A couple buddies & me are planning to head down into Oregon & exploring around next spring/summer.
I'm interested in getting some pireps, esp from local pilots.
Not just cool strips but also "destinations" with lodges or whatever.
I recently checked out the website for Sunrise Valley Ranch,
and saw a familiar looking airplane or two in one of the photos.
A couple other places I've heard about are Lands Inn, Lucas Lodge, Minam.

Nehalem Bay State Airfield (3S7) is a nice place to camp. The Rangers are really friendly. Be careful of the drainage ditch in the middle of the airfield. Firewood at gate to State Park entrance. Summer usually has northwest trades building in the afternoon.

Joseph is a cool town. They have an airport, but consider flying into Enterprise and rent a car to get to the Wallowas. We've stayed at the Wallowa Lake Lodge. Decent, with some cool access to the Eagle Cap Wilderness. Consider riding the tram up. Not a backcountry destination. This is close to Minam. Minam is nice, if a little more than I want to spend to stay in the lodge. Breakfast there is great. I usually camp at Red's Horse Ranch, which is adjacent and perhaps a 1/2 mile walk if you want food at Minam. Red's often doesn't get mowed until mid summer, and can be really wet in the spring.

Silvies Valley Ranch has an airstrip and upscale lodge. It is more of a golf destination, but really nice.

Hood River has an amazing museum (WAAAM). Cool town. Not backcountry.

Sunriver is nice. Definitely not budget, as you will rent a car and condo for your round of golf. Not backcountry or camping.

Nehalem Bay is a paved state park runway with camping on the Oregon Coast adjacent to the beach. No close services (a few mile walk to a beach town).

Pacific City is a short paved runway in the middle of a town, on the beach.

McKenzie Bridge and Toketee are "backcountry" grass strips, without a lot around other than being in the woods. Toketee is definitely tamer. Both of these areas had fires near them this summer, so who knows what they look like now.

The Alvord Desert is surreal. It can be really windy, and will fill everything you brought with silt, but worth checking out if you are in Southeastern Oregon for some unexplainable reason.

I've wanted to go to the Cowboy Dinner Tree restaurant, with an airstrip across the street. Check it out.

First week August, just prior to the hellacious fires, I headed south along the coast from Astoria after tanking up with cheap avgas. It was a spectacular day. I reported the following to a pal who is the current President of the Washington Pilots Association (a fine group), as he had been telling me for years to fly into Nehalem:

When I flew down the Oregon coast last month I wanted to land at Nehalem.
On base I spied several elk on and near the runway. I proceeded to overfly the
runway at 100' thinking I would scare the elk, but no! They simply ambled about.
More elk actually walked onto the runway. On my downwind I swear they were
giving me the "hoof”. I dejectedly departed the area vowing to cook and enjoy
the elk steak in my freezer on arriving home.

I still want to go there, and Cowboy Dinner Tree!

onthegas1 wrote:First week August, just prior to the hellacious fires, I headed south along the coast from Astoria after tanking up with cheap avgas. It was a spectacular day. I reported the following to a pal who is the current President of the Washington Pilots Association (a fine group), as he had been telling me for years to fly into Nehalem:

When I flew down the Oregon coast last month I wanted to land at Nehalem.
On base I spied several elk on and near the runway. I proceeded to overfly the
runway at 100' thinking I would scare the elk, but no! They simply ambled about.
More elk actually walked onto the runway. On my downwind I swear they were
giving me the "hoof”. I dejectedly departed the area vowing to cook and enjoy
the elk steak in my freezer on arriving home.

I still want to go there, and Cowboy Dinner Tree!

"giving me the hoof". That cracks me up.
A couple of years ago I was beating up the pattern at my home class Delta airport. We get a lot of coyotes, deer and NORDO bald eagles.

The tower reported deer just off the edge of the 5000' runway at about the 4000' mark. I buzzed those deer at about 6' and they ran off like I was the Kraken.
Next day I was out again and wouldn't you know it, tower reported the same deer in pretty much the exact same spot. I repeated my buzz act and only one of them even looked up. Pretty normal deer behavior.

jcadwell wrote: Joseph is a cool town. They have an airport, but consider flying into Enterprise and rent a car to get to the Wallowas. We've stayed at the Wallowa Lake Lodge. Decent, with some cool access to the Eagle Cap Wilderness. Consider riding the tram up. Not a backcountry destination. This is close to Minam. ....

I agree, Joseph is a pretty cool town.
We overnighted there a couple months ago on the way back from Big Creek.
Toured the area by car, ate lunch, dinner, & then breakfast in Joseph.
But ended up getting a hotel in Enterprise.
We were hot to get home the next day, so didn't go into Reds, but we all ended up regretting that later.
Maybe next year.

Minam River Lodge and Red's Horse Ranch would be at the very top of my list. They are Oregon's only wilderness destinations that I am aware of. Minam River Lodge offers first class accommodations and delivers a high end wilderness experience aimed at town dwellers who don't mind paying $600.00 for a cabin and meals for a day. Red's has nice primitive camping sites close to the airplane parking.

If you are over in that area, you might also visit some of the Hell's Canyon strips. Dug Bar, Big Bar, Temperence Creek, Wapshilla Creek are all nice places to visit if it's not too hot. They are lower elevation strips. Lord Flat is up higher and pretty rough. Memaloose is up high on the canyon rim, and is a really nice spot to check out.

Southwest, There is a nice grass strip at Powers. Agness on the Rogue River is also a nice stop, with dining and lodging available.

There are a few strips in Central Oregon, but I'm afraid that Sunrise Valley might be your only option for lodging and dining.

Ring me up if you want to discuss more options as your trip gets closer.

McKenzie Bridge State (00S):

Scolopax wrote:.....Ring me up if you want to discuss more options as your trip gets closer.

Thanks Jake.
FWIW the plane I saw on the Sunrise Valley website was my buddy's old 180, 47 Charley.
Seems like Patrick really gets out & about in it-- more so than my buddy did!

If you are on the Central Coast, you are definitely invited to be a special guest on the “Sunday Morning Cowboy Show”! Also, Florence has ATVs for rent (I recommend Torex in Dune City). Some of the best Fn riding on the planet, nothing like it.

Check it out...

I thought the WAAM Museum in Hood river was very interesting. I would highly recommend that. Good cafe next to the airport there, grass strip available, I'm sure you could camp there too if need be. You could probly easily spend 4-5 hrs at the museum.

Lots of good suggestions have been provided above. I recommend that you have a look at the RAF Airfield Guide (http://airfield.guide) for some additional ideas.

In Central Oregon, both McKenzie Bridge and Toketee airfields survived the 2020 wildfire season without damage – both are nice for camping. You might also enjoy visiting Horseshoe on the Deschutes River and Chukar Flat on the John Day River.

You can also camp at Prospect State (64S) and it’s a short walk into town to the tavern. There are a couple of cabins available to rent at Wild Billy Lake (http://wildbillylake.com/) and the fishing is good in the spring.

I’ll second Jake’s recommendation and strongly encourage a visit Hell’s Canyon, but suggest that you plan your visit there before the temperatures get too hot. Consider Temperance Creek Lodge as a base of operations for a couple days. If you contact Hell’s Canyon Packers (https://hellscanyonpackers.com/lodging-hells-canyon/) they can provide accommodation and meals. Alternatively, camp at Dug Bar.

From Hell’s Canyon pop down to Owyhee Reservoir State (28U), then follow the spectacular Owyhee River Canyon south to the Rome Service airfield (N42.833698, W117.628998). This is a dirt airstrip located behind a café/gas station where you can grab a bite to eat. From here it’s a quick flight west to the Alvord Desert (N42.527199, W118.525002) – not to be missed. Before you land, be sure the surface is dry!

From Alvord, follow the highway south to Fields Station. There is a café/gas station with absolutely the best milk shakes. There is so little traffic that folks frequently land on the highway and taxi up to the café. If you prefer to be a bit more cautious, there is a rough dirt airstrip across the highway, behind the school (N42.259998, W118.665001). You can camp at the airstrip.

Lucas Lodge in Agness (N42.555500, W124.066002), on the Rogue River is a good bet.

Powers, Oregon (6S6) is a nice little camp friendly airfield. Hot and dry weather in the Summer, bring shade! Model airplane club flys there and maintains the field. Be alert for R/C aircraft. Have spent a total of two nights and enjoyed it. Coquille River’s water level is low in the Summertime. That may effect water quality etc. R/C club gave me free firewood and offered me a ride into town. It was fire season and I chose not to have a campfire however. Really friendly folks.

hotrod180 wrote:FWIW the plane I saw on the Sunrise Valley website was my buddy's old 180, 47 Charley.
Seems like Patrick really gets out & about in it-- more so than my buddy did!

Patrick flies old 47C about every time he has free time and decent weather. Can't wait until my wagon is back in action so I can join him.

Keep us posted on your trip, and we may try to meet up.

I recall another airfield close to the beach which is Wakonda Beach State (R33). Not much there except free camping.

Please see my (below) video flight to R33. On the way I rode some logging roads etc..: