Lands / Central Oregon
The HooDoos and Lake Billy Chinook Cliffs
Two stunning geological formations in Central Oregon offer a wealth of insights into the beauty and complexity of these balancing or “ghost” rocks. Shaped by volcanic activity and erosion over millions of years, our resident “rock doctor” Dr. Kim Ely explains how the cliffs were formed, highlighting four distinct geological […]
Deceptive Waters of Malheur Lake
Located in Harney Basin in eastern Oregon, Malheur Lake sits within the 187,000 acres of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, an area that is an important wildlife habitat. Aquatic Biologist, […]
The Mysteries of the Newberry Caldera
Discover the mysteries of the Newberry Caldera and its volcanic activities spanning half a million years. Whether you are riding Creek to Peak or looking for thermals, Ranger Randy and Dr. Daniel McKay of University of Oregon answer many of your questions about this […]
Pine Mountain Observatory: Exploring the Cosmos
Welcome to Pine Mountain Observatory, nestled in the serene landscapes of Oregon about 34 miles southeast of Bend. In this episode, we unveil the highlights of the night sky with our guest, “astro monk” Alton Luke, Head of Operations at Pine Mountain […]
Wolf Lichen
Do you ever see some bright green, shrubby looking creature on a gravel ride? This organism is likely Letharia Vulpina (and no it does not have magic or poisonous powers like a spell) which is also knows as Wolf Lichen. Bryologist, mycologist, and lichenologist Tim Wheeler works to dedicate his life studies towards nonvascular plants and […]
All Things Beavers
Curious about beavers: Where do beavers live? What’s their impact on other wildlife? How do they impact the surrounding property where they live? When should we reintroduce them? Can you relocate a beaver? Are they a protected species in Oregon? How have the laws recently changed about beavers?
Listen to our interview with […]
Controversial Juniper Trees
The juniper tree is an iconic tree across Central and Eastern Oregon and yet, in some places they are being removed. Find out the real scoop about this unique tree from Gena Goodman-Campbell who is the Stewardship Director at ONDA (Oregon Natural Desert Association) where she works to engage volunteers in hands-on restoration projects in […]
Living with Fire: An Oregon Story
In this 7-minute video (a great watch!) we take a look to the landscape to better understand wildfires in Oregon and ensure our favorite places thrive for generations to come.
Wolf Rock
Wolf Rock is the largest monolith in Oregon. The rock is about 900ft tall. The summit has an elevation of 4535ft. The rock is an old volcanic plug that had its surrounding soil erode away. Video by McKenzie River Drone Photography.
Routes in Skyline Forest Closed
Updated: February 2024
Skyline Forest has been closed to public access; thus, the following ride guides have been removed from the website:
In Plain View (Long version)
Quick & Dirty
Railbed Spurs
Skyline Forest
The Bishop
Two Bulls, One Coffee
Further, this closure has markedly affected the Oktoberfest […]
Lake Billy Chinook: The History
Did you know Lake Billy Chinook is co-managed by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and the state of Oregon? That it is important for both power generation and fisheries. And that it is a reservoir, not a lake, at the confluence of three rivers: The Deschutes, the Crooked, and the Metolius. […]
John Day Fossil Beds – The Units
The John Day Fossil Beds National Monument has 3 distinct units separated by 40 miles or more. In this short 2-mintue video learn where each unit is and what is special about it.
John Day Fossil Beds -Wow!
Have you ever wondered what Central Oregon once was? Tropical Forests. Exploding volcanoes. Mudslides. Gigantic animals with names like Thunderbeast and Entelodonts. In this 20-minute video learn about this and a whole lot more!
Glacial Lake Outburst Floods
A 4-minute video describing what glacial lake outburst floods look like.
Winter Range Closures (Deschutes National Forest)
The problem
Wild-ranging local mule deer populations have decreased by 56% from 2004 to 2021.
In recent years, there has been a 10% decline in population per year
This is 60% below objective
What is Winter Range?
Winter range is habitat deer and elk migrate to in order to find more favorable living conditions during the winter. […]
Thinning, Mowing and Fire
“What happened here?” That is a common reaction many have after seeing the immediate impact of the tree thinning and forest mowing work in the Phil’s network of trails. In this podcast, we talk with Melanie Fisher from the Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project to discuss the ongoing work to restore the forest back to a […]
All About Basalt with the Rock Doctor
You will find these rocky columnar cliffs in Eastern and Central Oregon, but what exactly happened to form these unique structures? In this podcast, we talk with our resident rock doctor, Dr. Kim Ely.
Old Growth Forests
There are only 10-15% of old-growth forests left in Oregon. Erik Fernandez, Wilderness Program Manager, from Oregon Wild describes old-growth forests and how we can work on doing our parts to help protect the little old-growth we have left.
Two Bulls Fire
In June of 2014, two fires started nearly simultaneously sweeping through the Skyline Forest which have become known as the Two Bulls Fire complex. Paul Dewey, Founder of Central Oregon Land Watch describes “the mushroom cloud” and the significance of the fires just outside of Bend, Oregon.
Ryan Ranch Meadows
Ryan Ranch area was homesteaded in the 1890s. In the 1920s a berm along the Deschutes River was constructed to keep the river from flooding valuable pasture land. Prior to this, the area historically functioned as an emergent freshwater marsh that was connected to surface flows from the Deschutes River. In the early 2010s, the meadow was […]
Skyline Forest
What! It is not public land? Ben Gordon, Executive Director of Central Oregon Land Watch, joins us to discuss a large area of private land called Skyline Forest and what the future entails for this 33,000 acres of land.
Hayrick Butte
The rock doctor is in the house! Dr. Kim Ely discusses about the unique geological features of Hayrick Butte, a rare type of volcano located in the Willamette National Forest next to the Hoodoo ski area.
Decommissioning Forest Service Roads
Learn more about Forest Service road decommissioning, how this impacts us as cyclists, and what we can do to help. Joining us is Brock McCormick who is a Biologist with the Deschutes National Forest.
The Magic of the Ochoco Mountains
Joining us is James Good of Good Bike Co. Find out what makes the Ochocos such a special place and hear about some of James’ favorite routes. James talks about the Ochocos being good for both one-day excursions and multi-day bike packing adventures all leaving. The […]
