Sahalie Falls was a quick stop on our way back to Bend from Clear Lake. We were able to find a…read moresmall parking stall right at the waterfall without having to run across the road with the kids. The walk to the lookout viewing area from the parking lot was very short. We walked a few yards down the trail past it to take pictures of the river. We then took a side trail down to the waterfall to get some pictures. This was a fun quick stop to see a beautiful waterfall.

Such a magical spot to learn about waterfalls and experience nature. There was a rainbow and snow…read moresimultaneously during our visit and it created the most magical wonderland. Must see and well worth the drive out.

OK, it can be crowded on weekends. Go anyway…read more It can be hot in summer. Go anyway. The mile spur up to the overlook on top is steep. Go anyway. You can make this a very very short hike if you drive up a back road to an alternate trailhead. Like a little over a mile each way; maybe less. You can make it a hike about a mile longer by hiking up from the trailhead on Deer Creek Road. You can make a seven mile loop by adding the Cone Peak Loop Trail. If you're feeling spry, you can scramble up to Cone Peak a few hundred feet higher than Iron Mountain. There is no real trail to Cone Peak, and you need to be sure to know how to get back down so you don't wander off into the wrong watershed or off a cliff. Actually you probably should skip Cone Peak! But if you want to see amazing wildflowers, go hike the Cone Peak Iron Mountain Loop trail a few times between mid-June to mid-July.

Cool 1/2 mile interpretive trail set amid a wildlife preserve. While you can't venture further into…read morethe valley without permission, taking in the views from the rim trail or from this preserve location while getting to learn about its history is worth the visit. The trail is short, flat, and well-maintained...easy for anyone. They have interpretive signs along the route, as well as beautiful trees and wildlife. While there for only 1/2 hour or so we saw loads of birds, turkey, and a buck wander by. It's a brief stop, but easy to get to from town. They have a handful of parking spots and a porta potty. Peaceful and lovely spot...so appreciative it's there for wildlife!

Late December 2023, visiting Bend, OR, the lack of snow on the mountains had us decide that we…read moreshould check out the ocean so off to the Pacific we went. Driving along Hwy 20* or the Santiam Highway as this section is known, we came upon a sign about the "Hackleman Old Growth Grove". I've got a thing about big old trees so I pulled over to take a look. I saw that there were some relatively easy hiking trails/loops (less then a mile?) so we decided to stretch our legs. These sort of forests always amaze me for the following reasons: 1) No one ever checks these places out in December. 2) It is sooooo green!!!! 3) The silence/sounds of the forest is just....there. The moss growing on the trees. The size of the trees. The thickness of the bark on some of these. Wow. I was blown away. Honestly, I wanted to sit, not move, and just breathe it all in. And I'm not gonna lie, I was hoping to see some squatch tracks in the old snow but nada. I'm also guessing in a normal season you're going to need some snow shoes but we didn't on this trip. If you are on this drive and need a quick stretch of your legs, this is a good of spot as any. FYI: The parking lot has a "honey pot" so if need a bathroom cause nature is calling, you got a spot. * Fun fact about Highway 20 is that it is one of those old original highways that goes across the country more or less (some of it is now blended with other Highways). You can start in either Newport, OR, or in Boston, MA and you can make your way across the country. Perusing Google maps, I see I've been on sections of this road coming out of West Yellowstone, Eastern Oregon, Wyoming, and I've driven across it countless times where it crosses in Iowa and Hwy 35 and even on it in Dubuque. Either way, pretty cool.

Big Meadow is one of two fine golf courses at Black Butte Ranch, the other being Glaze Meadow…read more - Excellent course layout with some nice views of the nearby volcanoes, more so than you'll see at Glaze Meadow. This is not a course you're likely to get bored on. - Greens are well maintained, roll true and are 'readable'. When I played there were a few green that had been significantly repaired with new sod. But they still rolled nicely. - Fairways in good condition. Good shot will almost always find a good lie. - Plenty of bunkers but they're not too punitive. The sand is not the best - a lot of large rocks. - Very little water; the trees, long grass in the rough and bunkers protect the course. - Beverage cart was in operation and stopped by several times - Decent practice facilities; did not see a practice bunker Overall, I like Big Meadow even more than Glaze Meadow. It's not too difficult for high handicappers and probably offers a good challenge to scratch golfers. The clubhouse contains Roberts Pub, a very nice 19th hole.

The course was in excellent condition. Fairways had good grass, bunkers were maintained well with…read morefluffy sand, and the greens were in reasonable shape but exceptionally slow. Pace of play with no marshaling was 4 hrs.

Glaze Meadow golf course is one of two at Black Butte Resort, the other being Big Meadow…read more - superb course layout with some nice views of the nearby volcanoes (but not as many as I'd hoped for - the large trees block many views). This is not a course you're likely to get bored on. - greens are well maintained, roll true and are 'readable'. - fairways in good condition despite the course only having been open for a week following the winter shutdown. - plenty of bunkers but they're not too punitive and the sand is good. - not a lot of water; the trees and bunkers protect the course. - even with a cool day, the beverage cart was in operation and stopped by several times - nice practice facilities including a practice bunker Overall, I very much like Glaze Meadow. It's not too difficult for high handicappers and probably offers a good challenge to scratch golfers (like I'd know). One of the biggest challenges for every visitor is finding your way back to the highway! While they have signs on the way in directing you to the golf course, there are none on the way out and it isn't a straight shot. Good luck!

Such a nice golf course! The fairways aren't very narrow which is good for not so good golfers like…read moremyself. The grass always looks great. The greens are well kept. The course is very hilly so it wore me out walking 9 holes! The people in the pro shop were very nice and had great customer service. The Marshall came around the course a couple of times during our 9 hole round and was friendly.

Located in-between South and North Sisters, this peak is also in the middle in terms of difficulty…read more In good weather/conditions, South is very much a hike or "walk up". North, is always a technical climb. There are many "you fall, you die" zones on it. Most everyone takes a rope and climbing gear. Middle...well, you definitely want an ice axe and crampons, but you can probably leave the rope at home. The summit offers incredible views of the other Sisters (duh). It's also big enough and flat enough to set up a couple tents. It's not anywhere NEAR as big as South Sister though, so don't get any crazy ideas!

Hello, I went to big lake growing up. I love this place. Truly some of the best memories of my…read morechi!dhood. Here I learned to work as,a team, make and keep new friends! The setting is downright majestic. So so Beautiful!! I want to go back. But way too o!d now. Just very thank for the awesome memories! I returned from camp beaming with new found confidence. And self esteem. When I got home, I had so many Stories to tell. Great food, staff, everything was incredible!! Thank you big lake, keep up the wonderful work. Your chi!d will love it here. I know I did!

Big Lake is hands down the best summer camp for kids. I grew up going here, and this year was my 12…read moreyear old's first summer here. It's been great to experience BL as a kid camper myself and now a parent of a camper. We're really going to try to make a family camp happen next summer. My son couldn't say enough how much fun he had and the great people he really enjoyed meeting. They have every activity you could possibly think of, and there's so much warmth and joy around you just feel awesome. You do not have to be religious to attend this camp..the religious themes they sprinkle throughout camp are light and joyful. You really just feel like you're with a great, wholesome group of people who have your back, care about you, and are there to support you and have fun. This is our family's forever camp for generations.