Northern section of Deschutes River Trail is an easy, accessible summertime hike
Northern section of Deschutes River Trail is an easy, accessible summertime hike
During the dog days of summer, anywhere along the Deschutes River Trail makes for an opportune early morning or late evening jaunt.
Recently, I was drawn to the trail connecting Tumalo State Park and Riley Ranch Nature Reserve. The flat out-and-back section of the trail affords beautiful river views with little foot traffic and is just over 3 miles roundtrip.
It may also be hiked in reverse, beginning at Riley Ranch, where it’s possible to bypass the $5 fee required to park at the state park. Adding the loop around the reserve stretches the outing to 7 miles and includes sightings of untouched open meadows, interesting lava flows and cabin ruins. However, dogs are prohibited at the reserve and since a friend and I had our dogs in tow, we parked downstream at the state park.
At 8:30 a.m. on a recent Saturday morning, the popular day-use area was still quiet. A sign at the start of the river trail warned a cougar had been spotted in the area several days earlier, on June 27. Thankfully, my friends and I had no encounters with wild cats on our visit.
Midway through the trail, a tributary of Tumalo Creek meets the Deschutes. Nearby, a footbridge makes it possible to pass an outcropping of large boulders of lava rock, affording charming views as the brown metal guardrail curls around the bend.
Our three dogs, however, were leery of traversing the bridge, which had a deck constructed with a checkered pattern. The small square holes, unnoticeable beneath our shoes, seemed unnatural for their paws. We walked slowly as my dog, Juno, dutifully plodded along and my friend’s dogs squatted awkwardly as they crossed to the other side.
By the time we returned to the day-use area, the banks of the river were dotted with people casting lines. Others hauled inflated river tubes or congregated around coolers in patches of shade.
Getting there: The day-use area at Tumalo State Park is located at 64170 O.B. Riley Road, directly across from the state park’s campground. If starting from Riley Ranch Nature Reserve (19975 Glen Vista Road), drive north on O.B. Riley Road from Bend, turn west on Glen Vista Road and follow signs to the reserve.
