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Wonderful Waterfalls to the West

It’s no surprise that the Cascade Range, to the east of Eugene, is full of dramatic, splashy waterfalls. But heading out west, to the Coast Range, reveals some hikes that are not as steep but just as scenic as their Cascadian cousins.

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On the Watch for Whales

About 20,000 gray whales pass by the Oregon Coast beginning in early March on their way to northern feeding grounds in the Bering and Chukchi seas. They turn around in October, returning to breed in Mexico’s warm lagoons, so the chances of seeing whales along the coast are good to great, particularly during the peak […]

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Volunteer Forest Trail Maintenance

It’s nice to imagine that a hiking trail, once cleared, stays cleared. But in fact, publicly accessible hiking trails in wilderness areas require regular, ongoing maintenance in order to stay usable. It’s also nice to imagine that the United States Forest Service has a well-paid crew to take care of these repairs, but again, that’s […]

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Taking Root – The Town That Trees Built

Is a tree more useful to us in a forest, or cut and used as a product? Whether we like it or not, the answer is yes. There’s no disputing the environmental importance of trees, but tree products are also used in unexpected places. Oregon trees find themselves in cellulose film for movies and photographs. […]

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