Welcome to Hiking Central Oregon. This site is your best resource for finding hiking trails in and around Central Oregon where you can take your dog and camera for a full day of adventure and enjoyment. The trail reviews you find here, in addition to providing specific trail information and photos, also include links to the best maps and resources for official trail information you might need before heading out.
Hikes are listed on pages, rather than blog pages as ‘Central Oregon Hikes’ which are hikes accessible with only short drives (usually less than an hour) from Central Oregon; and, ‘Day Trips’ that may involve some drive time.

Cysco on the Edge at The Cove Palisades
These are some of the current hikes you can read about:
- Rimrock Spring Wildlife Management Area & Trail
- Metolius II
- Patjens Lakes Loop
- Tam-a-lau Trail at Cove Palisades
- Chimney Rock along the Lower Crooked River
- Badlands Wilderness Area – Flatiron Trail
- Alder Springs Trail – Near Sisters
- Steins Pillar Hiking Trail – Ochoco National Forest
- Blue Basin Overlook Trail – John Day Fossil Beds
- Fort Rock – Lake County
- Clear Lake Loop Trail
- McKenzie River Falls Loop Trail
All content is provided by photographer and writer Dhyana Kearly unless otherwise indicated. New stories and photos are being added on an occasional basis and please feel free to email suggestions for trails not yet listed here – keeping in mind that our goal is to present relatively accessible hiking trails that are hiker-dog friendly, too.
A little hiking trail etiquette is in order when hiking with dogs, and everyone probably has different ideas as to what the rules might be, but no matter where you stand, hiking is a lot more fun to do with a dog!
Here are a few basic considerations for trail walking with a dog:
- Always carry a leash when hiking on trails
- Always carry a few poop bags for emergencies
- Bury poop if you are hiking in a remote location
- Train your dog to eliminate away from the trail – and always clean up after your dog
- Hikers with dogs always yield to hikers without dogs
- Never allow your dog to accost fellow hikers or to disturb the wildlife
Copyright © 2021 Dhyana Kearly All Rights Reserved