The dunes between Florence and Coos Bay on the Oregon Coast are a great place to hike and enjoy the scenic beauty of the Pacific Ocean.
Whether your plans as a University student include classes this summer or not, there are plenty of opportunities to take a break and explore Oregon’s outdoor pursuits.
Divide the state into regions, take your bearings and you’re off to some of the best outdoor destinations in the state.
Southeastern Oregon
Toni Nunn, a federal recreation planner at the Hart Mountain Wildlife Refuge, said southeastern Oregon is an excellent place to view antelope, bighorn sheep and raptors. Travelers can take a loop approach to two destinations in the region: Hart Mountain and Steens Mountain. Campers usually can’t reach all of the refuge until late July, but Nunn said this year dry conditions have opened roads earlier. But she added that campers should be even more cautious with campfires.
“Stuff is pretty accessible,” Nunn said. “Since it is dry, there will be tight restrictions on cooking over open flames.”
Hart Mountain is open to off-road horseback riding and backpacking. Visitors can also dip their toes into the refuge’s 60-year-old Hot Springs bathhouse pool.
Sixty-mile-long Steens Mountain rises 5,500 feet from the high desert floor near Burns and was designated a federal wilderness in October.
“Because of the designation, there are some roads that are now closed to vehicles,” said Mark Sherbourne, a supervisor with the BLM’s Burns office.
Camping is permitted anywhere in the wilderness area, but there are four designated campgrounds for use: Kiger Gorge, the East Rim and two at the Wildhorse overlooks. The lower portion of the Steens Mountain Loop Road opened May 25. Visitors can check in for current conditions at the Burns BLM office before visiting the area.
The Coast
Fifty miles of dunes mark the distance between Florence and Coos Bay on the Oregon Coast. The wide stretch is one of the reasons visitors come to see the dunes and why hiking them is difficult.
“If you try to walk, you’ll sink into sand up to your knees,” said Dan Gilman, who owns and operates Adventure Oregon, LTD. “People rent ATVs to go fast, have fun and have the ability to get all over the dunes.”
Any person who rents an ATV must be 16 years or older and must wear a helmet and protective clothing.
Crater Lake
The deep blue color of Crater Lake is the trademark of this national park established in 1902 and located in southern Oregon, an hour’s drive from Klamath Falls. A perennial favorite of recreation enthusiasts, the lake offers a variety of outdoor activities including hiking, camping and bicycling the winding asphalt road around the lake’s rim.
According to the National Park Service’s recorded visitor information line, facilities at Crater Lake are open seven days a week. Boat tours to Wizard Island in the middle of the lake start June 27. Campers can get free permits and more information at the Rim Visitor Center.
The Gorge and the Stars
Beginning stargazers, even those with minimal experience, can get a lesson in astronomy by attending the Oregon Star Party — an annual event held each August in the Ochoco Mountains near Prineville.
“At a place like Indian Springs, it’s possible to even see constellations like the Andromeda Galaxy with the bare eye,” said Doug Huston, a member of the Rose City Astronomers, a sponsor of the event.
At the other end of Oregon, the topography of the Columbia River Gorge provides an absolutely perfect setting for windsurfing. Hood River has become the place to go if you are into the sport, said Genevieve Scholl with the Hood River Chamber of Commerce.
“The conditions here are world-class,” Scholl said.
In recent years, this sport has taken a new twist with surfers using kites instead of sails to pull their boards.
“The kites pull them into the air,” she said. “Some of these guys catch up to 50 feet of wind at one time.”
If you are into watching and not into doing, the Gorge Windfest will be held June 29-July 1.