It’s time to plan your next fall adventure, and we all know weekend warriors can use a bit of inspiration. What better reward for hardcore adventure than a pint of Oregon craft brew? Here is our list of recommended outdoor feats for the season and the beers to go with them.
Ride in Hood River
Fall brings a dewy kiss to the trails at Post Canyon, keeping the singletrack nice and tacky. Check out dozens of miles of routes, bridges and tricks in the woods west of town. We suggest the Seven Streams Trail for first-timers. Spin your wheels downtown with a pint of Double Mountain Brewery & Taproom India Red Ale — the color of the changing leaves — or at Pfriem Family Brewers for a spectacular view of the river while you sip a Festbier, an authentic Oktoberfest beer. The Columbia Gorge Hotel also offer great happy hour deals with an exclusive vantage point of Wah-Gwin-Gwin Falls, the second-highest waterfall in the Gorge.
Hike the Wallowas
The Wallowa Mountains of Eastern Oregon hold on to the shirttail of the sunshine into the fall. Take advantage of the sunny encore with a backpacking trip up to Mirror Lake outside of Enterprise. It’s a 15-mile quest to stunning views of Eagle Cap Peak. Come down off the mountain to the pub in Enterprise for a taste of Terminal Gravity Brewery India Pale Ale, heady like the peak you just bagged. It’s also worth a trip to Dragon’s Gate Brewery in Milton-Freewater, for a refreshing Belgian ale made with hops grown on the farmhouse estate.
Pedal through Deschutes County
Increase your heart rate on the 37-mile Sisters to Smith Rock Scenic Bikeway as the stunning landscape morphs from woodsy forest to wide-open high desert. Cool off with a glass of Easy Day Kolsch at Worthy Brewing in Bend, or play a game of horseshoes while you chill out at Cascade Lakes Brewing 7th Street Brewhouse in Redmond, right next to Hutch’s Bicycles.
Cast in the Rogue
Fall steelhead arrive on the Rogue River in mid-September, followed by Coho salmon in late October. Grab your fishing buddies, plan your trip and celebrate your catch with a pint of Blacklock Oat Porter at 7 Devil’s Brewing in Coos Bay or the award-winning Pistol River Ale at Arch Rock Brewing at their tiny Gold Beach tasting room. Both breweries are part of the Wild Rivers, Wild Brews Coalition, which works to lobby for protections of local rivers, to keep them clean and filled with happy salmon. We can raise a toast to that.
