I finally tried that 'secret' 30 mile loop near Bend everyone whispers about.

Overheard a ranger in Sisters say, 'That route is a postcard, not a trail.' He meant it looks nice but gets zero upkeep. I hiked it last weekend and found three downed trees blocking the path and a creek crossing that washed out. The views were great, but it felt more like route-finding than hiking. How do you all check if a trail is actually maintained before you go?

3 comments

3 Comments

allen.amy3mo ago

Check the forest service website first.

kai_knight129d ago

yeah dakotab13 is right, that website is a nightmare on a phone. I tried loading it once at a trailhead with barely one bar and it just kept spinning. what worked for me was actually the old school way - i printed out the forest service map at home before i left, the one with all the fire closures and trail conditions marked. then i snapped a photo of it on my phone for backup. plus i wrote down the district office number in my glove box just in case. that combo never let me down, even when my service was completely dead.

dakotab133mo ago

But have you actually tried to use that site on a phone with spotty service? I always end up with a half loaded map and outdated info. I've had way better luck just calling the district office directly, the rangers know what's really going on up there right now.