Explore Oregon Podcast: The state's most beautiful places and biggest issues

Explore Oregon Podcast: The state's most beautiful places and biggest issues

Everything to know about exploring Oregon's best outdoor destinations from the Statesman Journal including where to camp, hike, bike and more.

Episodes

Oregon's state parks face closures and cuts. Here's the director's plan to avoid that

July 23, 2025 • 36 mins
In this episode, host Zach Urness interviews Oregon Parks and Recreation Department director Lisa Sumption about the challenging future for Oregon's state parks system. The parks system includes more than 250 recreation sites and 50 campgrounds and was visited by a record 56.6 million people in 2024. However, OPRD is expecting to face a 14% shortfall by 2027. That could mean layoffs to rangers and even closing some parks. In the ...
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Popular railbiking trip finally comes within reach of the Willamette Valley

July 18, 2025 • 20 mins
In this episode of the Explore Oregon Podcast, host Zach Urness and outdoors intern Mariah Johnston talk about the newest railbiking site in Oregon — this one within striking distance of the Willamette Valley. Santiam Excursion Trains is based in Lebanon and recently added a new railbike adventure in Sweet Home. It travels 6 miles on the old Sweet Home Branch line, where abandoned buildings and wildlife are plentiful. Mariah talk...
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Cool off by 'wilderness snorkeling' rivers, creeks and lakes (repost)

July 14, 2025 • 23 mins
In this episode, host Zach Urness reposts a favorite podcast about snorkeling crystal clear rivers, creeks and backcountry lakes. This episode, first recorded in 2019, covers the equipment needed and locations where you can explore underwater canyons and come nose-to-nose with a confused fish.
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News roundup: New fees for fishing and boating, the fight for public lands and dark times for Oregon ski areas

July 11, 2025 • 37 mins
In this episode, host Zach Urness and intern Mariah Johnston discuss the biggest news in Oregon's outdoors from the past few weeks. Zach starts off by discussing the latest wildfire forecast, the fight against the sale of federal public lands and some of the biggest takeaways from the Oregon legislative session — including new fees for fishing and boating. In the second half, Zach and Mariah discuss a more diverse collection of ...
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This lake with a stunning view of Mount Hood was once known as 'Mud Lake'

June 30, 2025 • 22 mins
In this episode, host Zach Urness and outdoors intern Mariah Johnson detail how to hike, float and explore a lake with one of the most beautiful views of Mount Hood — but that in past was known as "Mud Lake." Johnson visited Trillium Lake, near Government Camp, one of the more popular summer recreation sites, home to a place to rent kayaks and stand-up paddleboards, in addition to a nice hiking trail and campground. Johnson als...
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Want to catch 100 fish in a single day? Head to this magic river (update and repost)

June 23, 2025 • 42 mins
In this episode of the Explore Oregon Podcast, Zach Urness talks to fish biologist Stephan Charette about one of the best places to catch fish in Oregon: smallmouth bass on the John Day River. In this episode, first published in 2022, Urness and Charette talks about why the fishing is so good, where and how to land them and the upside and downside of so many fish.
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How to float the John Day River — and who was John Day exactly? (Updated repost)

June 21, 2025 • 26 mins
In this episode, host Zach Urness reposts and updates details on one of Oregon's greatest overnight float and fishing trips — the John Day River. In this episode first published in 2020, but updated this year, Urness and former co-host David Davis break down the river's most famous segment, how to get a permit and what makes this trip so special. They also dive into the history of the man the river is named for — John Day — and ...
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Rafting through a 10,000-acre wildfire; plus how Cottonwood Canyon was saved from the Ferry Fire

June 19, 2025 • 20 mins
In this episode, host Zach Urness talks about the experience of floating through an active wildfire on the John Day River, in addition to a story about an evacuation of a state park and how it was saved from the flames of the Ferry Fire. Earlier this month, Zach floated through the 10,000-acre Ferry Fire that was burning on the John Day. In the second half, Urness tells the story of Cottonwood Canyon State Park, also on the John D...
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The art of trout fishing Oregon's hike-in mountain lakes

June 6, 2025 • 58 mins
In this edition, host Zach Urness focuses on how to fish the state's hike-in alpine lakes with expert angler and fish biologist Jeff Ziller with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Ziller has worked on stocking and surveying Oregon's mountain lakes since the 1980s. In the first half of the podcast, he talks about where to find fish in Oregon's mountain lakes, what type of fish can be had and how they got there in the first...
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10 spectacular backpacking trips for each month of summer (repost)

May 23, 2025 • 55 mins
In this episode of the Explore Oregon Podcast, Zach and guidebook author Franziska of Hike Oregon pick 10 of their favorite backpacking trips for June, July, August and September as the high outdoor recreation season gets underway. In this podcast, first recorded in 2023, the trips recommended include shorter and longer backpacking routes, from 15 to 55 miles in length, in the Wallowa, Elkhorn, Cascade and Klamath-Siskiyou mountai...
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Silver Falls upgrades, and the 'almost' Oregon national parks

May 14, 2025 • 32 mins
In this episode, host Zach Urness talks about upgrades coming to Silver Falls State Park along with places in Oregon that almost became national parks — but never quite made the cut. In the first half, Urness talks about the new outdoors shop, campground and visitor center planned for Oregon's largest state park as part of expanding development at the park. In the second half, Urness talks about why Silver Falls didn't become a ...
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Eugene to add mountain bike trails, expand Ridgeline Trail system for riders and hikers

May 8, 2025 • 19 mins
In this episode, host Zach Urness reports on a project in Eugene that will add a mountain biking park and expand the size of the city's Ridgeline Trail system for hiking. The city plans to add 12 miles of new trail at Suzanne Arlie Park and South Eugene Meadows, opening up the city's first trails built specifically for mountain biking while also creating new hikes and expanding hiking routes. It's been a long road for the city t...
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The most iconic Mount Jefferson road and trail finally reopens

May 1, 2025 • 24 mins
In this episode, host Zach Urness talks about the reopening of the Whitewater Creek road and trail into the Mount Jefferson Wilderness east of Detroit. The trail has long been one of the most popular in the Mount Jefferson area but it's been transformed by two major wildfires that have kept it closed since 2020. The road and trail is finally open now, and there are some amazing views and adventures to be had right now — in the e...
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The most iconic Mount Jefferson road and trail finally reopens, offering spring and summer adventure

April 30, 2025 • 24 mins
In this episode, host Zach Urness talks about the reopening of the Whitewater Creek road and trail into the Mount Jefferson Wilderness east of Detroit. The trail has long been one of the most popular and iconic in the Mount Jefferson area but it's been transformed by two major wildfires that have kept it closed six of the last nine years and all the way since 2020. The road and trail is finally open now, and there are some amazi...
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Oregon's wildest place: The Kalmiopsis Wilderness and why it's stunning in spring (repost)

April 25, 2025 • 74 mins
In this edition, host Zach Urness takes a deep dive into perhaps the wildest place in Oregon — the Kalmiopsis Wilderness. This episode, originally published in 2022, focuses on the 180,000-acre wilderness in southwest Oregon. It's home to deep river canyons, wildflowers found nowhere else on earth and rivers so clear they seem made of liquid glass. Zach is joined by Gabe Howe, executive director of the Siskiyou Mountain Club, to ...
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Newsletter pod: Last call at Crater Lake, Oregon smashes parks visits record, ski season review

April 19, 2025 • 36 mins
In this episode host Zach Urness covers a range of outdoors news topics, including: -Why this is the last summer to swim, fish or take a boat tour at Crater Lake National Park until 2029. -Why this was a very good, but also tragic, ski season in Oregon -Why Oregon set a record for visits to its state parks system -Also: Detroit Lake drawdown, Oregon is drought free, state of the wilderness permit season and the status of endanger...
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Repost: A guide to Oregon's best wildflower hikes (and a few in Washington)

April 16, 2025 • 47 mins
Repost! In this episode of the Explore Oregon Podcast, host Zach Urness talks about Oregon's wildflower hotspots and the best times to see them with expert Greg Lief. Lief, who runs the website OregonWildflowers.org talks about some of Oregon's most interesting blooms and the best times to visit places such as the Columbia Gorge, Old Cascades, Coast Range and Eastern Oregon to find the best of nature's fireworks display. This epi...
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Trailkeepers of Oregon work to save trails amid federal cuts to funding, public lands

April 9, 2025 • 38 mins
Host Zach Urness talks with Trailkeepers of Oregon executive director Steve Kruger about the group's mission and how federal cuts and a funding freeze could make it difficult to maintain hiking trails on public lands this summer and in future years. Kruger talks about the work TKO does in using volunteers to clear, fix and maintain trails, in addition to building bridges. He then talks about how a federal cuts and a funding freeze...
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Salem ice climber ascends frozen waterfalls, glaciers. Here's how you can too.

March 26, 2025 • 35 mins
In this episode, host Zach Urness interviews Salem ice climber Forrest "Frosty" Gill about the fun and challenge of ascending frozen waterfalls and ice flows across Oregon and the West. Gill talks about the equipment and technique used for ice climbing, the beautiful places it can take you and his journey in learning the sport through the Salem-based Chemeketans outdoors club and climb school. This past February, Gill climbed froz...
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What do the federal cuts mean for Oregon's public lands? Plus, Detroit Lake mini cabins

March 9, 2025 • 29 mins
What do the federal cuts mean for Oregon's public lands? Plus, Detroit Lake mini cabins by Zach Urness / Statesman Journal
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