Deschutes River Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Start point: Lower Deschutes Trailhead
- End point: Harris Canyon Water Tower
- Trail log: Deschutes River Hike/Log
- Distance: 22.6 miles round trip
- High point: 365 feet
- Elevation gain: 400 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Seasons: Year round, very hot in summer
- Family Friendly: Yes
- Backpackable: Yes
- Crowded: Popular on spring weekends
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Hike Description
The Deschutes River is best known for river rafting and fishing, but in the winter it offers a good opportunity for backpacking or day hikes. Other good seasons to hike the old railroad grade down the river are spring (for wildflowers) and fall. Summer is hot, with the sometimes searing heat reflecting off the rimrock, and the river can become a cacophony of rafters. This is also a great bike ride if you have good tires: you can get off the bike and do short hikes from a number of spots along the trail. The trail begins from the state park and goes along the river on the old railroad grade, now a gravel road, offering typical eastern Oregon scenery: broad spaces, cliffs and rimrock slopes, and clumps of sagebrush on grassy expanses. The river has some spectacular rapids and wildlife, including migrating steelhead, ducks, geese, herons, deer, otters, and gopher and rattlesnakes. You'll see some relics of the defunct railroad and farming activity.
The story of the railroad line here exemplifies the history of "railroad wars", which also involved the reward of vast swathes of property from the federal government, in the development of the western United States. The Deschutes Railroad Company (Union Pacific) began surveys on the east bank of the river in 1906. Almost immediately after this, employees of the Oregon Trunk Railroad, incorporated in Nevada, surveyed the west bank and began construction. Construction crews snuck into each other's supplies and sabotaged them, and there was more than one incident where one side dynamited the other's equipment. Gradually, however, the competing railroads realized the situation was economically untenable, and the Deschutes Railroad began using sections of the Oregon Trunk line. The Deschutes finally abandoned its entire route along the east bank in 1936.
You may see a farm or Fish and Wildlife truck going down the road but there's a locked gate preventing most travel. In the winter, there are a few hikers, bikers, and possibly horses each day, more on the weekend. On the opposite side of the river, there are a several trains each day, during the day or night. Watch out for ticks, especially where you brush against grass or shrubs. Check yourself for ticks afterward.
You can start the hike at the overnight parking area near the entrance to the state park, but it's better to drive through the state park as far as you can and park there because your car will be more visible to the ranger and thus safer from break-ins.
Deschutes State Park is the first 2 miles. There is a lower trail and a middle trail for hikers only, below the railroad grade. There is an upper trail for hikers only that takes off from the main trail at mile 1, goes up to Ferry Springs, and then goes back to the main trail at mile 2. Be careful of these hiker only trails, because you'll brush against plants that may transfer ticks to you.
Beyond the state park, the trail is maintained by the Oregon Fish and Game people. The main trail follows along the railroad grade. There is occasionally a hiker only trail down by the river.
There are railroad and farm relics all along the trail. At mile 1, off the hikers trail next to the river, there's some sort of cable car that goes across the river. At mile 5.6 there's an old railroad car with an intact wood floor that might offer protection in inclement weather. At mile 6.6 is the remains of a bridge across the river (Free Bridge). There's one footing on the east side and another footing in the middle of the river. At mile 7.8 there's an old wood trestle and another railroad car. As of 2014, this car is now gone - I have to go see if there are any relics. At mile 10.9 is the remains of the Harris Homestead - a dilapidated house, some dilapidated farm buildings, a dilapidated cabin, and another farm building that has some current materials like hoses and fence posts.
There are a number of campsites. For each one, there's a road down from the main road with an outhouse, and areas to camp near by. You can camp elsewhere but it's requested that you camp at one of the outhouses to control waste. During the summer there are hoards of boaters that would pollute the area if allowed to put human waste wherever. There are camps at mile 3.3 (Colorado Camp, probably the least scenic), mile 5.3 (Gordon Ridge Camp), mile 7.8 (Bedsprings Camp), and mile 10.1 (Fall Canyon).
This hike ends at the Harris Canyon Water Tower just beyond the Harris Homestead at mile 11.3. Return the way you came. See the Deschutes River from Macks Canyon Hike for a description of the next 11.8 miles to a trailhead at Macks Canyon.
The Deschutes River drains off the east side of the Cascades from south of Bend to Mount Hood. The infamous White River on Mount Hood drains into the Deschutes River. There is a large urban area around Bend that drains into the Deschutes River. There is a lot of farming area that drains into the river also.
Fishing season is May 1 to October 31. There are steelhead. The river rafting season is in the summer. Hikers may want to avoid the area then, to avoid the crowds, also it gets very hot then. There is better hiking in the gorge or on Mount Hood.
The Deschutes State Park at the trailhead has a nice camping area. A loop has electricity for trailers and is $12 per night in the winter. T loop is next to the trailhead for tenters and is $5 per night. T loop is basically a circular grassy area with about a dozen sites with picnic tables and fire pits.
It costs $5 per night if you're backpacking. The ranger recommended, to minimize risk of vandalism, parking your car at the end of the road next to the T loop camping area below the camp host, or the parking area a bit before below the full time ranger residence.
Interesting article about railroad history
For more info call:
BLM (541) 416-6700
State of Oregon Fish and Wildlife (541) 296-4228
State of Oregon Department of Parks and Recreation (541) 388-6211
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
- Green Trails Maps: Columbia River Gorge - East #432S
- Bureau of Land Management, Fish & Wildlife Service, National Park Service, USDA Forest Service: Lower Deschutes & John Day Rivers
Fees, Regulations, etc.
- Campground, restrooms, picnic area, information kiosk at the state park
- $7 overnight parking fee; no charge for day-use
- Outhouses stationed every couple of miles along the route
- Keep dogs on leash in the state park area (first two miles); leash up when you see horses approaching
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Deschutes
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Deschutes
Guidebooks that cover this hike
More Links
Contributors
- retiredjerry (creator)