Sampling the hazards of driving mountain roads near Badger Creek Wilderness



Mt. Rainier and Mt. Adams standing over the fog of the valley from Divide Trail

 

 It was fall and the Divide Trail in the Badger Creek Wilderness was my destination. As I drove to the trailhead, the sun appeared and began its daily climb in the sky. Cruising along road 4410, two does popped their heads out of a cluster of trees hugging the road. A mile further, two more does bounced out of a thicket and bounded directly toward the front of my pickup. While tapping my breaks, they quickly detoured and bounding parallel with the road as if they wanted to race me. It was another reminder of the need to remain vigilant while traveling the network of roads in these mountains.

 

Where else can you see 15 pound rainbow trout up close?



Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Having seen a few fish hatcheries in Oregon in my time, it's hard to beat the Wizard Falls fish hatchery, located near Camp Sherman and the Metolius River, for its scenery, layout and size of fish. Right up there with that hatchery for scenery and fish size is the Oak Springs hatchery, which sits along the Deschutes River just outside the town of Maupin. It is a great place to show kids the different stages of fish life and how they are raised outside of the wild.

A place not yet discovered by many Oregonians

One of the many reasons Oregonians love their state is because of the short distances between them and the many destinations heaped with outdoor recreational opportunities. And while many Portlanders travel to recreational havens along Oregon’s coast and in Central Oregon, an area even closer to Oregon’s big city awaits those seeking a vast array of outdoor recreation opportunities. You could call it the place Portland forgot, but it is also an area many Oregonians have yet to discover.