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!

Paulina Falls is a stunningly beautiful venue! There's not one, but TWO waterfalls here, and…read morethey're visible once you're just a short walk in from the parking lot. Tip: This place is situated inside the Newberry National Volcanic Monument The Falls here are lovely and simply not to be missed, especially when you consider how little effort is required to see this georgous natural attraction in all it's Glory :-)

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.

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!

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.

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.

Beautiful hike along the Decshutes River. Taking in nature, breathing, walking, and crying. I will…read morecome again.

An amazing lake so close to Bend that is lower in elevation making it a bit warmer than many of the…read morecascade lakes. Its a great spot to come for camping or day use with a lot of great shore line to set up right on the lake so you can have fun with watercraft like kayaks and paddle boards. The water was super clear about 10 feet out but a little murky due to some water reeds and other sediment right on the shore line but its fine to swim through and even better if you have a tube, kayak or paddle board. We didn't make it out to the hot springs on this trip so will have to update when we get there!

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.

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.

We drove out to the Painted Hills for a day trip and had a great couple hours exploring the area…read more We walked most of the trails and it's such a unique place to see - well worth the 1+ hour drive from civilization. It even rained just a bit while we were there and a rainbow came out - wow! High recommend.

The Painted Hills Unit of the John Day National Monument was indeed a very scenic and beautiful…read moresight seeing stop as we were in the Bend, Oregon area. After seeing Yelp entries I am kind of kicking myself for not proceeding to the Painted Cove area as the walk through there looks amazing. We just stopped at the main Painted Hills and did not proceed further. But what we saw was beautiful. With the three primary colors of yellow, red and black you can see the layers of these colors in the Hills. The texture of the Hills are amazing too. And I suppose depending on the angle of the sun enhances these textures as far as appearance goes. You can see little trails all through these Hills and at first I thought they were hiking trails for people but they are indeed wildlife trails and people are to not go on them. There are signs all over that go into the history here and it is both fascinating and beautiful. We were here mid-morning but I am told the colors really get enhanced at sunrise or sunset.

What an amazing place! This park and the surrounding scenery is breathtaking. Lots of things to get…read moreinto depending on your preferences - hiking, trail running, rock climbing, bird watching, picnic and park area for kids and those wanting a more leisurely day. Theres even Smith Rock Ranch nearby that has beautiful animals out grazing the farm, and different activities including fall seasonal events (check their website for dates/times before you go). Will definitely visit again when we're in the area, it's too beautiful to pass up!

Came here for part of a day and really enjoyed it. At the surprise urging of my kids, we ended up…read morehiking up the Misery trail to the other side of the mountain and then around the entire thing - took a couple hours and I was shocked they wanted to do so much. There's lots to see and the views are spectacular. We brought some food and ate at a picnic table before leaving. Would definitely come back.