Video: Free divers explore underwater forest at Oregon’s Clear Lake
Here are some things to know about Clear Lake in Willamette National Forest and why it’s a haven for West Coast free divers.
This coming summer will be the last chance to swim or take a boat tour in the waters of Crater Lake for an extended period.
Cleetwood Cove Trail, the only legal pathway to the shoreline of the United States’ deepest lake, will close in 2026 and stay closed for years due to a construction project, according to parks officials.
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“The park is planning on starting construction in 2026,” a news release from Crater Lake National Park says. “Due to the extent work to be completed and short construction seasons, trail closures will be required and are expected during the duration of the 2027 and 2028 summer seasons.
“During this time, no boat tours will be provided and the trail will be closed due to construction and rockfall hazards. If construction goes as planned, the renovated trail will reopen in summer 2029.”
In an email to SF Gate, Crater Lake information officer Marsha McCabe confirmed that all access to the lake will be cut off and that visitors will only be able to enjoy views of the lake from above. Park scientists will be the only ones allowed the approach the lake, she said.
Although the news release says the trail will reopen in 2029, there appeared to be some chance it could reopen in 2028.
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The Cleetwood Cove Trail is the most heavily used trail with thousands of park visitors hiking the trail to gain access to lakeshore each summer. At the bottom, there is a place to jump into the lake. The Cleetwood Cove Marina is the launch point for the concession-provided boat tours of Crater Lake and the park’s boats.
It’s not legal to access the lake by going down the lake’s cliffs into the caldera, and in fact there have been a number of rescues, deaths and accidents from people attempting to reach the lake through that method in the past.
“This project proposes to rehabilitate the trail and related infrastructure to ensure safe access to the lake, provide needed visitor services, and to protect the environment,” the news release said.
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The work proposed includes:
Rehabilitation of the entire 1.1 mile trail including improvements to trail tread and retaining walls.
Rockfall scaling and mitigation along identified high risk zones.
Removal and replacement of the failed bulkhead/dock with a structurally stable marina.
Replacing the outdated and undersized composting toilets located near the marina.
The planning, design and compliance have been completed for the project, with the next step being solicitation of the construction contract.
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 18 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on X at @ZachsORoutdoors and BlueSky at oregonoutdoors.bsky.social.
CENTRAL OREGON (KTVZ) — Rep. Emerson Levy and Sen. Anthony Broadman will host legislative town halls in Bend and Redmond in April 2026. These forums aim to provide updates on legislative outcomes and discuss policy impacts on the Central Oregon community. The events are designed to allow residents to review session highlights and provide feedback
With its “green, rolling hills” and “patchwork of pinot noir and chardonnay vineyards”, Oregon’s Willamette Valley has been compared to Burgundy, said National Geographic.
The valley is home to 11 designated grape-growing regions with diverse terroirs, spanning all the way from Portland to Eugene. In recent years, the “cool nights and warm summer days” here have provided the perfect conditions for some “top-notch sparkling wines”. Grape varieties used in champagne like pinot meunier have been “thriving” here.
Method Oregon is a non-profit established by a coalition of producers to ensure high standards and help place their wines on the map. Bottles carrying the stamp must be “100% fermented, bottled, riddled, and disgorged in Oregon”, use the traditional method that requires sparkling wines to go through a “natural secondary fermentation in a bottle”, said National Geographic, and be aged for no less than 24 months en tirage (“the crucial stage where wines are aged on yeast”) to develop a complex flavour.
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Gran Moraine’s sparkling brut rosé is “exquisite, rich and lovely”, said Clive Pursehouse on Decanter. The delicate wine spent six years en tirage and is bursting with “floral notes of apple blossom, sweet lemon cream, and ripe, fleshy pears”.
But chardonnay remains the “king of Oregon white wines”, said Mike Desimone on Robb Report. For a special occasion, consider splashing out on a bottle from Eyrie Vineyard where winemaker Jim Maresh makes “small-batch, high-quality wines from estate-grown grapes under his family label”.
Or, you can’t go wrong with a Résonance chardonnay, said Vine Pair. When renowned French winemakers come to Oregon “you know to pay attention”. That’s exactly what happened when Thibault Gagey and Jacques Lardière embarked on their “first project outside of Burgundy” in the Willamette Valley – and this bottle is an “excellent example” of how the chardonnay grape variety is flourishing in the cool climate. Expect refreshing mineral notes, hints of “ripe pear and crisp apples”, with a “wonderfully balanced” palate.
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The Big Ten will be represented well in this upcoming season, as multiple teams have a great chance of making the college football playoffs in 2026. This includes the Oregon Ducks.
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The Ducks have the second-best odds when it comes to their chances of making the college football playoff inside the Big Ten, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, at -270. The Ducks only trail the Indiana Hoosiers on this list. Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his squad are narrowly ahead of the Ohio State Buckeyes (-240), who are the only other team with minus odds.
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Oregon head coach Dan Lanning speaks from the podium at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex on the first day of spring practice for the Oregon Ducks on March 12, 2026, in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
In terms of missing the postseason, the Ducks have the second-best odds, as they are only behind the Buckeyes. While the Buckeyes come in at a +190, the Ducks are at a +210. They are also only ahead of the Indiana Hoosiers slightly, as the Hoosiers odds are sitting around +250
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The full odds of the teams are below.
Full Big Ten Odds
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Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning speaks during a Rose Bowl press conference in Los Angeles on Dec. 31, 2024. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
It makes sense that the Hoosiers are ahead of the Oregon Ducks, as the Indiana defeated Oregon in the semi-finals of the CFP last season. They also would go on to defeat the Miami Hurricanes in the national championship. The defending national champions enter the season with high expectations, but, the Ducks are returning more stars than the Hoosiers, as the Hoosiers lost many of their top players to the NFL Draft.
The biggest difference between the two is going to be at the quarterback position. Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza and Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore were both projected to be top-five selections in the upcoming NFL Draft. Even with the eye-catching projections, Moore opted to come back to Oregon to settle some unfinished business, as the Ducks are looking to make a run for the national championship in what is likely to be his final season.
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Oregon head coach Dan Lanning sticks his tongue out to catch the rain as the No. 6 Oregon Ducks host California Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK
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On the other hand, Mendoza will be going to the NFL Draft and is currently predicted to be the No. 1 pick by nearly every major NFL Draft analyst. This leaves the Hoosiers with a new gunslinger and also some new weapons, as the offense will look completely different with many skill positions leaving for the draft.
The Ohio State Buckeyes will also be losing more talent than the Ducks when it comes to the NFL Draft, although the Buckeyes’ offense will return a large majority of their production.
The Buckeyes will be losing a ton of defenders, including safety Caleb Downs, linebacker Arvell Reese, and linebacker Sonny Styles. This is a large reason why the Ducks are likely ahead of them in the odds and are more favorable to make the playoffs.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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