New Cascade Lakes Welcome Station to open Saturday
The Deschutes National Forest, in cooperation with Discover Your Forest, will be opening the new Cascade Lakes Welcome Station west of Bend this Saturday.
The new Welcome Station is situated at the gateway to some of the most popular recreation sites on the forest.
Located on a national scenic byway on Century Drive near the junction of Forest Road 41, the new post will provide an opportunity for visitors to receive personalized service every day of the week through the busy summer and fall seasons, officials said.
“Above all, we hope the new Welcome Station is a place where visitors will have convenient access to Forest Service employees to ask questions about upcoming trips, help plan activities and obtain any permits or maps they need to recreate safely and legally on the forest,” said Kevin Larkin, district ranger on the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District.
The new post features interpretive panels, revolving displays and various retail opportunities. In addition, visitors will have convenient access to a trailhead just outside of the station, which accesses over 100 miles of non-motorized hiking and biking trails.
The Cascade Lakes Welcome Station will open March 19-27 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will then be open only on the weekends through April. Beginning May 1, the station will be open seven days a through early fall.
Construction began on the new post in October 2014 with funding from the Deschutes National Forest, Oregon Department of Transportation and a Federal Highways Administration grant designed to support projects on scenic byways.
The $1.7 million project was funded in part from the proceeds of the sale of the Bend Pine Nursery to the Bend Park and Recreation District in 2004. The FHA grant totaled $900,000.
