(Jack Peeples/The Broadside)
With summer arriving and few places reopening, people want to participate in fun activities. Three months of quarantine have gone by. A summer entirely indoors is not what many community members in Bend, Oregon, are used to. Work and remote schooling can keep students busy over the summer. Outside of basic responsibilities, students may be seeking the best recreational activities. In Central Oregon, there are some great destinations. Here are some locations that are open now or planning to reopen soon.
1. Bachelor
Mt. Bachelor has allowed for uphill travel since May 25. Starting June 26, Mt. Bachelor will begin its summer operations. Mt. Bachelor is allowing lift serve mountain biking, zip line tours and other summer activities to take place with regards to safety guidelines. According to the Mt. Bachelor website, the Little Pine Chairlift will also open June 26. The Pine Marten Chairlift, food and beverage services and the Mountain Gateway Building will open on July 4. Mt. Bachelor is expecting its participants to adhere to safety regulations or they will be asked to leave the resort.
2. Crater Lake
Crater Lake National Park, the deepest lake in the United States, is reopening some of its facilities. Most of these facilities are limited to viewing and lodging. Swimming or diving into the lake is on hold for now.
“Weather permitting, you can enjoy spectacular views of Crater Lake at Rim village and from overlooks on West Drive,” according to the National Park Service Website, “the park’s hiking trails are still mostly buried under snow. Some are officially closed until conditions become safer (Garfield Peak, Watchman Peak, and Cleetwood Cove).”
Even if the public cannot swim in the lake, it is a sight well worth the drive.
3. High Desert Museum
The High Desert Museum is open for all visitors. Face covering is required and admissions are maintained on a reservation basis. If someone has a health condition or is under the age of two, an exception can be made to wearing a mask. The High Desert Museum reopened on June 17. There is a lot of space in the museum so people can stand six feet away from each other.
4. Smith Rock
Smith Rock is open to the public. The only areas in Smith Rock that are closed are Misery Ridge Trail and Bivouc Camp. Other than that, it is open for anyone willing to go on a hike through the high desert. When venturing through and atop Smith Rock, something to be aware of is a Raptor nest. According to the Oregon State Parks Website, “climbing routes, cliffs and gullies within 1,100 feet of the nest are closed.”
People are welcome to climb on certain areas as long as there is no nest above.
5. Pilot Butte.
Pilot Butte is the center for recreational and urban travel. It is the perfect location to hike and view the city of Bend, Oregon. With so much open space, it is easy to keep a six foot distance away from anyone else on the trails.
