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CELEBRATING JEFFERSON COUNTY 31
wall to the river below. Besides not being safe,
these paths carried storm runoff in the form
of sediment down the canyon walls and into
the federally designated Wild and Scenic
River.
The BLM was concerned about the effect to
the watershed because people were making
their own way down to the river. So to help
prevent erosion, as well as to give people a
safer way to explore the gorges carved by both
the Deschutes and Crooked rivers, the BLM,
along with other agencies and organizations,
built these new trails.
Much of the Lone Pine Trail, which leads
from the Otter Bench trailhead down to the
river, was stitched together from four or five
existing paths that people had created over
the years. The new trail, however, is engi-
neered with periodic dips and ditches, so
storm water runoff will disperse down the
hillside instead of rushing down the trail and
scouring it out.
Now it’s a scenic path down to the river,
with views of Central Oregon’s rock forma-
tions exposed on the opposite canyon wall,
waterfalls in the distance where the aquifer
empties into the Crooked River, and wild-
flowers like arrowleaf balsamroot and mari-
posa lilies lining the trail. However, itÆs not
an ideal walk for the summer season when
temperatures can reach 100 degrees.
Hikers should also be aware of rattlesnakes,
which are common in the area. The best
months to explore the area are from March
through May and September through No-
vember, according to the BLM.
The scenic views from these trails are noth-
ing short of outstanding. On the Scout Camp
side you have the confluence of Whychus
Creek and the Deschutes River. There are
beautiful canyon views with the mountains in
the background and the scenic river at the
bottom.
On the Crooked River side, past volcanic
events have left behind a variety of geological
formations, such as columnar basalt. The
Lower Crooked Wild and Scenic River starts below the
Highway 97 bridge and goes downriver to just above
Opal Springs. Its values include scenic, recreation, geol-
ogy, hydrology, wildlife and botanical. The Middle De-
schutes Wild and Scenic River has the same values plus
fisheries and cultural. It’s also a State Scenic Waterway.
The areas have now been closed to motorized vehi-
cles to help protect wildlife habitat. Mountain bikes are
allowed on the Otter Bench Trail. All visitors are ad-
vised to stay on the trails to protect the fragile soils, as
The Ranch trails are home to unique, somewhat rare flora. They’re
also prone to rattlesnakes, especially in the summer months.
Spring and fall makes for the safest hiking.
SAGE COUNTRY PARADISE