One of Oregon’s Best Rivers
| Name: | West Metolius River Trail |
| Type: | Out and Back |
| Trailhead: | Lower Canyon Creek Campground |
| Map: | Download GPX |
| Round Trip Length: | 5 miles |
| Time: | 2.5 Hours |
| Nearest Major City: | Sisters, OR |
| Best time of year: | May – June |
| Elevation Gain: | 272 ft |
| Highest Point: | 2856 ft |
I arrived at the West Metolius River Trail head just after sunrise. A haze rose through the pine trees, as the morning sun greeted the water of the Metolius River. Standing at the trailhead, deciding which direction would be my path for the day, a noise I have never heard in the wild, came from the bushes just yards from where I stood. Was it cackling or clucking? It was a strange noise to put into words. If the brisk morning hadn’t woken me, that sure did. Curiosity cemented my feet in place. I was going to wait out whatever was hiding in the river bank before proceeding down the trail.
As I stood there listening to rapids of the river and watching the bushes rustle, time seemed to slow, and my caution turned to relaxation. The mood had been lulled down by natures noises. Then all the movement stopped. Two hard splashes in the river diverted my attention. The rustling in the bushes had stopped. I slowly walked toward the edge of the river to try and discover what sort of animal laughs like a witch. As I leaned in, seeing my reflection in the water. Two heads lurched out the water, sending me stumbling backward. I catch myself on a fallen tree and try to regain my composure. Staring back at me are a pair of furry-faced river otters with huge grins on there faces. Damn these adorable creatures. They bob up and down, gleefully floating downstream as the river eventually drowns out there chuckles and I lose sight of them.
As I had myself a laugh, I acknowledged the Metolius River Trail would provide ample surprises. The West River Trail will take you from Lower Canyon Creek Campground to Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery. This version of the out-and-back trail totals about 7-miles round trip.
Trailhead for the West Metolius River Trail
The West Trailhead is well marked but can be a little challenging to find. It’s in an awkward spot because it backs up right next to a campsite in the Lower Canyon Creek Campground. When someone is in that spot, you have to intrude on their space just a tiny bit.
Upon entering the campground, go left at the fork. You will see lot’s of room for parking in the dirt areas. Please respect the space next to the campsite if someone is there. After you park, proceed to the end of the dirt lot, and you will see a post a few yards away marking the start of the trail.
A Wild and Scenic River
The Metolius River is 28 miles long. (Don’t worry, this hike isn’t that long). Winding through the Deschutes National Forest, the river starts as a spring hidden under Black Butte and ends in Lake Billy Chinook.
The name Metolius comes from the people of Warm Springs Tribe. In the language of the Warm Springs Native Americans the word, mitula, means “White Salmon.” With that knowledge, you can probably gather that the Metolius is a renowned river for fishing. As an essential ecosystem to chinook salmon, its cultural significance to the Warms Springs Tribe and its overall beauty its no wonder the Metolius was officially designated a National Wild and Scenic River in 1988.
An Unnamed, Untamed Spring
Shortly into your hike, you may come across a beautiful spring spilling into the Metolius. The spring does not flow year-round, but when it rains, it pours. It is a lovely sight and the highlight of the trail, in my opinion.
Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery
After crossing two log bridges, you’ll reach Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery. Take some time and look around, its a fascinating place. Pools filled with thousands of Rainbow Trout, Kokanee, Spring Chinook, and Summer Steelhead ranging from babies to fully grown fish. The best area is the pond in the NE corner of the Hatchery. The small lake is full of escaped hatchery fish, and they are BIG. Mostly because for $0.25 you can feed them a handful of fish food. But where there’s big fish, there are big birds (and not the Sesame Street variety). If you sit here long enough, you can watch Eagles and Ospreys swoop down and snatch up these fat fish. It is an exhilarating experience to see the food chain in action.
The Metolius River Trail continues from here following along both sides of the river. If you want to head back your going to want to head back the same way you came. Technically you can cross the bridge and head back up the east side of the river, but there is no way to cross back over the river to where your car is parked. The only way you could swing this is if you ford the river or hike an extra 5 miles and walk back up the road to the Lower Canyon Creek Campground.
Upon completing this trail, venture into Bend and see if you can conquer the Bend Ale Trail!
Trail Tips
- This section of the Metolius is Fly Fishing Only, You can get a Fishing Licences from the general store at Camp Sherman.
- Bring quarters for fish food
- Bring Bug Spray
For those of you wondering what the otters sounded like:
Chad can be summed up by his idea of a perfect day: Waking up early to watch the sunrise over the mountains, warm cup of coffee in hand then grabbing his camera and fly rod, hitting the trail to explore some uncharted territory followed by cold beers and campfire steaks. Chad is often joined on his adventures by his wife, Tori, and their dog, Kona.
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