Plan Your Trip Pacific Northwest Outdoors - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 80

Oakridge, east of Eugene, has premier mountain biking. Mountain Bike Oregon
( www.mtbikeoregon.com ) is a well-known, three-day mountain-biking festival that hap-
pens twice in summer. Also relatively nearby, the McKenzie River Trail is some of the
best single-track trail in Oregon; it takes you past scenic lakes, streams, waterfalls and
lava fields.
Bend is the unofficial mountain-bike capital of the state, with ecosystems such as
alpine forests and high desert canyons. Fine trails here include the Deschutes River,
Phil's and Riverside.

THE REGION'S BEST NATIONAL & PROVINCIAL PARKS

BEST
TIME
TO
VISIT

PARK LOCATION FEATURES ACTIVITIES

Crater
Lake

ancient volcano, deepest
lake in North America

sightseeing, hiking,
cross-country skiing

Jul-
Sep

Oregon

technicolor landscape of
prehistoric ash flows, one
of the world's foremost
fossil sites

John Day
Fossil
Beds

year-
round

Oregon sightseeing, walking

alpine peaks, wildflowers;
black bear, mountain
goat, elk

Jul-
Sep

Mt Rainier Washington hiking, climbing

Mt St
Helens

spectacular volcano; elk,
black bear, deer

Jun-
Oct

Washington hiking, sightseeing

alpine peaks, remote wil-
derness; mountain goat,
grizzly bear, wolf

North Cas-
cades

backpacking, climbing,
fishing

Jul-
Sep

Washington

alpine peaks, lush rain
forests, wild coasts; black
bear, elk, spotted owl

backpacking, climbing,
fishing

Jul-
Sep

Olympic Washington

off-road vehicles, walk-
ing, horseback riding,
canoeing, swimming,
sandboarding

Oregon
Dunes

vast dune fields, remote
coastlines, osprey

year-
round

Oregon

Pacific
Rim

British
Columbia

wild coast, giant rain-
forest trees, world-famous

Jun-
Sep

hiking, kayaking