Come for the Creek, Stay for the Geology – Whychus Creek – Central Oregon

My goal of these wilderness trail videos is to 1) show reverence for the beauty of the land, and 2) give YOU actionable trail information that can assist you in planning your own hike here.

This was a day-hike in Central Oregon, Deschutes National Forest, Whychus Creek Trailhead, doing an approximately 10.5 mile super loop (I ended doing about 14 miles total with side trips) exploring Whychus Creek Complex with shoreline sections and sections overlooking the creek as well as interesting geological formations including overhangs, small cave areas and boulder fields. The elevation starts around 3400 ft and goes to around 4200 ft, with the natural machinations of the trail it is around 1200 ft elevation gain, there was snow and ice in patches all along the trail so traction devices are recommended for your feet, I deployed Yaktrax Summit for the duration of the trip. The temperature was below freezing and the ground was initially frozen, but the temperature skyrocketed into the 50's later in the day. The sky was blue and sunny. This was hiked on 3/11/2022 and there were of course NO Mosquitoes. As far as road conditions, it's paved road all the way to the parking lot which is flat and has some rocks in it, so it was a very easy and safe driving route. In my opinion, the road most definitely DOES NOT require 4-Wheel Drive, however do watch for road conditions, particularly snow/ice depending on the time of year.