2017 Pacific Coast Trip - Glacier National Park, Montana

Photo link:

https://goo.gl/photos/tVpBJRtCLLeFMhHU6

Friday, July 14^th – Thursday, July 20^th

Crooked Tree RV Park, Hungry Horse, Montana

As we headed north towards Glacier N.P. we again took some back roads that we had not traveled. The drive along Highway 3 passed by the St. Joe National Forest and also along the Coeur d’Alene River, before reaching Interstate 90. This was such a long drive that we needed to do a one night stopover at our favorite flop, Walmart. We found one in the small town of Smelterville Idaho along the interstate. The next day we crossed into Montana, then headed north to Glacier. Along the way we passed by Flathead Lake, WOW this is a huge, beautiful lake in an amazing valley that we didn’t expect to see. Ultimately, we made it to Hungry Horse and got settled in the campground. This RV park is only 3 miles from the west entrance to Glacier N.P.

That afternoon we drove into the Park to the Visitor Center to get maps and speak with a Ranger about hikes. This is a vast park with numerous hikes and scenic drives. We were strongly advised regarding grizzly bear activity, as huckleberries were in season and the bears were out with their cubs to feed. We then drove the park highway for a few miles to get our first glimpse of the lakes and mountains, they were spectacular!

The next day, we hiked the Avalanche Trail, which was a rugged climb along Avalanche Creek, up to an alpine lake. The views were amazing of mountain peaks and several waterfalls from the melting snowfields.

Another day we drove the 50 mile Going-to-the-Sun road to the far end at St. Mary, east entrance. This mountain road was built in the 1930’s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). This 50 mile, spectacular highway bisects the Park and hugs the cliffs below the Continental Divide. Most of the road is narrow as it climbs the mountainside and also has rock guard rails in many places where needed. On the return trip we stopped at Logan Pass Visitor Center to hike the Hidden Lake Overlook Trail. There was no parking available at the center, so we had to park about a mile down the road at an overlook and hike back to the trailhead at the Center. This trail is only 1.4 miles with a 500 foot gain, not a tough hiking trail. After about ¼ mile, we found snow covering the trail. I had not brought my hiking poles as it seemed to be an easy trail. I never made it to the overlook as the snow was melting and very slippery. I along with others, were falling on the slippery snow. After about a mile, I headed back to the trailhead to wait for Kurt. This is another aggravating issue with the National Parks trail descriptions. They should have advised hikers of snow on the trail, which would help those who have limited hiking skills to not go on the trail or be prepared. I am a very experienced hiker and had to turn back. If the trail conditions had been divulged, I would have taken my hiking poles and been able to make it all the way… uuggghh. At least I had the pictures that Kurt had taken to see what I missed. Too bad!

There are mountain biking trails in a nearby town of Whitefish. We rode the trails there and really enjoyed the well designed and maintained single tracks. We took turns riding, as we had taken the dogs with us. Kody was not feeling well and we didn’t want to leave them alone in the RV. Also, we had to carry bear spray with us as there had been some reported bear activity in the area (we only had one bear spray can). We never saw any indication of bears…

The Flathead River flowed right through the area and Kurt wanted to kayak the river. He found put in and take out boat ramps, so I dropped him off and picked him up. The river was flowing fast and he really enjoyed the great paddle on such a crystal clear river.

The last day in the area, Kurt went back into Glacier and rode the hiker’s shuttle back to Logan Pass. He then hiked the 14 mile Highline Trail carved into the mountain side. There is a spur trail that goes up to Granite Peak Chalet, a historic lodge for hikers. At the end of the trail, he was able to take the shuttle back to the Visitor Center where the truck was parked. The views along the trail are stunning and the pictures were great. Kurt loves to do these long trails, I really don’t enjoy them so much. Kurt carried his bear spray, but never saw a bear. During our time in Glacier; we, nor anyone else we asked, had seen one bear. Kurt had used his binoculars to scan so many valleys and lakes, never saw any bears. We felt that the rangers have really overblown the bear threat. We understand that bears could be anywhere and one must be prepared, but some trails were closed because of this “threat”.

Overall, we truly enjoyed Glacier National Park and its amazing topography, carved by glaciers. This landscape is so different from any other N.P. that we have visited. The traffic is so well managed there, the only exception is parking at Logan Pass is limited. It is truly one of God’s creations and we humans can marvel at the stunning beauty. This is definitely one of our top favorite National Parks, the “Crown of the Continent”.

2017 Pacific Coast Trip - Hells Canyon, Idaho

Photo link:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/KknA6T6z5GsavEh82

Saturday, July 8^th  – Wednesday, July 12^th
Hells Gate State Park, Lewiston, Idaho

Upon leaving Coeur d'Alene Idaho we headed south to Lewiston Idaho. Located here is Hells Canyon, through which the Snake River flows. Again, the drive was through beautiful agricultural valleys right along the Washington - Idaho border. As we approached the town of Lewiston we realized we were on the top of a butte and there were amazing views down into the Lewiston Valley.  This is where the Clearwater River converges with the Snake River. There's a lot of history in Lewiston as at one point this was an actual shipping port to transport goods to and from the Pacific area. We drove down the steep hill into Lewiston and headed a little further south to Hell's Gate State Park, which is right along the Snake River. We were pleasantly surprised to see such a beautiful state park that had many shade trees and huge spacious RV sites. The park has a nice beach area along the river, along with many hiking and biking trails. There is so much history in this area as this was an actual location where Lewis and Clark came up the Clearwater River and camped along the Snake River. The state park has a huge Lewis and Clark Discovery Center with the full story, history and video re-enactment of the expedition to find the Corps of Discovery Expedition.

We were excited to see the Snake River (we had seen it a few years ago in the Yellowstone area). The next day we drove south along the river on the Washington side to explore and determine what our kayaking possibilities were. There were many rocky cliffs and interesting formations along the canyon walls. One of the principal rock formations is called Basalt, which are volcanic black rock formations in six-sided columns.

We obtained a trail map and we both rode our mountain bikes on the Hell's Gate trails around the park. There were great views of the river, the canyon and the Washington side to the west. The dogs also enjoyed playing on the riverfront beach and meeting some other doggy friends.

We did get our kayaks on the Snake River, we put-in upstream about 12 miles and floated south to the campground. Kurt was able to get a taxi driver to drive him back up to the put in and get the truck. It was a beautiful day on the river and it was amazing to see all the different rock formations along the canyon.

There is an outfitter called Snake River Adventures that does jet boat tours all the way up the river about 20 miles until they reach the dam. Kurt ended up taking the jet boat tour while I stayed at camp with the dogs, since it was a 12 hour day trip. He enjoyed the tour all the way back to where the canyon walls were more narrow and higher. Along the way they spotted some wildlife; there were several areas where bighorn sheep herds were grazing along the river and they even saw a bald eagle on the canyon rocks. There were also several locations where the basalt formations were part of the canyon walls.

We really enjoyed our time at Hells Canyon; the outdoor adventures and more history of the Lewis & Clark Discovery Expedition. Onward to our next adventures in Montana!

2017 Pacific Coast Trip - Lake Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Photo link:

https://goo.gl/photos/Y8GP6uGLQTC99HtQ9

Monday, July 3^rd – Friday, July 7^th  

Blackwell Island RV Park, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

We were excited to move on to Idaho, so many RV’ers had commented on what a beautiful place that Coeur d’Alene is. As we approached the area, we began to see the landscape turn into mountains and forest. That made us happy since we would be out of the desert. We arrived at Blackwell Island to find a very nice RV park. The island is in the middle of the lake, which is fed by the Spokane River. The park has a nice beach for swimming and lounging in the sun, along with some walking trails around the natural areas. The upcoming 4^th of July celebration was the next day and we were happy to be in such an amazing place to help celebrate.

On Independence Day we got up early and headed to the city for the American Heroes parade. Downtown main street was decorated with patriotic colors and amazing flowers. The parade was huge and very entertaining. All branches of the military and law enforcement were represented. We truly enjoyed this patriotic display and celebration. After the parade we walked around the city and the waterfront. There were live music bands and food vendors. We ate lunch in the downtown waterfront park, then headed back to the RV park. Later in the evening, we were able to watch the downtown fireworks from the beach at the RV park. It was a great show and very convenient that we didn’t have to go downtown and get into the crowds. Overall, the day’s celebrations were very patriotic and fun.

The next day, we drove back into town and parked at McEuen Park on the waterfront. We took the dogs and hiked a nice trail around Tubbs Hill. We all enjoyed the day in the beautiful town. Our last day we put the kayaks in the lake at the RV park beach. We paddled towards downtown and Tubbs Hill. It was such a beautiful day and a great view of the town from the water. This huge lake is a glacier carved lake and fed by the Spokane River. Later in the evening, we went back into town to attend a live concert in the park. The “Live After 5” event was very nice, we sat in the tree's shade and enjoyed the music.

The area is definitely a tourist mecca. Such a great city, the lake is so beautiful and full of water sports and boating. We truly enjoyed this special western town and all the amenities and activities that it provides. If we had any idea how wonderful it was, we would have scheduled more time there. Oh well, maybe someday we can come back and visit again.

For our next location we will head south to Hells Canyon in Idaho. Looking forward to what we find there.

2017 Pacific Coast Trip - Columbia River Gorge & SE Washington

Photo link:

https://goo.gl/photos/EsLNiwr8qmNJ56BV9

Friday, June 23^rd – Sunday, July 2^nd

Timberlake RV Campground, Happy Valley, WA

After leaving Oregon, we drove eastward toward the Columbia River Gorge National Recreation Area.  We drove through Portland, and made a wrong turn… ugghh. Had to drive through some side streets to get back on the interstate. After leaving the Portland area, we were both surprised to get views of Mt. Hood on the south side and then Mt. Adams to the north. WOW, they are so high we could see them many miles away. This central Washington location along the Gorge is filled with amazing mountainous, rocky landscapes on both the northern Washington side and the southern Oregon side. The drive was on the Oregon side, until we reached the Cascade Locks and crossed over the Bridge of the Gods in Washington. This is an historic river crossing as described by Native Americans as a gift from the Gods. “Scientists believe that about 1,000 years ago, a giant landslide from the north shore of the Columbia River blocked the Gorge and stopped the river’s flow. This natural dam created an inland sea in eastern Oregon, Washington, and into Idaho. Over time, water eroded the dam and created an awesome natural stone bridge. Eventually, this bridge fell, creating the Cascade rapids.” After the area was developed by pioneers, the current modern bridge was built. This area along the Columbia River is also historic as the Lewis & Clark Expedition followed the river towards the mouth and the ocean. After crossing the river our campground was just a few miles away up in the Washington mountains and forest.

After arriving and setting up camp, we gathered some information on local events and recreation. There just happened to be a Brews & Blues Festival that weekend. On Saturday, we headed about 3 miles west to the Skamania County Fairgrounds. We enjoyed the music and beers; yes, I actually tried a couple of craft brews. Not too bad for a non-beer drinker! With three more days to explore, we mapped out our activities. The next day we drove along the Oregon side to the waterfalls area. We hiked back to a couple of the falls, but at most trailheads there was no parking. The crowds were thick; but then again, it was Sunday.  We didn’t even get to stop at Multnomah Falls, the premier waterfall that didn’t require a hike. Oh well, we did see it as we drove by. Another day, we hiked along a beautiful trail on Dog Mountain. We took the dogs as they needed to get out and play. The trail was very steep, with four miles of uphill climbing. Kody and I turned around at the two mile point, Kurt and Luca continued to the peak. The pictures and the views were amazing, wish Kody and I could have made it.  On our last day there, we did a day trip back south in Oregon to Mt. Hood National Forest to get a closer look at the mountain. The dogs also went with us to explore. What a beautiful, scenic drive. We crossed over into Oregon at Hood River, then headed south through a gorgeous green valley, filled with orchards and vineyards. We were able to drive around Mt. Hood and closer to the base on the south side. This side has two ski resorts, which at this time were not operational. There was still a lot of snow on the mountain, but not enough for skiing. We had a great time in this part of the Gorge, was looking forward to moving eastward in Washington.

Beach RV Park, Benton City, WA (Tri-Cities area – Richland, Kennewick & Pasco)

Our plan was to head eastward to an area called Tri-Cities in southeast Washington. We were immediately surprised as we left the Gorge and found the landscape was changing into the “high desert”. We had no idea that Washington had desert. Even though the desert was all shades of brown/tan, the landscape was filled with green agriculture (anywhere they could irrigate). There were vineyards everywhere on sides of mountains and in valleys. There were also other crops; including onions, hops and wheat. This whole area had so much agriculture and there were sprawling new housing communities. In the Tri-Cities is the location where the Yakima River and Snake River converge with the Columbia River. We were fortunate to stay in a very nice, small RV park that was right on the Yakima River.

We decided we had to get the kayaks on the Yakima, as we hadn’t had many kayaking opportunities recently. So we found put-in and take-out locations. We were able to paddle right out of a boat ramp across the road from the RV park, then take out at a local park 11 miles downstream. Kurt had arranged an Uber driver to pick him up at the take out, where he left the truck before we paddled. This allowed us to take our time on the river, with our truck waiting for us at the end. Even though we were on the river, the scenery again was desert, with green along the riverfront. The water was not too clear or clean, so we didn’t really get in the water. Oh well, at least we go the kayaks wet!

There were some mountain biking trails nearby in the desert hills, so Kurt decided he would get some exercise. I chose not to go, as the weather was getting hotter by the day. He did ride to the top of a local peak with great views of the valley. The trails were surrounded by our much hated “tan spear grass”, which we had encountered in California… same stuff!

Our last day there, we drove around the area, crossed the Columbia River and picnicked on the riverfront. The boys enjoyed the day with us also. The Columbia was beautiful and full of boaters, both motor and kayaks. It was nice to relax in shade on a hot day. Now we were ready to head to Idaho and spend the Fourth of July in Coeur d’Alene on the lake.

 

2017 Pacific Coast Trip - Oregon Coast

Photo link:

https://goo.gl/photos/Z7BhjyMdzLkvDDig8

Monday, June 12^th – Thursday, June 22^nd   

Winchester Bay, Windy Cove C.G.

After spending a wonderful time in central Oregon, we headed to the Oregon Coast. This was one of our premier bucket list items, as we had seen pictures of the amazing rocky coast and beaches. We drove west through the Willamette National Forest, with beautiful views of the tall Douglas fir trees and some small mountain passes. We also passed though the city of Eugene on our way to Florence on the coast, then headed south to Winchester Bay. We quickly found out that this area of the coast is famous for the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. This is a wonderland of beach dunes and lakes that is the playground for off-road vehicles. The Dunes are filled with campgrounds (on the sand), lakes, hiking trails and forests. The town of Reedsport is known for their annual chain-saw sculpting contest. There are wooden art sculptures all around town, it’s very interesting to see the talent there.

Our County campground was on the bay and close to everything. We began by touring the closest lighthouse, Umpqua River lighthouse, originally built in 1857. This is an active lighthouse with a distinctive Fresnel lenses that emit red and white flashes. We drove around the area and found an elk viewing meadow, didn’t see one elk. One day we drove south to Coos Bay to check out several state parks along the coast there. This area had the rocky, craggy coastline that we expected to see. We saw another lighthouse from a distance, the Cape Arago light. This is not a functional light and is owned by the local Native American tribe. Another amazing area was the Shore Acres S.P. This was once a coastal property owned by a wealthy timber baron and was ultimately donated to the state. The estate was filled with beautiful gardens and also a whale viewing area on the shore. There were amazing coastal vistas of rugged sandstone cliffs along the shore. We also visited Sunset Bay, a lovely crescent shaped beach with rocky shores and cliffs.

Depoe Bay, Fogarty Creek RV

After spending one rainy day inside, we decided to move north to the Newport area. Along the drive north, we stopped at various overlooks for more views of the amazing coastline. Cape Perpetua was particularly beautiful and has history of Captain Cook landing there. The only bad part was the weather was overcast, foggy, rainy and gloomy (June & Gloom). We stayed in the small village of Depoe Bay, which is famous for its whales that hang out there all year. After we setup camp in Depoe Bay, we found that right across the highway was another viewpoint on Fishing Rock. We took the dogs, crossed the highway and hiked over to the lookout. Even with the rain, it was quite beautiful. While staying in this little town, we headed north for more coastal gazing. This stretch of the coast was mostly composed of black volcanic rock with amazing vistas. We stopped at Cape Foulweather and was able to see some whales just offshore. There were several whale watching boats and whenever they sighted one, we could watch around their boats and get a glimpse of the grey whales. Along with the stunning vistas, there were huge beaches surrounded by rocky cliffs. The hikes up to the cliffs provided great views of the beach. We headed down to Newport for lunch and found a great little Mom & Pop seafood shack, the clam chowder and fish & chips were wonderful. We then toured the Yaquina Head Lighthouse. Again, we saw more spectacular views of black rocky coasts.

Seaside, Circle Creek RV

Our last location on the coast was in the area of Seaside, Oregon. This coastal beach town is a prime beach vacation town. The town has all kinds of activities for families and everyone. We stayed in the RV park just a mile south of town, it felt like we were in the country. Seaside is a very busy summer town, with the Necanicum River flowing through the town, and is a favorite place to kayak, stand up paddle board and paddle boat.

The first day we headed north to the city of Astoria, right at the mouth of the Columbia River. This fishing town has grown into a tourist stop. We rode the town trolley along the Colombia River waterfront with a great tour guide that explained the history of this town. We also drove up a hill to the Astoria Column, a huge tribute to the Lewis & Clark expedition and early pioneers. The column is painted in bas-relief drawings of the historical times in the area. We were able to take the stairs to the top and take in the 360 views of the inlet, bay, town and the Columbia River.

Ecola State Park was just a few miles south, so we went there to hike and see the coastal views. The dogs went with us and the hike was amazing. The lookout on the trail was a great view of the Tillamook Head Lighthouse. This light no longer is functional and has simply just been left alone. Even the views of the beach in the park were beautiful.

Kurt took one afternoon to go on a hike just east of Seaside. He took Luca and they hiked to the peak of Saddle Mountain Summit Trail. The pictures and views were amazing and they both had a great hike.

On our last day there, we headed just south to Cannon Beach to check out this beach town. It was quickly apparent that this beach town was upscale compared to Seaside. What a lovely town and a great beach. Nice little downtown with all kinds of shops, restaurants, art galleries, wine shops and breweries.  We took the dogs and walked onto the beach to get closer to Haystack Rock. This rock is a moss covered sea bird rookery, filled with all different species. We were in awe as we watched two bald eagles fly onto the rock and rob the nests. The seabirds all tried to fight them off, but the eagles had babies to feed also. The eagles got what they wanted. We were speechless after witnessing this act of nature, we will probably never see anything like it again. Wow. We wished we had spent more time in Cannon Beach, but we just ran out of time.

Had to head back inland and up into Washington State.

2017 Pacific Coast Trip - Central Oregon, Bend & Redmond

Photo link:

https://goo.gl/photos/fdDTyQP7tWUxNDTQ9

Saturday, June 3^rd – Wednesday, June 7^th   
LaPine State Park, Bend

We drove north out of Crater Lake area toward Bend. After meeting some RV campers in Sequoia, they had advised us to not miss the Bend area. They live nearby in a town called Sisters. They were correct! There are so many outdoor activities there and the regional area is all about being outdoors and dogs! They love their dogs in Bend, everything is dog friendly. Our kind of place.  

On our drive north to central Oregon we began to see more of the Cascades in the distance. It was an easy drive to LaPine State Park, which is about 20 miles south of Bend. This is a lovely remote park, so remote that we didn’t have any cell signal, but we managed without it. The Deschutes River flows right through the park and provided opportunities for paddling and hiking/biking trails along the river.  When we arrived there, we were informed that this area is in the “high desert”. Wow, it didn’t look like desert to me, but the altitude definitely qualifies. The main vegetation there are ponderosa pines, juniper trees and sage brush on the ground. It was actually quite beautiful with forests all around. Also, this area is part of the Cascades Volcanic Arc, and it was visible with most surrounding rock structures being volcanic in nature. While there, we hiked and biked several trails that were extensive within the park.

Just southeast of Bend is the Lava Cast Forest and the Mt. Newberry volcano, with obsidian and volcanic rock flows throughout the area. Also there is the Lava River Cave, which we toured. They rented high power lanterns to carry inside the cave as it was pitch black. The cave goes on for about 1 mile, we hiked back in a little over halfway then turned around. It was really interesting; we have been in many caverns, but nothing like this one. It was very unique. We also visited the Lava Butte, which is a non-erupted volcano that collapsed and became a butte. We hiked the short trail around the top of the butte and had great views of the surrounding valley. Mt. Bachelor, Mt. Newberry, Broken Top Mountain and the three Sisters Peaks were easily visible from there.

We went into Bend a couple of days to check it out. This city seems very new, the architecture looks like western/lodge/modern. Very interesting place with a lot of great ideas for living and tourism. The Deschutes River flows right through downtown and they have built a water park in the river that includes white water, small rapids for kayaks or tubing and simply swimming and playing in the water. Part of the park includes hiking, running and dog walking trails. Another afternoon we went into town to walk around, visit a brewery and eat some dinner. We were in the older part of downtown and it was so much fun to experience this wonderful city.

One day I ran a kayak shuttle for Kurt, he really wanted to get on the Deschutes River. He paddled about 10 miles downstream where I picked him up at a boat launch. The weather was perfect and he had great views of the surrounding mountains.

There was also a large mountain biking trail system west of Bend. We spent two days there biking Phil’s Trails. There were over 100 miles of trails for all skill levels of mountain bikers. The trails I rode were not very technical or difficult, but were so much flowy fun. Kurt enjoyed the black diamond trails and we really had a lot of fun. Biking is so popular in Bend, the trails were packed both times we were there, even on a weekday. I wish that we had the time to ride once more.

Thursday, June 8^th – Sunday, June 11^th   

Deschutes County Fairground RV Park, Redmond

After spending 5 days in the Bend area, we decided to move a little further north to Redmond. This area also has so many outdoor activities. We also found out there was a rodeo in Sisters that week, which is much closer to Redmond. Redmond is a laid back smaller town, filled with country people and surrounded by agricultural lands.

Downtown Redmond has a unique feature, the Dry Canyon. This is a shallow canyon that has been developed for recreation purposes. Along with hiking and mountain biking trails, there is a dog park with two fenced areas where dogs can run off leash. There are also baseball fields, an amphitheater, disc golf, playgrounds, tennis courts, skateboard park, and a soccer field.

Several miles north of Redmond is Smith Rock State Park. This amazing landscape has numerous hiking and mountain biking trails, along with rock climbing trails. Smith Rock is a volcanic creation, once a caldera the overlying rock collapsed into an underground lava chamber. The rock and debris then solidified into rock, creating the rock as it is now. The Crooked River runs through the park and provides a lush base for the park. We spent the day there on hiking trails with the dogs. We all headed up the Misery Ridge Trail, Kody and I made it up about 1 mile, then we headed back down to hike some of the river trails. Kurt and Luca continued to the peak, then hiked down the back side trail and around to the river trail. What an amazing stunning rock park. We really enjoyed our day there and would recommend this to anyone visiting the area.

We attended the Sisters Rodeo on Saturday night. We drove to the town of Sisters for the afternoon, walked around this quaint little mountain town and had a great Mexican food lunch. It was so exciting to finally see a rodeo on this trip. Typically, rodeos start in early summer out west, so we were too early for any other city’s rodeos. This was a premier rodeo for the northwest region. This was a PRCA event, so the cowboys were very good at their events. The performance was typical rodeo; bronco riding, bull riding, calf roping, team roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing and a special entertainer. This cowboy brought out in an old car his wild mustang that he had trained and his herding dogs and put on a very special show with his animals.  I was not able to get many pictures of the event riding since it was getting dark and the performers moved so fast that the pictures were just not great. We really had a fun time at this event, even though the weather was so cold, around the low 40s with wind. Wow, good thing had clothing for the cold weather. We hope to find more rodeos along our path forward. Maybe in Montana or N. Dakota!

After visiting this part of central Oregon, this would be a “go back” destination for us. We really enjoyed our time here; the activities, the people and the beautiful countryside.

2017 Pacific Coast Trip - Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Photo link:

https://goo.gl/photos/t4NngHRgZG9WhqGY7

Monday, May 29^th – Friday, June 2^nd  
Crater Lake RV Park, Prospect, Oregon

After spending seven weeks in California, we finally crossed the border into Oregon. On the coastal drive out of northern California, the views still included redwood trees in the forest and rocky coastal waters. The weather was still rainy and foggy. We were ready to leave behind the gloom and fog.  We headed back eastward toward Crater Lake.

The first Oregon destination was in the Crater Lake National Park area. We camped at an RV park that is about 20 miles from Crater Lake. This RV park lies inside the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, near the small mountain town of Prospect. This little town was once a prosperous gold mining area. The local people were very friendly and helpful.

The forest was filled with many hiking trails, with overlooks of the Rogue River and waterfalls. There were even trails right out of the RV park that we enjoyed. The premier trails were those that followed the Rogue River. This is another raging river that is filled with the record snowmelt. It’s so amazing to see the power of the water flow in the river. The trails included a gorge lookout from the highway bridge, Avenue of Giant Boulders, Mill Creek Falls, Barr Creek Falls, and various Rogue Gorge viewpoints from short hikes. There were so many places and not enough time.

We visited Crater Lake National Park for one day. We took the dogs with us as we didn’t want to leave them alone for too many hours. Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States at 1943’ and was created by volcanic activity. The lake is in a caldera created 7700 years ago when the Mt. Mazama volcano collapsed following a major eruption. Later eruptions created Wizard Island within the lake. Crater Lake is also part of the Cascades Volcanic Arc, which stretches from Lassen Volcano in northern California, to Oregon’s Mt. Hood and Mt. Jefferson, Washington’s Mt. Saint Helens and Mt. Rainier, and others up into Canada.

When we visited, there was still so much snow on the ground and only about one eight of the rim road was open. They were just beginning to plow the remainder of the rim road. We were able to go to the Visitor Center for information, drive to the Rim Village, and visit the Rim Lodge (where we had our lunch with a lake view). The only hiking trail open was the Discovery Point trail on the southwest side; even though this part of the road was plowed, hikers had to walk on the road about a mile to get to the trailhead. The good thing about this visit was that it was not crowded; however, since the access was so limited it was disappointing to not be able to drive the complete rim road and do some hikes. We were lucky that the weather was sunny and there was not fog on the lake, which is common this time of year. It was still an amazing visit and the views were spectacular. I think it is better to visit later in summer when there is no snow!

Our Oregon adventures continue!