Deschutes River 4/20-4/21

[erbombla]

My friend and I spent two nights in the Deschutes River canyon last week. I used this field guide: http://www.oregonhikers.org/field_guide ... River_Hike and this map: http://caltopo.com/m/48CQ

Note the overnight parking fee increased to $7 a night. We hiked 14 miles the first day, with no tree cover. It was like a furnace out there but the scenery was breathtaking.

The trail is above the river on an old railroad grade. It's mostly flat, with little elevation gain and you will go through broad spaces, cliffs and rock slopes, and sparse vegetation. There are many beautiful wildflowers in bloom. You'll also find some relics of the railroad, including an old railcar a bit after mile 5. This is a great spot to take a break from the heat. There are several picturesque rapids you'll spot along the way. We did see two people in a kayak floating downstream.


Near mile 11 are the remains of the old Harris Homestead and further past is the Harris water tower, where we ended the hike. We initially planned to camp nearby, but we couldn't find a good spot. More importantly, there are designated sites with outhouses nearby. So we hiked back to the camp at mile 10 in Fall Canyon. We saw a foot-long rattler on our way back!

The campsite is very scenic and there's a few areas to setup. My friend and I filtered water directly from the river and cooked our dinners that night. We were exhausted and went to sleep shortly after.

Our trek back lasted 12 miles, about 4.5 hours. As I mentioned before, there are a number of campsites with an outhouse nearby - you'll see a road splitting from the trail. I saw camps at mile 6, mile 8 (the largest from what I could see) and mile 10. If we did this again, I would setup at mile 8 then hike the rest of the way.

We spotted at least 8 snakes, some were harmless. Be cautious of where you step! I read in the guide there are ticks, but we didn't get any (though we put on lots of bug repellent). I think the snakes were the biggest hazard.

The area is popular for cyclists and runners since it's relevantly flat. I think you can also drive up to Mack's Canyon and kayak down the Deschutes, though I haven't done it. All things considered, it was a challenging hike but very rewarding. This time of year and into the summer, it will be very hot. Dress appropriately, pack light if possible and bring water and a filter if you expect to stay overnight. I can't imagine doing a multi-day trip out here to be honest.

[sgyoung]

Nice report and pictures. Looks like a good time, save for all the snakes . Thanks for posting!

[texasbb]

I can't imagine doing a multi-day trip out here to be honest.

Any place is good for a multi-day, at least once. I did two nights on the Deschutes one Feburary (to Macks Canyon and back) and am glad I did. Probably won't do it again.

[funhog]

We were out there last Friday-Saturday, 4/22-23. Y'know, you can do much of that hike down by the river, not on the old railbed. We didn't get to the homestead this year but on other trips, we've seen bighorns on the cliffs just past the tower. The side trail by the arch up to Ferry Springs is also a good addition, with great views and more flowers.

[pop]

Any trees at the campsites, say for hanging a hammock?

[retired jerry]

There aren't a lot of trees there but next to the river there are some.

I've never really scoped them out thinking about hammocks though

[texasbb]

I've never hammocked, so I don't know what works and what doesn't, but here's what the trees at least a couple of the camps look like:

[pop]

How was the traffic, i.e. Other hikers and mountain bikers?

[pop]

Has anyone tried connecting with Mack's canyon and making a 2 night'r out of it? Thinking about trying next weekend if the weather holds up.

[retired jerry]

I've gone to Mack's Canyon many times. Check out the field guide.

The first 4.4 miles from Mack's Canyon is more difficult. Less developed trail. There are places where there used to be a trestle, but now you have to climb down to the stream bed and back up. Some brush but I go through and clear it some every couple years. There's a barbed wire fence you have to negotiate - sometimes you have to be on the river side, others the hill side.

I like the Deschutes in the winter when there's snow higher up and it's raining on the West side.