What to See and Do
Hiking and Biking
Gray Butte Trail (#852)
Gray Butte Trail (#852) is a popular hiking, biking, and horseback riding trail that has incredible views of the Crooked River National Grassland and the Cascades. You can access this trail from its trailhead, which is located in the southern part of the Crooked River National Grassland. The Gray Butte Trail starts in a juniper forest and offers beautiful views of sagebrush and wildflowers in the spring. After heavy rains, the soils of this trail become muddy and uncomfortable to navigate. It is best to avoid this trail during these times.
Length: 6.3 miles
Intensity: Moderate
Tam-A-Lau Trail (#856)
Tam-A-Lau Trail (#856) is a hiking trail that is accessible from its trailhead at The Cove Palisades State Park. It begins with a short, somewhat-steep climb to a lava plateau called The Peninsula, and it offers excellent views of Lake Billy Chinook, the Deschutes River, the Metolius River, and the Crooked River.
Length: 5.3 miles
Intensity: Easy
Warner Loop Trail
Warner Loop Trail is available for hiking, biking, and horseback riding, and it is accessible from Cyrus Trailhead, which is located on the Crooked River National Grassland. This loop trail connects into the Cole Loop Trail (#854), a trail that’s over 23 miles long and is primarily designed for horseback riders, although hikers and mountain bikers can use it too. The Warner Loop Trail is a flat loop that parallels the dirt roads on the Crooked River National Grassland.
Length: 8 miles
Intensity: Easy
Fishing and Boating
The Crooked Wild and Scenic River has multiple areas that are ripe for fishing. While in the North Fork or Chimney Rock segments of the Crooked Wild and Scenic River, you can fly-fish year-round for an array of redband trout, rainbow trout, and mountain whitefish.
Both the North Fork part of the Crooked River as well as the lower segment of the Crooked River are difficult to float because of low flows and the potential for Class V rapids. The Chimney Rock segment of the Crooked Wild and Scenic River has nearly continuous riverside access. However, this portion of the river is still difficult for most boaters as it requires expert boating skills.
Climbing
World-famous for its rock climbing opportunities, Smith Rock State Park offers more than 1,800 climbing routes and multiple climbing guides for beginners.
Picnicking
The Haystack Reservoir Campground and Day Use Area is the best location for picnicking as it has five shaded pavilions and 12 picnic tables.
Hunting
Rocky Mountain elk, cougars, pronghorns, and mule deer are all available for hunting in the Crooked River National Grassland, the Deschutes National Forest, and the Ochoco National Forest. Turkey hunting is also available at these locations, and there are varying populations of mourning doves, quails, and ruffed grouse that you can hunt too.
OHV Riding
The Crooked River National Grassland offers 18 miles of designated OHV trails. These trails, which are all part of the Henderson Flat OHV Trail System, range in difficulty, and they are only open from April 1st until November 30th. Class I and Class III ATVs are allowed to use these trails, and so are hikers, bikers, and other recreationists like horseback riders, so be careful and stay alert while using these trails.
