bucket list hike, at least in terms of those in Central Oregon. It's not…read moreterribly difficult but is well worth the effort nonetheless. The trail runs from near lake level in Cove Palisades State Park to the top of the 'Peninsula', as it's called. The Peninsula is that bit of land jutting north into Lake Billy Chinook between the Deschutes and Crooked Rivers (minus The Island, which is a whole 'nother experience if you are fortunate enough to get a chance to go there). Tam-a-lau Trail is about seven miles in length, which comprises 1.7 miles hiking from the trailhead parking lot and then ascending the steep canyon wall, about 3.6 miles of relatively flat hiking on top of the Peninsula, and then 1.7 down. The trailhead is two locations, really. One starts at the big parking lot just past the boat launch on the Deschutes River and has you walk a bit to the other trailhead. That one is at the Deschutes Campground and is the beginning of your ascent up the slope. Unless you're staying in the campground, I recommend the further trailhead - the half mile or so extra is a nice trail. Footing is OK throughout, although the ascent has some steep bits that you'll want to be careful with. Once you're at the top, it's a piece of cake. The top reminds me of the Oregon Badlands, except for the really nice lake views. Once you get to the top, you'll be at a junction. Left takes you to the tip of the peninsula by way of the Deschutes River side, while right takes you overland to the Crooked River side and thence to the tip. Either way, your goal is the peninsula tip. Some folks seem to think the overland section is boring but not me. If for some reason you want a shorter hike, go left and then backtrack the way you came. Tam-a-lau is about views of Lake Billy Chinook, the canyon lava walls and, if the weather is good, the distant views of the Cascades. It's also a good bit of exercise. During the summer, it will be hot. There's not a lot of shade - this isn't a ponderosa forest hike. Take plenty of water. Being in a state park, you'll either need an annual/biannual pass or pay $5 to park. Note that you can access the upper part of the Tam-a-lau (the flat part on the Peninsula) from roads to the south. You don't have to enter the state park from that way. In fact, much of the Tam-a-lau is not actually within the state park boundaries but rather on BLM land.

Very nice views from the top of trails definitely will be back used to go camping there al the time…read morewhen I was a kid now going back as a adult

Tumalo Falls was an amazing adventure and one of the highlights of our trip. We chose the loop…read moretrail so we could see all of the waterfalls, and it was absolutely worth it. One of the most exciting parts was crossing the river several times. In some places there were bridges, and at one point we had to carefully balance across a log, which made the hike even more fun and memorable. We visited in April, and there was still a little snow on the trail. The weather was beautiful, but I would recommend bringing traction spikes if conditions are slippery and hiking poles for extra stability. The waterfalls were spectacular, and the scenery along the trail was breathtaking. It was a perfect mix of adventure and natural beauty. I'm sure I'll return one day with my kids to experience it all again.

I am DONE staying quiet about this. Oregon residents, read every word of this…read more Let's start with the Oregon State Lottery. Not just scratch tickets -- we're talking about over 10,000 video lottery terminals running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in bars, restaurants, truck stops, and corner stores from Portland to Medford to Pendleton. Machines that never sleep. Machines that pull HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS out of Oregon communities every single year. One of the big promised beneficiaries of all that money? Oregon State Parks. HUNDREDS. OF. MILLIONS. OF. DOLLARS. Every year. So now I want you to listen very carefully to what Oregon State Parks does with all of that money -- and then I want you to tell me this makes sense. They charge you $50, $60, sometimes more -- just to pitch a tent on a patch of dirt and gravel. For a campsite. A flat piece of ground with a fire ring and maybe a picnic table. That's it. That is what they are charging your family a premium price to use -- land that the lottery was supposed to already be funding on your behalf. But wait. It gets worse. Who actually runs those campgrounds day to day? Who checks you in, keeps things clean, handles problems, and maintains order so your family has a decent experience? In many Oregon state parks, that's the PARK HOST. And you know what the park host gets paid? Nothing. Zero dollars. Not a dime. They volunteer their time and labor in exchange for a campsite to park their RV. Oregon State Parks is getting free labor -- DONATED labor from retirees and volunteers who love the outdoors -- and they are STILL charging you through the roof and STILL claiming they need more money. And then there are the rangers. Now I want to be fair -- but let's be honest about what a lot of ranger activity at campgrounds actually looks like. They drive around and check that you paid. They verify your tag. They make sure your receipt is displayed. That's the job. Fee enforcement. At wages that aren't exactly making anyone rich. So let me get this straight: -- The lottery generates hundreds of millions of dollars, with parks as a named beneficiary -- Volunteer hosts donate their labor for FREE -- Rangers are not highly paid -- Operating costs are therefore not enormous AND YET the fees are sky high, they keep climbing, and nobody in state government can give Oregon families a straight answer about where the money is actually going? I'm not just frustrated. I am demanding answers. Where is the lottery money going? Show us the budget line by line. Show us how much came in from the lottery last year and exactly where every dollar was spent. Because right now it looks like Oregon families are being squeezed from both ends -- losing money at lottery terminals across the state AND then getting charged again just to stand on public land for a weekend. This is public land. It belongs to you. You already paid for it. You are being charged to use what is already yours -- while the state collects a river of gambling revenue that was supposed to make this more affordable, not less. Enough. Share this post. Contact Oregon Parks and Recreation at oregon.gov/oprd. Call your state legislators. Demand a full public audit of every lottery dollar that was supposed to go to parks. Oregon families deserve to know where their money went. And they deserve to use their own land without being gouged for it. SHARE THIS. People need to know.

Let me start by saying we've been coming to Little Crater as a family for 30 years…read more Our recent reservation was for 2 spots in a cluster for 9 nights and 2 bordering spots for 4 nights. On our 2nd day there, we bought & displayed an extra vehicle tag. Most of our family was scheduled to arrive for the final 4 nights. Every day we took our boat to the lake, where we parked at the ramp, proudly displaying our yearly Parks Forest Pass, for which we paid a $30 fee to get. Every time the boat was taken to the lake, the extra vehicle was moved in our spot to allow passage. 1.  Every day, the camp host harrased us (sometimes multiple times) about the extra vehicle, clearly displaying the pass on the dash. "Oh I guess I did ask you about that car this morning." 2. On our 5th night, the host came to us and said, "I see you have spot 43 reserved tomorrow. It's been abandoned so hurry up and pay for it. I'll make note that we spoke."  So we paid for it and set up tents for our kids. A couple of hours later, the person who "abandoned it" returned. Her tent was up the hill out of sight. Luckily for us, she allowed our kids to remain in the spot. 3. On our 6th day, our truck at the boat ramp was "ticketed" by the host telling us we needed to park at camp since we weren't displaying a forest pass. We advised her that we had a pass displaying in the truck and why suddenlywas it an issue after 6 days? She advised us that didn't matter because the Forest service wanted the ramp for locals. 4. On the 7th day, we received a "2nd notice" on the truck when we parked at the ramp. The host told us she "wasn't going to argue" and would "call the Forest service" on us. 5. On the 7th day, our father arrived for the day. He bought a day pass at the park entrance. The host advised my nephew to have him move his truck and boat trailer from the parking lot since "he was with us and needed to park at camp." My nephew advised her he was a legitimate "Day User" and would park at the ramp, period. This is the day the restroom near our camps stopped being cleaned. Toilet paper was filled, but urine that was splashed around the room by hikers wasn't cleaned. It fell upon us to get bleach and a bucket of water to make the room bearable. 6. On the 7th day, in the evening, Forest service "supervisor" Carol came to camp. She advised us that we were "well within our rights to park on the ramp" if we wanted to, but to keep in mind that the "locals weren't able to make reservations and were having trouble parking on the ramp." Ladies and gentlemen,  the locals are perfectly capable of making reservations.  I seriously doubt they're driving past Paulina Lake ramp, which has double the parking and flush toilets, to park here at Little Crater. During this conversation with "supervisor" Carol, she pointed at the Forest Service Pass hanging from our mirror and told us " technically I could write you up right now since your pass isn't valid. See right there? It says it is invalid without a signature." It wasn't until the next day that we discovered this isn't true. There is NO PLACE on the pass that says it isn't valid without a signature.  We're so disgusted with the aggressiveness, incompetence, harrassment & unmitigated campaign to ruin our vacation by these hosts, that we packed up and left camp a day early.  We couldn't leave this place soon enough for all the stress and anxiety these people have caused. At this point, after two years in a row with the increasing ineffective hosting we've experienced, we don't even know if we'll bother next year.

So much fun! We hiked about 8 miles round trip from our campground. It's a mostly flat hole that…read morefollows the beautiful shoreline. The hot springs are right on the shoreline and you can control the heat by digging into the sand and allowing lake water the flow in. What's better than sitting in a hot spring on the edge of a gorgeous lake!

I'm in favor of just any protected natural areas, so five stars it is. Lots of paths, some paved…read moreand the rest gravel. Looks like a fine place to take the (leashed) mutt for a superior olfactory experience. The Crooked River is a jewel of Central Oregon.

Beautiful park with miles of trail. Great views. Good birding. Great interpretation of history,…read moreplants, birds, fish and current uses. Very nice toilets. Kiosks have information and brochures. It's obvious this is a special place. So many volunteers take such good care of it.