Rivers
Six rivers. Twenty-seven adventures. Endless options for a wild and scenic summer.
THE MAGICIAN
McKenzie
ON THE MCKENZIE’S SIXTY-EIGHT MILE journey from just west of Sisters to Springfield, the river tumbles 2,561 raucous feet over waterfalls, past hot springs, and through six-hundred-year-old stands of Douglas fir—but the most intriguing section may well be the three miles that contain no water at all. West of the river’s headwaters at Clear Lake, the McKenzie, once an angry torrent draining the Cascades, dips suddenly below ground, leaving in its place a rocky, meandering depression cluttered with leafy alder trees. Three miles later, it reemerges as Tamolitch Pool, a pristine one-acre aquamarine basin that spills westward for another fifty-eight miles to meet the Willamette. Rivergoers can thank the likes of Pele for this geological game of hide-and-seek. About 1,500 years ago, the nearby Belknap volcano spewed lava into the river, covering the McKenzie and sending it underground. A similar eruption 3,000 years ago dammed the river to create Clear Lake, 200 feet deep. Between these two fire-forged water features lie thirteen miles of Wild and Scenic river punctuated by two towering waterfalls—the 140-foot Sahalie and the 70-foot Koosah—and more than enough adventure to make up for those three waterless miles.
HIKE/BIKE For those who prefer to witness the river’s beauty from dry land, the McKenzie River Trail is one of the best mountain-bike rides in Oregon. It descends nearly 1,750 feet down the lava flows of Clear Lake, past the high-rise falls of Sahalie and Koosah and the dry riverbed above Tamolitch Pool, and finally through the towering old-growth forest near the town of McKenzie Bridge. The path has plenty of easier, upright pedaling between all the sharp rocks that line the track. Fraught with steep, rock-choked descents and slippery bridge crossings, the twenty-six-mile trail may be too technical for some riders, so in that case, ditch the bike, lace up your boots, pick a section, and start hiking. For the most scenic payoff, take the Clear Lake Loop Trail, where you’ll find an eerie array of coral-like lava that bubbled right up to the water’s edge, and three-thousand-year-old petrified tree trunks poking up from the lake’s depths like the posts of an ancient abandoned pier.
FISH Although not as famed for fishing as the Deschutes or the North Umpqua, the McKenzie has a bonus neither of those rivers share: it’s legal to fish from a boat. That means you can cover more water and, if the fish aren’t biting in one spot, cast your line elsewhere. Near Eugene, the river flattens and spreads out, meandering swift and clear over riffles that make it ideal for trout fishing. Although the McKenzie contains salmon and steelhead, anglers covet its famous redband, a variety of native rainbow trout (although you can’t keep these). Your best bet for catching them might lie with guide Aaron Helfrich (helfrich.com; $275/half day), whose family has been guiding on the McKenzie for more than eighty years.
PADDLE While Sahalie and Koosah Falls remain experts-only paddling turf, 17.5 miles downstream, near McKenzie Bridge, the river offers a fine beginner’s sampler with long, placid stretches of water interrupted by exhilarating Class II and III wake-up calls. Oregon Whitewater Adventures’ full-day trip (oregonwhitewater.com; $90) covers twelve miles of river, riding past the majestic Eagle Rock Spire and the occasional picturesque cottage, and culminating in the Marten Rapid—a pulse-racing Class III section that white-water guidebook Soggy Sneakers describes as a scuba-diving treasure trove: so bouncy is the ride that unwary boaters sometimes lose their sunglasses, wallets, and watches. But better your belongings go overboard than you, for the springs that feed the river pump in bracing 48-degree water. Of course, getting dunked can have its own rewards, too—like an excuse to warm up in one of the three pools at Belknap Hot Springs ($7 per hour).
Published: July 2009
Morrison’s Rogue River lodge was an EXCELLENT place to stay on the Rogue (outside Grant’s Pass). The lodge itself has out-of-this-world food and quaint accomodations. I would highly recommend the raft trips Morrison’s offers, great guides and a 3-day trip I would do again in a heartbeat.
Morrison’s Rogue River lodge was an EXCELLENT place to stay on the Rogue (outside Grant’s Pass). The lodge itself has out-of-this-world food and quaint accomodations. I would highly recommend the raft trips Morrison’s offers, great guides and a 3-day trip I would do again in a heartbeat.
Morrison’s Rogue River lodge was an EXCELLENT place to stay on the Rogue (outside Grant’s Pass). The lodge itself has out-of-this-world food and quaint accomodations. I would highly recommend the raft trips Morrison’s offers, great guides and a 3-day trip I would do again in a heartbeat.
Morrison’s Rogue River lodge was an EXCELLENT place to stay on the Rogue (outside Grant’s Pass). The lodge itself has out-of-this-world food and quaint accomodations. I would highly recommend the raft trips Morrison’s offers, great guides and a 3-day trip I would do again in a heartbeat.
Enticing article, but sorely lacking in locations. To an Oregon newbie, the “maps” that accompanied the article were graphic and cute… and useless. Where, for example, is the Tamolitch Pool? Clear Lake? etc. Nice photography, though.
Enticing article, but sorely lacking in locations. To an Oregon newbie, the “maps” that accompanied the article were graphic and cute… and useless. Where, for example, is the Tamolitch Pool? Clear Lake? etc. Nice photography, though.
@Barry – Tamolitch Falls, Koosah & Sahalie Falls and Clear Lake are all in a line along Rt. 126 East of McKenzie Bridge, OR. Check out the second comment from this photo (http://www.flickr.com/photos/srlarsen/3005249676/in/set-72157608669242524/ ) for some basic directions to Tamolitch Falls or save yourself a lot of trouble and just pick up a copy of William Sullivan’s “100 Hikes in the Central Oregon Cascades,” the Bible of Oregon’s backwoods.
@Barry – Tamolitch Falls, Koosah & Sahalie Falls and Clear Lake are all in a line along Rt. 126 East of McKenzie Bridge, OR. Check out the second comment from this photo (http://www.flickr.com/photos/srlarsen/3005249676/in/set-72157608669242524/ ) for some basic directions to Tamolitch Falls or save yourself a lot of trouble and just pick up a copy of William Sullivan’s “100 Hikes in the Central Oregon Cascades,” the Bible of Oregon’s backwoods.
@Barry – Tamolitch Falls, Koosah & Sahalie Falls and Clear Lake are all in a line along Rt. 126 East of McKenzie Bridge, OR. Check out the second comment from this photo (http://www.flickr.com/photos/srlarsen/3005249676/in/set-72157608669242524/ ) for some basic directions to Tamolitch Falls or save yourself a lot of trouble and just pick up a copy of William Sullivan’s “100 Hikes in the Central Oregon Cascades,” the Bible of Oregon’s backwoods.
That photo is not the metolius river.
The photo that illustrates the Metolius River page was in no way taken on the Metolius. Are these articals just pasted up in the backroom using internet material?
“as they wiggle upstream toward the ocean to spawn” is one major biology error. Just to clarify fish swim upstream, meaning up a river, into tributaries and creeks to spawn. Upstream means toward the headwaters of the river.
Just wanted to share that Cog Wild Mountain Bike Tours, based in Bend, Oregon also offers multi-day tours on the North Umpqua Trail. Our tours are 3 days and include more time in the saddle for half the price. Check out details on our website for the North Umpqua Weekend Adventure at: www.cogwild.com.
:)
The best section of the Deschutes is the section around Maupin. It has the best rapids, Boxcar, Wapinitia and Oak Springs. You will get a better trip for a better price if you use on of the local companies. I have always liked using All Star Rafting http://asrk.com
I just moved to Oregon and can’t wait to explore my new home. My husband and I love to go river rafting, those look like some great locations! Do you have any recommendations for an Oregon river rafting company we can get some equipment from? A friend suggested I go to http://www.highdesertriver.com/, so I will have to see what their rates are. Thanks!