From Westfir to the Waldo Lake Wilderness, the North Fork Trail will eventually trace the North Fork Middle Fork Willamette River more than 35 miles. Sample the completed segments with two easy hikes. The first starts at Westfir’s covered bridge, ambling upstream past swimming holes and a historic dam site. The more remote Buffalo Rock section follows the whitewater river past giant trees, a cobble beach, and a lava knoll with wildflowers.

To find the trailhead in Westfir, drive . . .

This chapter is an excerpt from 100 Hikes : Central Oregon Cascades