Reddit reviews 100 Hikes / Travel Guide: Central Oregon Cascades

Near Eugene? Or in Eugene? We're a pretty small city, so living near work is pretty swell as you can get around by bike and save on gas. 15th and Lincoln is a good area, had a grad student friend who lived there. You're far enough away from campus that it's mostly grad students and less noise, but still pretty close to downtown. Where to live depends on your goals though, proximity to work, proximity to restaraunts/bars, bike friendly, quieter, safer, etc etc.

As a Columbus transplant myself, you'll probably find it a pretty easy transition (at least I did). Some notes:

• No sales tax is awesome
  
• You can't pump your own gas
  
• No one really uses an umbrella
  
• Invest in a good rain jacket
  
• It rarely dips below freezing and snow happens once every 2 or 3 years. I find winters far far preferable to Ohio. The typical winter day here is in the upper 40's with off and on drizzle.
  
• The beach is cold. Even in August. Don't wear shorts and t-shirts like you would on the east coast. Bring a sweater even in summer. Don't plan on swimming.
  
• It does not rain in summer. Like, ever (mostly). It is glorious. But you will miss summer thunderstorms (we don't get those).
  
• We have a lot of bums and homeless people. You'll get used to it.
  
• People here tend to be friendlier, more talkative, and often weirder.
  
• We take our beer much more seriously out here, though from my recent trips back to Columbus the beer scene there has also started to pick up.
  
• You can get Jeni's Ice Cream at Capella Market, and Graeters at Fred Meyer. We don't have Bob Evans, White Castle or Waffle House :(
  
• If you want to explore the outdoors, start here
  
• Get an REI membership. You'll use it.
  
• Don't leave your bike outside if you can avoid it, no matter how good of a lock you get.
  
• If you plan on driving to snowboard/ski/snowshoe, get snow chains. You are legally required to at least have them in the car in the mountains (and they will check and ticket you). They tend to cost about $80 or so and you can buy them at Les Schwab and return them in the spring if you never use them. Practice putting them on before heading to the mountains. Unlike central ohio, we have real mountains and no road salt. No matter how good of a snow driver you think you are in the midwest, the mountains out here can be TERRIFYING.
  
• Visit Crater Lake. Preferably in June, when it's warmish but there is still snow on the ground.

Others have mentioned William Sullivan's guidebooks, this one is virtually the hiking bible for our area. There is a newer version that I couldn't find on Amazon, but has recently been made available at REI.

If you plan on staying in Eugene for awhile that book is worth every penny. Just make sure to be a respectful hiker if you buy it, many of the trails that he lists used to be fantastically secluded, but have recently become much more popular.

Well, for starters, I definitely recommend this guide for the area! The author is from Eugene and is extremely knowledgeable. His books are pretty much the Bible when it comes to Oregon hikes.

I've enjoyed every trip I've taken from that book into the Mckenzie foothills!Separation Creek and Sahalie falls are some highlights my wife and I have done recently. We're headed out to Olallie Mountain this weekend.

I don't have the book on me at the moment (at work) but it has a ton of great hikes in the area.

I was introduced to hiking in one of the most mindblowing hikes of my life - the Obsidian Trail near Sisters, OR. It's best described in this book: 100 Hikes in the Central Oregon Cascades

You cross a lava field, pick up a little of the PCT, check out alpine meadows with streams and ponds, can basecamp and then climb up to a glacier, or just find a nice meadow and spend the night under the stars.

If I could choose a few day trip to do out there, I'd hike up, basecamp at the base of the middle sister, summit the next morning, hang out, and then hike out on the third day.

Here are a couple pics I took on that first ever hike.

There are almost unlimited amazing opportunities out there, this is just one and may not be what you're looking for - either way have a great time and let us know how it goes!