O.A.R.S. was the first exclusively oar-powered rafting company permitted to operate trips on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon and the company has been running 3- to 5-day rafting trips on the Wild & Scenic Rogue River since 1969.
An alpine wonderland high in the Elkhorn Range of Eastern Oregon's Blue Mountains
About the Hike: Just as beautiful, but more accessible than the more famous Wallowa Mountains nearby, the Elkhorn Range boasts craggy granite peaks and high alpine lakes surrounded by wildflowers. A paved road climbs to a lovely campground and picnic area beside 7,140-foot-high Anthony Lake. From here hikers can stroll around the lake in half an hour or tackle a more demanding 8.2-mile loop around Gunsight Mountain.
Walk through an old-growth forest to the best wild, free hot springs in Northwest Oregon
About the Hike: Hollowed-out cedar logs serve as 8-foot-long bathtubs at this rustic, free hot springs. Even if you don't plan to soak, the trail here is a delight, through a towering old-growth forest. Expect crowds on weekends and in summer.
Difficulty: An easy, 3-mile walk round-trip, with just 200 feet of elevation gain.
Season: Open all year.
Where Lewis and Clark First Saw the Pacific
About the Hike: Far from being disappointed, Lewis and Clark celebrated when the first sighted the Pacific Ocean from Cape Disappointment, a dramatic headland on the Washington side of the Columbia River. Those explorers had trekked over 2,000 miles across the continent.
Today the trail up the headland is still inspiring, but the hike is much shorter. It also features several added attractions - a lighthouse, an artillery bunker, and a museum.
Here's a dramatic whale-watching headland jutting into the Pacific Ocean.
This wild, foggy headland north of Lincoln City won its name because cascades pour off its cliffs into the ocean. The trails to wildflower meadows here also have views of craggy islands, the Salmon River estuary, and a cove of barking sea lions.
About the Hike: Three trailheads access the meadow viewpoints on this huge headland -- a lower Natural Conservancy trailhead that's open all year and two Forest Service trailheads that close from January to mid-July to protect wildlife.
This climb to the central peak of the Alp-like Wallowa Mountains is not for the timid.
About the Hike: Eight valleys radiate from 9,572-foot Eagle Cap, the rock hub of the Wallowa Mountains. Although Eagle Cap is not quite the tallest peak in this range, its 360-degree view is unmatched, and a surprisingly well-graded trail climbs to the summit from the East Lostine River's meadows.
Oregon's most photographed lighthouse stands at the tip of a scenic, forested cape
About the Hike: Two easy trails climb through the coastal woods to this spectacular lighthouse and the allegedly haunted lighthouse keepers' house nearby.
Difficulty: Two easy trails lead to the lighthouse, a 0.5-mile path from the state park and a 1.3-mile Oregon Coast Trail segment from the north.
Season: Open all year, but the Oregon Coast Trail section is slippery in wet weather.
Begin in Bandon's Old Town, follow the beach past craggy islands in the surf, and then return along city streets atop the seashore cliffs.
Plunked in the midst of the Central Oregon plateau, Black Butte looks like a misplaced mountain. A steep but view-packed trail climbs 1.9 miles to the panoramic summit, gaining 1,600 feet of elevation. The last portion of this route is difficult enough that it is not generally recommended for hikers with children.
