Recreation

Oregon State Parks beckon from just over the border

It’s not such a long cast to your next fishing vacation at an Oregon State Park. Several parks are just over the border, offering premier fishing, boating, camping and proximity to nearby attractions — all at an affordable rate and with Oregon’s renowned hospitality.

Farewell Bend State Park sits on Brownlee Reservoir, popular each spring for its large and plentiful catfish, as well as bass and crappie. Just 1½ hours west of Boise on the Idaho-Oregon border, the park is also a popular base camp for hunters each October and November. Visitors can camp in electrical sites, tent sites or one of two rustic log cabins.

Lake Owyhee State Park, a desert oasis just two hours west of Boise, boasts fantastic fishing each spring, especially smallmouth and largemouth bass and black crappie. The 54 mile-long reservoir also has channel catfish and is occasionally stocked with redband trout.

The park’s campground offers two boat ramps and plenty of tent and electrical sites. Two cabins offer stunning lakeside views. This park is also in the perfect location for the fall hunting season.

Eastern Oregon also has several small state campgrounds along scenic rivers, where fish are plentiful and distractions disappear. Scenic and quiet Catherine Creek State Park in the western foothills of the Wallowa Mountains is just 3½ hours northeast of Boise, but it feels a world away. Secluded Minam State Recreation Area on the banks of the Wallowa River is 3½ hour drive northwest from Boise. These primitive campgrounds don’t take reservations; they are perfect for that spur-of-the

www.ritzhospitalitymag.com moment fishing trip.

Farewell Bend and Lake Owyhee take reservations up to nine months in

advance, and cabins especially tend to fill quickly. Learn more and make a reservation at oregonstateparks.org 

Cast your line, right next door.

Farewell Bend State Park • Brownlee Reservoir, at the head of the Snake River Canyon • Catfish, bass and crappie

Lake Owyhee State Park • High desert reservoir, framed by rugged canyons • Largemouth bass, black crappie and catfish

oregonstateparks.org 800-551-6949 for Free Brochure