Holiday marks start of summer recreation season
With the Memorial Day weekend around the corner, national forests are gearing up for the start to the traditional Northwest recreation season.
A wide range of activities awaits in Oregon and Washington’s 16 national forests, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and Crooked River National Grassland: Camping, hiking, biking, horseback riding, fishing, caving, bird watching and simply driving for pleasure to name a few. Summer is a great time in the Northwest to get outdoors and explore the forest you haven’t quite made it to yet.
Each forest has different recreational opportunities and restrictions: Check out what’s available at the Deschutes & Ochoco National Forests and Crooked River National Grassland.
On the Deschutes & Ochoco National Forests and the Crooked River National Grassland, there are more than 100 campgrounds, more than 100 trailheads and hundreds of miles of trails, four cabin rental areas, 30 boating areas and many other undeveloped attractions awaiting you. Unlike some public lands, you can camp nearly anywhere in your national forests – just leave your site cleaner than you found it.
In addition to the traditional campgrounds and trailheads, the Forests and Grassland also manage more than 580,000 acres within 8 wildernesses for you to explore.
Some campgrounds require reservations – www.recreation.gov – and some trails require a pass to help us keep them maintained – Passes and Permits in Your Northwest Forests But all 24 million acres of National Forest lands in the Northwest belong to you and beckon for you to come visit.
Good news: There are three fee-free days and a fee-free weekend left this year, two coming up in June:
National Trails Day– June 7
National Get Outdoors Day– June 14 National Public Lands Day -Sept. 27 Veterans Day Weekend -Nov. 8-11
For more information about having fun on your national forests, call the forest you intend to visit Your Northwest National Forests For information on the Deschutes & Ochoco National Forests and Crooked River National Grassland visit: fs.usda.gov/centraloregon.
