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

Hike to these 5 mountain lakes to catch big trout

September 25, 2025 • 19 mins
In this episode, host Zach Urness highlights five Cascade Mountain lakes where you can hike and catch good-sized trout. This shorter episode includes how to find the lakes, what you can catch there and how to bring them in. The lakes in question are all in the Mount Jefferson and Three Sisters wilderness areas and are home to rainbow, brook and brown trout.
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How to backpack the Timberline Trail around Mount Hood

September 18, 2025 • 37 mins
In this episode, host Zach Urness talks with outdoors intern Rose Shimberg about backpacking the 40-mile trail around Mount Hood: the Timberline Trail. In late August, Shimberg spent three nights backpacking the loop, journeying through terrain including waterfalls, high alpine landscapes, lush forests and deep canyons. She reports on how to navigate the trail's notorious stream crossings and the status of the "blowdown section"...
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Untold: How an Oregon ranger saved hundreds from the 2020 Labor Day Fires

September 9, 2025 • 37 mins
In this episode, host Zach Urness talks with an Oregon ranger that saved hundreds of people from the path of the deadly 2020 Labor Day Fires. Nikki Swanson, Sweet Home district ranger for Willamette National Forest, spurred a major evacuation and closure of the Mount Jefferson Wilderness just days before the Lionshead Fire burned the area and nearly 200,000 acres on Sept. 7-8, 2020. She is credited with saving a number of lives f...
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Opal Creek reopening, Labor Day Fires lookback, North Cascades road trip

September 3, 2025 • 23 mins
Host Zach Urness talks about plans to reopen beloved Opal Creek, the five year anniversary of the Labor Day Fires and about traveling to Washington's North Cascades National Park. Earlier this month, Urness reported that Opal Creek was likely to have a limited reopening in 2026 while also detailing the struggle of victims of the Labor Day Fires five years later. Finally, Urness talks about the beauty and challenge of visiting Wash...
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How to get up close views of whales on the Oregon Coast

August 28, 2025 • 22 mins
In this episode, host Zach Urness and outdoors intern Mariah Johnston talk about how to go whale watching in Depoe Bay to see giant whales — specifically from a boat. Located along Oregon's central Coast, Depoe Bay is known as the whale watching capital of the Oregon Coast and home to the worlds’ smallest harbor. Urness and Johnston discuss how to book a $30 to $50 boat tour, avoid sea sickness and experience the giants up close...
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Head underground at Oregon's Lava River Cave and Mitchell Point Tunnel

August 15, 2025 • 30 mins
In this episode, host Zach Urness talks to outdoors intern Rose Shimberg about two of Oregon's subterranean destinations. Urness and Shimberg talk first about the Lava River Cave, a mile-deep lava tube outside of Bend and the longest in Oregon. They go into the formations you can see and the different ways to reserve a trip to the popular destination. In the second half, they discuss the Mitchell Point Tunnel, which opened earlie...
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10 best Oregon mountain climbs that don't require ropes

August 10, 2025 • 64 mins
In this episode, first published in 2021, Zach talks to mountain climb leader Michael Gurley about the best high mountain hikes and climbs that don't require ropes in Oregon.  Zach and Michael pick 10 different mountain peaks that Oregonians in good shape can attempt with a hike or "scramble" climb, provided they've got strong legs, strong lungs and a good plan.  The climbs they cover include multiple routes that rise above 9,000...
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Last call at Crater Lake: How to swim, boat and fish for the last time until 2029

August 8, 2025 • 29 mins
In this episode of the Explore Oregon Podcast, host Zach Urness and outdoors intern Mariah Johnston talk about how to swim, boat and fish in the water of Crater Lake National Park’s for the last time until 2029. Located in southern Oregon, Crater Lake is home to the deepest lake in the United States at 1,949 feet. Beginning next year, the only trail leading to the water will close for a three year construction project. That makes ...
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Linton Lake: Rare trout, giant waterfalls and old-growth forest highlight pool in Three Sisters

August 2, 2025 • 18 mins
In this episode, host Zach Urness talks about hiking, camping and fishing for rare brown trout at Linton Lake in the Three Sisters Wilderness. Located a mile off McKenzie Pass Highway 242, Linton Lake features old-growth forest, a place to swim, one of Oregon's tallest waterfalls and some of the most fun hike-in fishing in the state. Urness talks about the how to make the trip and how to have a good day on the water.
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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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