Outdoor Project

McNeil Campground is a good spot for rest and recovery if you are in the area seeking adventure.  The campground sits on a sandy river bed adjacent to the Sandy River, and the surrounding lodgepole pines keep the area open and sunny, in contrast to the more densely vegetated forests of the area.  The campground offers few amenities, and there are no showers or potable water.  However, the 35 campsites are quite spacious and evenly distributed throughout the campground.

Located on a small peninsula on the northwest shore of Timothy Lake and just off of the Timothy Lake Loop Trail, this walk-in campground consists of four primitive campsites 1 mile from the trailhead and parking lot. There were several unofficial sites near the campground that were also popular for campers, but these have been closed. Hikers will find a few sites along the trail between Meditation Point and the parking lot, as well.

Oregon’s Painted Hills are a beautiful display of earth’s artwork and history. Layers of black, gray, yellow, gold and red soil tell a story of the area’s geological transitions and provide visitors with stunning vistas. Part of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, the Painted Hills Unit is a visual reminder that what we now know as desert was once a very different place – an ancient flood plane home to early horses, camels and rhinoceroses!

In spite of its designation, White River Falls State Park is a relatively unknown destination.  Located 35 miles south of The Dalles, the park is definitely worth a stop if you are in the area.  The falls consists of upper and lower portions that tumble over basalt walls and converge into one main chute totaling 90 feet.  At the base of the falls you'll find the ruins of a hydropower plant that supplied north central Oregon with electricity from 1910 to 1960.  The trail down to the building is a short, slightly uneven walk, and from the building another trail leads down river.  A small beac

Set on the northeast side of East Lake, Cinder Hill Campground fronts over a mile of subalpine beach on a small lagoon-like body of water.  East Lake is actually one of two lakes that have filled the depressed caldera of Newberry Volcano.  Unlike Crater Lake, however, the waters of East Lake are only 180-feet deep, in comparison to Crater Lake's 1,949-foot maximum depth.

This little campground, tucked away on the southeast shore of East Lake in the heart of Newberry Volcano's caldera, has one distinct feature every visitor will remember: a white beach and emerald water that appears more akin to Playa del Carmen, Mexico, than your usual subalpine lake in Oregon.  However, at 6,400-feet in elevation, the beach isn't white sand; rather it's finely-crushed pumice (gas-charged obsidian).  No matter, you'll find the shore here particularly inviting.

If you're craving some dryer weather, a lot of vitamin D, and lakeside views, then this is your weekend spot.  It's possible that Little Crater Campground is the most sun-kissed campground in Deschutes County.  That being said, if you burn easily, be sure to bring your SPF and some form of shading device.

One of the Northwest’s greatest undiscovered gems, Newberry National Volcanic Monument encompasses 55,500 acres in central Oregon's high desert and is an absolute geological wonder.  The Monument was dedicated in 1990 to protect Newberry Volcano, a relatively low-lying yet massive shield volcano that is a part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc's eastern arc.*  The monument boasts one of the largest concentrations of cinder cones, lava flows and fissures in the world.  The area also includes

Located just north of Bend's city limits and right on the banks of the Deschutes River, Tumalo State Park has one of Central Oregon's most popular and conveniently located campgrounds.