10 minute read
Trip Planner: Camp Sherman and Sisters
Trip Planner: Camp Sherman and Sisters
Adventures beckon in Black Butte country
written by James Sinks
IT IS A TRANSCENDENT place, where Central Oregon’s Metolius River materializes out of nowhere.
So it was no surprise to Sam Johnson on a day in the 1960s that a woman had set up an easel near the riverbank on his family’s property, and was brushing an oil painting. The Johnsons allowed free access to share the wonder where the water, crystalline and always 48 degrees, gushes from basalt springs.
Johnson, like he often did, was gathering trash, his daughter Betsy Johnson recalled. One of her childhood chores was picking up tourists’ cigarette butts.
Then, a bus arrived and lurched to a stop, and the artist—and her painting—were engulfed in a cloud of dust.
“He said, ‘We need to do something about this, it’s getting loved to death,’ and that was when he first started talking about giving it away,” said Betsy, a pilot and no-nonsense businesswoman who would go on to become a state legislator like her father, and in 2022 fell short in an independent bid for governor.
Among her many accomplishments at the Capitol was protecting the Metolius basin from the irreversible damage of development. Her advocacy echoed her mother, who once battled to keep an undeveloped riverfront campground from becoming the equivalent of an RV park.
Today, on land donated by the Johnson family to the Forest Service, the springs at the Head of the Metolius beckon everyone down a paved, accessible walkway between split rail fences.
Designated a Wild and Scenic River in 1988, the Metolius flows northward 29 miles to Lake Billy Chinook, on the edge of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation. The river name comes from an Indigenous word for salmon.
Along the way, it slides past old-growth ponderosa pine, campsites and the town of Camp Sherman and its century-old general store, where Johnson stocked shelves as a teenager.
A fly-fishing-only river, the Metolius attracts anglers from around the world. Wildflowers color the stream banks. And above the trees, Mount Jefferson stands watch, feeding tributaries with snowmelt.
When visitors come to marvel and play, Johnson urges them to do it lightly.
“It’s a fragile place,” she said. “It deserves to be protected in perpetuity. It was—and still is—magical.”
Day 1: Hiking, Fishing + Snacking
In the shadow of the Three Sisters, the highlands where Central Oregon and the Cascades meet are synonymous with both recreation and late-season wildfires. Timing-wise, spring and early summer are a wise window to go.
With so many outdoorsy options, come prepared. Bikes. Boots. Boards. Bait. And, perhaps, some Bufferin.
With so many outdoorsy options, come prepared. Bikes. Boots. Boards. Bait. And, perhaps, some Bufferin.
Dominating the skyline in these parts is Black Butte, a million-year-old stratovolcano that rises to 6,436 feet over Camp Sherman, Black Butte Ranch, Suttle Lake and Sisters, all of which can ably serve as home base for a dusty adventure getaway.
Start with a view from the top. Follow bumpy gravel to the Upper Black Butte Trailhead, where parking can be tight and costs $5. From here, the path winds 2 miles to the summit, where Cascade views as far north as Mount St. Helens will take your breath away, hopefully without smoke.
Downhill at the Johnson-donated viewpoint, it’s a flatter and quicker walk to see where the Metolius—buried when Black Butte erupted—resurfaces at more than 50,000 gallons a minute. While you’re there, give a leery side eye to the hefty ground squirrels, who beg despite signs urging you to ignore their guiles.
In 1911, following a hot harvest, farmers came west from Sherman County to the Metolius to cool down and celebrate. To help friends find the revelry, organizers tacked “Camp Sherman” directional arrows on trees.
The name stuck, and today unincorporated Camp Sherman is home to 300 residents, clusters of vacation cabins and mouthwatering margaritas and tacos. The Latin fare comes courtesy of Hola!, an outpost of a popular Central Oregon chain. Try the Coca Cola-braised pork in sofrito sauce.
The Camp Sherman Store & Fly Shop has been around since 1918 and feels a bit like a time machine, with antique gas pumps out front and everything from clothes to camping gear to a deli inside. It’s also an outfitter for folks who want to try their fishing luck and—if you don’t know how to cast flies—they can hook you up with lessons on the lawn.
The river may be easy to find, but don’t expect the fish, wily and evasive, to play easy-to-get, said longtime local angler Adam Bronstein, who’s been fishing the Metolius for two decades.
Rather admire fish instead? It’s free to wander the park-like Wizard Falls Hatchery, run by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Feed quarters into converted gumball machines, and you can feed some pretty impressive swimmers in the show pond.
The hatchery also offers easy access to the Metolius River Trail, which invites you to meander for miles.
The historic Lake Creek Lodge resort touts luxury cabins, a practice fishing pond and even pickleball. By evening, you’ll likely be quite enamored by the HØST Supper Club restaurant and Larch bar, where the easygoing rustic vibe of Camp Sherman will be even mellower with icy drinks, local-sourced “Cascadian” entrees like Columbia River salmon, and good company. The name means harvest in Norweigan.
For dessert, there’s always an option with dark chocolate and coffee, laughed chef and co-HØST owner Sean Hulecki. “We both can’t resist.”
Day 2: Biking, Shopping + Stargazing
With an impressive mountain trio out back, city founders thought “Three Sisters” would be a great town name. The Post Office liked “Sisters” better, however, and that was that.
An early logging town and incorporated in 1947, Sisters took a turn toward tourism after nearby Black Butte Ranch resort opened in 1970. That’s when zoning rules were rewritten to make the place look like an 1880s Western.
Today, the self-anointed Gateway to the Cascades is home to about 3,000 and invites buckaroos and cowgirls to get lost among rustic-styled storefronts on Main Street. Don’t miss the gluten bonanza at Sisters Bakery.
Then, it’s a quick mosey to an assortment of nearby biking and hiking options. Come spring, one of the state’s iconic rides is the Old McKenzie Highway, which opens to cars in mid-to-late June but is passable sooner to bikers, who pedal between roadside snowdrifts, said Chuck Humphreys, a retired economist and a board member of the nonprofit Sisters Trails Alliance.
When the road isn’t formally open, riders—increasingly on electric bikes—do it at their own risk, he said. The 30-mile roundtrip from Sisters with a 2,000-foot climb to the rocky Dee Wright Observatory is positively epic, he said.
For the fat tire set, a favorite takes you from town on a three-hour trek to Peterson Ridge.
Hikers, meanwhile, can trek up a river canyon with spring wildflowers via the 6.4-mile roundtrip Whychus Creek Trail. A mile-long, wheelchair-accessible loop at the top takes you to the same viewpoint.
“You could spend a week in Sisters and do a different trail every day,” Humphreys said.
Clean up, wave to the local deer herd and grab lunch at The Barn, a food cart pod where you’ll find Boone Dog Wood Fired Pizza. Big appetites can also rustle sandwiches at Sisters Meat and Smokehouse.
Already a sunny weather destination, Sisters attracts larger crowds in June for the annual rodeo—including one escaped bull named Party Bus in 2024—and in July for the Outdoor Quilt Show, which celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this year.
Downtown, you’ll find stores with new stuff, stores with old stuff and museums with old and weird stuff. The Sisters Museum is open Fridays and Saturdays. Meanwhile, wander a smorgasbord of the offbeat at the current home of the Fantastic Museum, which is now in its twelfth city. Among the collectables: a 9-foot-tall Viking mummy named Olaf.
Saunter to happy hour at Sisters Saloon & Ranch Grill, and then to sublime dinner at The Open Door, which is like an art gallery and a wine bar that fell in love. Reservations are highly recommended.
After nightfall, the curtain rises for films at the Sisters Movie House & Cafe. Or simply look upward. For good reason, the city was named this year to Oregon’s growing list of International Dark Sky Places.
Day 3: Relaxing, Paddling + Golfing
After miles of hiking and biking, your muscles might crave a little R&R. You’ll find massages and serenity at Japanese-styled Shibui Spa, at FivePine Lodge & Cabins in Sisters. You might also find a pillow, but be careful. There’s scant time for naps.
Fuel up with biscuits and gravy and big Benedicts at local favorite Cottonwood Cafe. If you just need liquid energy, caffeine heaven waits at Sisters Coffee Company.
Northwest of town, a short but photogenic hike takes you underground to Skylight Cave, a lava tube where cave-ins have opened holes to the sky. It’s always cold, dark and rocky, so bundle up and take flashlights. Phones won’t cut it.
Glacier-formed 25,000 years ago, sandy-bottomed Suttle Lake is only 1.5 miles long and a half-mile wide, but it’s plenty big for a paddle in the sun before afternoon winds pick up. If you don’t have a boat or board, rent at The Suttle Lodge.
The lake was named for a settler named John Settle, but it was misspelled on early maps and never changed.
If you don’t want to get wet, trace the 3.5-mile hiking trail around the perimeter. Feel like a snack? Settle on a Suttle dock at the Boathouse cafe.
Black Butte Ranch was Oregon’s second destination resort, after Sunriver. Previously limited to stuff to do with sheep, today it’s a Choose Your Own Adventure novella with no bad options.
Climb onto saddles at Black Butte Stables. Cruise bike paths. Swim. Book a tee time at one of the two championship golf courses, or on the twelve-hole Little Meadow Putting Course. Even kick a ball around at the park.
Afterward, unwind at glass-walled restaurant The Lodge, opened in 2023 and recently named the state’s most beautiful establishment by People magazine. From the deck, looking over the lake or toward Black Butte, it’s a feast for your taste buds and your eyes. Yes, Central Oregon is an adventure magnet. It’s also spellbinding. Like a painting, perhaps, with a little dust on it.
Only, in a good way.
