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Anyone who has stepped foot in Lane County for a second knows what a beautiful place this is. We are spoiled with the great outdoors starting at our doorsteps, from woodland walks to Oregon Coast gems. We asked you for your must-sees when you step outside; you didn't disappoint, sharing hiking spots, favorite stores and more.
Anyone who has stepped foot in Lane County for a second knows what a beautiful place this is. We are spoiled with the great outdoors starting at our doorsteps, from woodland walks to Oregon Coast gems. We asked you for your must-sees when you step outside; you didn’t disappoint, sharing hiking spots, favorite stores and more. Find more Lookout List winners here.
Best Lane County Backpacking Adventure
Credit: Korrin Bishop
Winner: McKenzie River Trail
The trail begins 1 mile (1.6 km) east of McKenzie Bridge, 97413.
The trail along the McKenzie River offers scenic views of the rushing river waters, clear pools, and natural beauty of the McKenzie River Valley.
That’s not to mention the hot springs, which can soothe your aching muscles after a long day of traipsing around.
Runner-up: Obsidian Trail
Located off of Highway 242. Latitude: 44.20611111, Longitude: -121.8711111
With glittering obsidian shards, wildflowers, a waterfall, a spring and more, this 11.5-mile lollipop loop is a moderately challenging hike with a big payoff.
Lookout Staff Pick: McKenzie River Trail
Looking for a place to absolutely send it? That’s how I spend some of my weekends, barreling down the McKenzie River Trail on a marathon’s distance alongside cascading water. If running’s not your thing, that’s OK, and my knees sometimes tell me it shouldn’t be mine. Thankfully, there’s a little something for everyone on this trail. You can pull your car right up to Sahalie Falls to take in the wonder, or take it a few sections at a time walking at your own pace.
– Ashli Blow, Environment & Public Health Correspondent
Best Mountain Bike Trail or Experience
Winner: Oakridge
Around 40 miles east of Eugene along Highway 58.
It’s no mistake that Oakridge is nicknamed the “Mountain Biking Capital of the Northwest.”
This tiny town has oodles of world-class trails, with hundreds of miles of tracks through the scenic surrounding woods. Alpine Trail and Dead Mountain Trail are two you’ll want to start with.
Runner-up: Ridgeline Trail System
There are seven trailheads for the system; take a look at the trail map to pick one.
No need to drive far out for a day of mountain biking. This trail system throughout Eugene includes Amazon Headwaters, Mount Baldy, Suzanne Arlie Park, Moon Mountain, South Eugene Meadows, and Wild Iris Ridge.
Lookout Staff Pick: Carpenter Bypass, aka ‘Y-Pass’
Thanks to countless hours of volunteer trail work (props, DOD!), this BLM trail network (25 miles southwest of Eugene) has everything from modern flow trails to what my riding friends and I call “old-school janky.” It’s mountain bike-centric, so not a lot of hikers getting annoyed with you. And it’s rideable year-round. I like to go on Christmas Day. Just beware: It’s a mass of trails packed into a couple square miles, like a plate of spaghetti; it took me years before I stopped getting lost.
– Bob Passaro, Copy Editor
Best Hike with a View
Winner: Spencer Butte
85397 Willamette St., Eugene 97405
Our region’s southern signature butte offers a panoramic view of Eugene, Springfield, the Willamette Valley and beyond, for when you want to put daily life in perspective by standing more than a thousand feet above home.
Runner-up: Mt. Pisgah
34901 Frank Parrish Rd, Eugene 97405
Go even a tad bit farther south, and you can upgrade that butte view to one from a mountain view.
Lookout Staff Pick: Spencer Butte
The hike up Spencer Butte was one of the first Eugene things I did when I moved here. I remember looking down at Eugene and Springfield splayed out in front of me with no idea what or where anything was, but an excitement to explore it all. A year and a half later, I enjoy the view with a lot more experiences under my belt. It’s a beautiful view to share with an out-of-town guest or to enjoy in solitude. Just watch out for the poison oak.
– Lilly St. Angelo, Education and Children’s Issues Correspondent
Best Place to Kayak or Paddle
Winner: Waldo Lake
Located off of Highway 58 to Oakridge. Trailhead access is off Forest Roads 24 (Salmon Creek Road), 19 and 5897.
This Willamette National Forest lake covers 10 square miles, with the lake carved into of the earth by ancient glaciers that left a maximum depth of 420 feet. The Forest Service says that the water is so clear, on good days you can see through the water to depths of 100 feet.
Runner-up: Dexter Lake
Access through the Dexter State Recreation Site, just north of Dexter.
Dexter Lake is a hotbed of local recreation on the water, with a beautiful stretch of water close to Eugene that rowers, anglers, kayakers and more want a piece of.
Best Hot Springs, Lazy River, or Swimming Hole
Winner: Belknap Hot Springs
59296 Belknap Springs Road, McKenzie Bridge 97413.
Ah, the sweet, sweet smell of sulfur. This is the luxe version of the Lane County hot springs experience (“luxe” in this scenario means not just hopping into the hot springs in the middle of the woods), bringing you into an amenity-filled site with lodge rooms, cabins, sites for recreational vehicles and tents to soak your heart out in style.
Runner-up: Triangle Lake Rock Slides
Located off of Highway 36, near Blachly 97412
Mother Nature was so kind to us, she gave us a sick waterslide. These rock slides are the longest natural bedrock water slides in Oregon, ready for you to pop in a tube (or, with caution, in your bathing suite), and slide down into a shallow swimming pool.
Lookout Staff Pick: Terwilliger (Cougar) Hot Springs
A quarter-mile hike in brings you to this humble, clothing-optional hot springs, a set of four pools set in a ravine within the Willamette National Forest. You can pick your ideal temperature as the four pools get cooler as you go from from top to bottom. I am a clumsy person. I avoid most situations where I could end up slipping. And yet, I love these hot springs and all of the barefoot scrambling over wet rocks it involves. (There’s also a stream of extra-cool water next to the hot springs that people enjoy dipping into for the stark temperature difference. Not my scene, but maybe yours?)
– Annie Aguiar, Audience Editor
Best Seasonal Outdoor Tradition
Winner: Ridgeline Trail System
There are seven trailheads for the system; take a look at the trail map to pick one.
You’ll hear more about how great Ridgeline is for running and walking farther down in our list. But this has a special spring connection: the wildflowers, like trillium and irises, that pop up each spring are a particularly wonderful sign the sun is out again in Lane County.
Runner-up: Concert Series at Hinman Vineyards
27012 Briggs Hill Rd, Eugene 97405
Picture this: it’s a summer night. You’re sitting with a glass of something lovely in your hand. You’re taking in the music (and, once a year, an evening of ballet). Each year at Hinman Vineyards, that’s a reality for our little slice of wine country heaven.
Best Park or Green Space
Winner: Hendricks Park
Summit Ave. and Skyline Blvd., Eugene 97403
This 80-acre park is the oldest in the City of Eugene, and is particularly known for its famed rhododendron garden (that gets absolutely packed on Mother’s Day).
You’ll be able to take in paths, classic Oregon wildflowers, centuries-old fir trees and more for you to spend an afternoon exploring, hiking, jogging, birding, picnicking and general lollygagging.
Runner-up: Mt. Pisgah
34901 Frank Parrish Rd, Eugene 97405
When you go to Mt. Pisgah, you’re taking a look back in time. That’s because you’re looking at oak savannas that once grew throughout the Willamette Valley, a fire-adapted forest ecosystem stewarded by the Kalapuya for time immemorial.
Lookout Staff Pick: Mt. Pisgah
I go almost every week — sometimes heaving to the summit, sometimes reflecting on a swing at the top of a hill, and sometimes staring into the tree canopy at the arboretum.
– Ashli Blow, Environment & Public Health Correspondent
Best Climbing or Adventure Sport Facility
Winner: Elevation Bouldering Gym
348 Lincoln St, Eugene 97401
Have you ever started what’s supposed to be an “easy” route, then ended up stuck halfway like a scared cat in a tree? At Elevation, that’s not a problem; the community members rate individual difficulties. It’s a big open space, with lots of routes, workshops and community events for kids, queer folks and more wanting to get climbing.
Runner-up: The Columns at Skinner Butte Park
98 Skinner Butte Loop, Eugene 97401
Who needs a gym when you have a natural rock climbing wall? The natural, basalt rock columns on the westerly face of Skinner Butte tend to teem with climbers.
Best Outdoor Gear or Sports Shop
Winner: REI
95 Oakway Center, Eugene 97401
The opening of the new REI location in Eugene was big news, and for good reason: this beloved Seattle-born gear co-op store has wormed its way into the hearts of the outdoorsy. (We’re teeming with fans: according to the store, there are 142,000 lifetime REI members in Eugene, which has about 179,000 residents.)
Runner-up: Eugene Gear Traders
505 Willamette St. Ste 110, Eugene 97401
Family-owned and woman-run, this homegrown outdoor gear store has been selling everything you’ll need for your next adventure out of its downtown store since 2020.
Best Bike-Friendly Business
Winner: Paul’s Bicycle Way of Life
Two locations in Eugene, at 556 Charnelton St. and 2480 Alder St.
This shop is the brainchild of founder Paul Nicholson, who moved to Eugene in 1984 from Champagne-Urbana, Illinois, and opened his first Eugene shop in 1985. The two full-service bike shops sells, repairs and rents bikes for you to journey through town on.
Runner-up: Shift Community Cycles
811 W. 6th Ave., Eugene 97402
Helpful staff, ample inventory and more await you at Shift. (It comes with a solid, hat-trick endorsement: Lillian Schrock-Clevenger, our Springfield correspondent, has purchased three bikes from Shift.)
Best Place to Watch a Sunset
Winner: Heceta Head Lighthouse
725 Summer St., Florence 97439
The lighthouse was always going to win, right? The Oregon Coast staple is the Lane County spot to take in the grandeur of the Pacific as the sun sets.
Runner-up: Spencer Butte
85397 Willamette St., Eugene 97405
We’ve already talked, at length, in this list about what makes Spencer Butte special. We promise it’s even more beautiful at sunset.
Best Trail or Running Route
Winner: Ridgeline Trail System
There are seven trailheads for the system; take a look at the trail map to pick one.
From the wildflowers to the rolling hills of the trail (plenty of elevation, but smooth enough to take at your own pace) this trail system is a standout spot for trail runners (and walkers) to spend some time out in nature and getting your miles in.
Runner-up: Ruth Bascom Willamette Riverbank Path
There are four sections of the trail, which goes along the Willamette River in Eugene and Springfield.
This paved path gives you a front-row view of the Willamette and plenty of spots to hop across Eugene and slightly into Springfield, winding up at Island Park.
Lookout Staff Pick: South Eugene High School Track / Amazon Path
Get your laps in on weekends before and after running on a truly wide path with enough space for all. Your route is almost guaranteed to pass by ballfields humming with activity.
– Jaime Adame, Justice Correspondent
