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In this map, you will find major rivers, reservoirs and lakes of Oregon like Crater Lake and Goose Lake. Rivers in Oregon flow into the Pacific Ocean.

The convergence of the Little River and the North Umpqua River in Glide, Oregon

A patch work quilt of fall color on the Umpqua River. We are entering prime fall color viewing here in Oregon. The Umpqua River (UMP-kwa) is approximately 111 miles (179 km) long. One of the principal rivers of the Oregon Coast and known for bass and shad, the river drains an expansive network of valleys in the mountains west of the Cascade Range and south of the Willamette Valley, from which it is separated by the Calapooya Mountains. From its source northeast of Roseburg, the Umpqua flows northwest through the Oregon Coast Range and empties into the Pacific at Winchester Bay. The river and its tributaries flow entirely within Douglas County, which encompasses most of the watershed of the river from the Cascades to the coast. The "Hundred Valleys of the Umpqua" form the heart of the timber industry of southern Oregon, generally centered on Roseburg.

along the river with fall leaves

Devil’s Lake is another lake along the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway, just outside of Bend, Oregon. The emerald waters of Devils Lake, a popular picnic and camping spot that treats visitors to an eerie optical illusion: crystal clear water and a shallow white pumice bottom make it seem as if boats on the surface are floating in midair. Devil’s Lake is comprised of glacial water from glaciers up the mountains nearby. Glacial water is some of the cleanest and purest water on earth – hence the color of this beautiful, Caribbean-looking lake. Being located right off the byway, it’s not hard to miss. We simply pulled our car over, walked out, and there it is. It is one of the smallest of the Cascade Lakes, so it’s easy to see the whole of it. The higher we were above the lake, the greener it looked, and the closer we got, the clearer it looked.

The Breitenbush River is a tributary of the North Santiam River in western Oregon in the United States. It drains a rugged, forested area of the Cascade Range east of Salem. The North and South forks flow west, joining 0.25 miles (400 m) east of the small community of Breitenbush. The combined stream flows generally west-southwest through the Willamette National Forest. It joins the North Santiam at Detroit.

The Molalla (mo-LA-la) River is a 51-mile (82 km) tributary of the Willamette River in the northwestern part of Oregon. The Molalla is the largest Willamette tributary unblocked by a dam. During the early 19th century, the area around the river was populated by the Molala people. During that time, an extensive system of trails along the river allowed trade between the peoples of the Willamette Valley and eastern Oregon. As late as the 1920s, the trails were used by Native Americans from the Warm Springs Indian Reservation to reach huckleberry-picking grounds near Table Rock. Whitewater enthusiasts sometimes run the upper reaches of the Molalla River as well as the lower. Under certain conditions, the 5.1-mile (8.2 km) stretch from Copper Creek to Table Rock Fork can be navigated by boaters capable of handling technical class III (intermediate) to IV (advanced) water on the International Scale of River Difficulty. Below that comes a stretch, about 5 miles (8 km) long, of class III to III+ water. Hazards on these upper miles may include narrow chutes, sudden drops, and logs in the water. The next 8 miles (13 km), Turner Bridge to Glen Avon Bridge, are rated technical class III to IV with hazards similar to the upper reaches but also including scouting difficulties as well as a dangerous undercut at a rapids called Goldilocks,

Later in the year this area can get fairly brown. But right now, there is nice color, plus the contrast with the left over snow. The John Day River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately 284 miles (457 km) long, in northeastern Oregon. Undammed along its entire length, the river is the third longest free-flowing river in the contiguous United States

Oregon: Vintage Postcard of a Fishing Boat on the Big Nestucca River in Oregon. This Vintage Oregon Coast Postcard is Circa 1974. The Nestucca River flows for about 57 miles (92 km) through forests near the Pacific coast of northwest Oregon in the United States. It drains a timber-producing area of the Northern Oregon Coast Range west of Portland. Rising in the mountains of western Yamhill County, it is impounded near its headwaters to create McGuire Reservoir, the primary water source for the city of McMinnville. The river flows generally west through Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land and the Siuslaw National Forest, past Beaver, then southwest past Hebo and Cloverdale. It enters Nestucca Bay, on the Pacific Ocean, from the north at Pacific City. The Little Nestucca River does not join the Nestucca but enters Nestucca Bay from the south. - Wikipedia - Condition: • Used • Posted o Stamp Postcard Details: • City/Region: Oregon Coast • Postage Condition: ■ Posted (1974) • Era: o Pre-postcard (1848-1870) o Pioneer (1870-1898) o Private Mailing Card (1898-1907) o Undivided Back (1901-1907) o Divided Back (1907-1915) o White Border (1915-1930) o Linen (1930-1945) o ----->> Chrome (1939-Present) <

This is Suttle Lake in the Cascade mountains, west of Sisters, Oregon. The Cascades have been having some great snow and the frozen lake made for an interesting foreground in this image. We waited around for about an hour hoping for a little color come sunset. It was little, but still worth the wait. We visit Suttle lake often, it is easy to access and is beautiful year round. It has a small lodge and a few cabins for year round enjoyment.

The Siuslaw River ( sy-YOO-slaw) is a river, about 110 miles (177 km) long, that flows to the Pacific Ocean coast of Oregon. It drains an area of about 773 square miles (2,000 km2) in the Central Oregon Coast Range southwest of the Willamette Valley and north of the watershed of the Umpqua River. It flows generally west-northwest through the mountains, entering the Pacific at Florence. The head of tide is 26 miles (42 km) upstream. It is part of the homeland of the Siuslaw people, after whom it is named. Citizens of the Siuslaw nation lived in villages along the river until 1860 when they were forcibly removed to an Indian reservation in Yachats whereupon their homes, farms, gardens and villages were destroyed and occupied by U.S. settler-colonists. The valley of the river has been one of the productive timber regions in Oregon. The lower course of the river passes through Siuslaw National Forest. The river has historically been a spawning ground for Chinook and coho salmon. The estuary of the river is surrounded by extensive wetlands that are a significant habitat for migratory birds along the coast. It is one of the very few Western Oregon rivers where all major forks are undammed.

Owyhee (oh -WHY- hee) Reservoir or Owyhee Lake is a reservoir on the Owyhee River in Malheur County, Oregon. Located in far Eastern Oregon near the Idaho border, the reservoir is Oregon's longest at 52 miles (84 km). The name of the lake is from the older spelling of "Hawaii." It was named for three Hawaiian trappers, in the employ of the North West Company, who were sent to explore the uncharted river. They failed to return to the rendezvous near the Boise River and were never seen again. Due to this, the lake and its region were named "Owyhee.

This photo was taken near McKercher Park. The Calapooia (cala - POO - ya) River is an 80-mile (130 km) tributary of the Willamette River in the state of Oregon. The Calapooia was named for the Kalapuya (also spelled Calapooia), a tribe of Native Americans. The McKercher Park to Brownsville section of the Calapooia River is 7 miles long and is, according to American Whitewater, a class I section of whitewater. Whitewater rafting and kayaking spots in Oregon tend to be more challenging than the national average, so don't forget that the rivers in this state are less manageable.

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The compacted-earth Timothy Lake Dam was built by Portland General Electric in 1956 to regulate seasonal water flow to Lake Harriet downstream. The dam, 110 feet high and impounding 81,000 acre-feet, does not generate any hydroelectric power itself. In the summer, the lake is a very popular destination. Located at an elevation of 3,200 feet and nestled in the Mount Hood National Forest, Timothy Lake is best when visited during the warmer summer months typically in July and August. Timothy Lake is located on the Oak Grove Fork of the Clackamas River about 50 miles SE of Portland, Oregon. This was taken at sunrise from the Hood View campground.

Central Oregon

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The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by Congress in 1968 to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free-flowing condition for the enjoyment of present and future generations. Oregon has approximately 110,994 miles of river, of which 1,916.7 miles are designated as wild & scenic—almost 2% of the state's river miles. The Crooked River is a tributary, 125 miles (201 km) long, of the Deschutes River in Oregon. The river begins at the confluence of the South Fork Crooked River and Beaver Creek. Of the two tributaries, the South Fork Crooked River is the larger and is sometimes considered part of the Crooked River proper. Wild River Areas – Those rivers or sections of rivers that are free of impoundments and generally inaccessible except by trail, with watersheds or shorelines essentially primitive and waters unpolluted. These represent vestiges of primitive America. Scenic River Areas – Those rivers or sections of rivers that are free of impoundments, with shorelines or watersheds still largely primitive and shorelines largely undeveloped, but accessible in places by roads.

Lake Billy Chinook is a reservoir in Jefferson County, Oregon. Created by the Round Butte Dam in 1964, Lake Billy Chinook lies in a canyon at the confluence of the Crooked, Deschutes (da - SHOOTS) , and Metolius (ma TOLE ee us) rivers near Culver and Madras. It was named for Billy Chinook, a Native American of the Wasco tribe who traveled alongside American explorers John C. Frémont and Kit Carson in their expeditions of 1843 and 1844. From this area you can see the prominent mountains of the Oregon Cascades in the distance.

Summer Lake is a large, shallow, alkali lake in Lake County, Oregon, United States located 5 miles (8 km) south of the small, unincorporated community of Summer Lake, Oregon. At high water it is about 15 miles (24 km) long and 5 miles (8 km) wide, and supports a wide variety of birds and other wildlife in its marshes. The lake was named by explorer John C. Fremont on his expedition into Central Oregon in 1843. During the summer this lake can reduce noticeable and a large dry lake bed left in its place. Plumes of Summer Lake dust, lifted by winds of up to 60 miles per hour (97 km/h), are thought to be responsible for "dirty rain" that fell on February 6, 2015, across parts of three U.S. states: Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Scientists at Washington State University concluded that an unusual combination of weather systems carried the dust up to 500 miles (800 km) north and northeast, where it mixed with rain, which turned "milky". Chalky residue coated cars and windows in Hermiston, Spokane, and at least 13 other cities.

The Willamette River ( wil-AM-et) is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is 187 miles (301 km) long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Flowing northward between the Oregon Coast Range and the Cascade Range, the river and its tributaries form the Willamette Valley, a basin that contains two-thirds of Oregon's population, including the state capital, Salem, and the state's largest city, Portland, which surrounds the Willamette's mouth at the Columbia.

Priest Hole is located on the John Day River about 12 miles from Mitchell, Oregon. Getting to Priest Hole can be difficult as the road turns to gravel and then gets very narrow and steep. Priest Hole Recreation Site, is a local favorite for swimming and fishing. The water here is the perfect temperature for swimming and is beautifully crystal clear. This spot is right in the middle of the John Day Wild and Scenic River, which was designated for its incredible scenery, fish and wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities and geological features. Most reports about this area do say they recommend a high clearance vehicle, and there are definitely places you need to slow down and take care. I personally drive a Volvo XC 90 and got through by just taking it easy. The water in this area is slow moving and there were several people during the day that were paddle boarding, kayaking, and swimming.

Big Lake is 225 acres in size and is situated on the historic Santiam Wagon Road. It was the first resting place for early travelers heading west. A youth camp operates under special use permit on the east side of the lake. Volcanic peaks and cinder cones visible from the lake include Mt. Washington, Sand Mountain, Hoodoo Butte, Hayrick Butte and Three Fingered Jack. Big Lake Campground sits at its namesake lake along Santiam Pass, a 4,800-foot mountain pass through the Cascade Range in western Oregon. Big Lake is popular for motor boating and water skiing, as well as camping, picnicking, fishing and swimming. Once again, we got up nice and early from our camping area and walked over to a nice vantage point and watched the fog drift across the lake as the sun started coming up.

Categories National Forests and Wilderness in Oregon National Parks and Sites in Oregon National Preserves in Oregon Oregon Rivers, and the National Wild and Scenic Rivers in Oregon Waterfalls - Columbia Gorge Waterfalls Lakes Trails Covered Bridges Lighthouses Oregon Coast Columbia River Gorge Hood River Valley Portland Willamette Valley Central Oregon Eastern Oregon Southern Oregon Seasons, Skies and Sunsets Flowers All Others

You can't actually see the storm yet, but we were ahead of it driving up to this lake. The sky had started to get the interesting colors in the clouds, even though the part of the the lake where we were shooting still had sun shining brightly, always an interesting contrast. We got about two dozen shots from various angles and then got out just before the storm arrived. Paulina Lake (paw LYE nah) is located within the caldera of Newberry Volcano, about 25 miles south of Bend, Oregon. The Newberry Caldera encircles the basins of Paulina and East lakes and it is nearly 5 miles (8 km) in diameter. This collapsed caldera is the result of more than 500,000 years of volcanic activity. Elevated 6,300 feet above sea level, Paulina Lake is the largest (1,530 acres) and the deepest (250 feet) lake in the Newberry Caldera. The average depth of the lake is 165 feet. Most parts of the lake are 200 feet deep, whereas the southeast edge of the lake is 40 feet deep.

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Cultus Lake is a natural lake in Deschutes County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Formed by a glacier, it is located in the high Cascade Range in the Deschutes National Forest. The name is from the Chinook Jargon and means variously bad or worthless, or simply "in vain". In the early 19th century, the lakes in this area abounded with beavers. The earliest explorers to this area were primarily on a quest for furs. Cultus Lake lies at the base of the Cultus Mountain. The lake itself is natural and is 211 feet (64 m) at its deepest point and about 2 miles (3.2 km) long. I got up nice and early and walked to the end of their dock area to get this image. That is the South Sister in the background, I think.

The Molalla Indians used the trail in the early 1800's. It is now called the Table Rock Historic Trail. During the 1920's this same trail was utilized by Native Americans from the Warm Springs Reservation to reach traditional huckleberry picking areas near the Molalla River and Table Rock. Table Rock Fork of the Molalla River located near Molalla, Oregon. It is a 5 mile whitewater kayaking & canoeing trail. The Table Rock Fork is a great class three run, very continuous and entertaining. It is something of a mystery to me why this run hasn't gained popularity with local paddlers, but I think this will change as more people start venturing up there and word gets around. Let me say that this is all the information I could find on-line about this part of the river. The above are quotes taken from three different online sources.

Looking for a fabulous lake for easy swimming, boating, and lake fun? Try Lost Creek Lake in Southern Oregon.

Strawberry Lake is a natural high-elevation body of water in the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness in the state of Oregon. Located about 10 miles (16 km) south of Prairie City in Grant County, the shallow lake covers about 36 acres (150,000 m2) surrounded by forest. Recreational activities in the lake basin include hiking, backpacking, skiing, and fishing. Strawberry Lake is the largest of the small glacial lakes found in the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness. The surface of the lake is more than 6,000 feet (1,800 m) above sea level. Despite water-quality problems stemming from recreational activity in the lake's drainage basin, the water remains transparent enough that the lake bottom is visible from the surface even at the lake's deepest point. Nathan W. Fisk homesteaded in the area in 1870 and named local features Strawberry Butte (now Strawberry Mountain) and Strawberry Creek for the abundance of wild strawberries in the area, and the name spread to encompass Strawberry Valley and Strawberry Lake.

One of the largest shield volcanoes in North America, Newberry Crater is all that remains of a mountain that once towered above the central Oregon basin. In the not so distant geological past this mountain was over 10,000 feet in height but centuries of violent eruptions and the eventual collapse of the entire summit have left only a huge crater in its place. The 21 mile long rim of this crater varies in height but Paulina Peak is clearly the high point at nearly 8,000 feet. This peak offers views of all the Cascade mountains from Adams to Shasta and of the Oregon desert to the Southeast. Paulina Lake sits within the Newberry Crater, formed from over 500,000 years of volcanic activity. It is located 6,331 feet (1,930 m) above sea level in the Newberry National Volcanic Monument near La Pine. The lake's primary inflow is seepage from East Lake, snow melt, and hot springs, and its outflow is Paulina Creek, a tributary of the Little Deschutes River. It has an area of 1,531 acres (619.6 ha), a volume of 249,850 acre feet (308,185 dam), a maximum depth of 250 feet (76.2 m), a shore length of about 6.7 miles (11 km).