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Oregon’s Crater Lake to close to swimming, boat tours starting in 2026: What to know

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Oregon’s Crater Lake to close to swimming, boat tours starting in 2026: What to know


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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.



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Doggie Dash 2026 fundraiser supports Oregon Humane’s work with shelter animals

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Doggie Dash 2026 fundraiser supports Oregon Humane’s work with shelter animals


PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – A major fundraiser to support local shelter animals is coming up this weekend. Oregon Humane’s Doggie Dash 2026 helps pet families across the state.

Despite the name, this year’s event is going to the cats.

“Doggie Dash is one our biggest fundraisers we do,” said Dr. Steve Kochis, chief medical officer at Oregon Humane. “Sometimes we do see some cats at the event that are on a harness in a carrier or in a backpack. While we do have Doggie Dash as the name, we are Oregon Humane and still raise money for all the pets we help.”

Access to veterinary care

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With Portland’s Doggie Dash right around the corner, Kochis wants people to be aware of some of the bigger issues Oregon Humane is trying to tackle.

“It’s been an ongoing struggle with access to services, access to veterinary care, and with that comes lack of access to spay and neuter services,” Kochis said. “And then it doesn’t take long for cats to reproduce and overpopulate.”

Kelly Bremken, a veterinary social worker at Oregon Humane, said a recent case in Marion County illustrates the problem.

“Recently in Marion County there was a family who had cats they loved very much, but without access to affordable spay and neuter in their area they became overrun with cats,” Bremken said.

Oregon Humane took in 35 cats from that home, including one named Snotty Pippins after the veterinary team had to clean out his sinuses.

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Connecting people and pets to resources

Bremken’s job as veterinary social worker is to find the intersection between the help people need and their pets on cases like this one.

“We really think improving the life of the person can improve the life of the pet,” Bremken said. “We want that for everybody.”

Events like Doggie Dash make sure Bremken can continue to connect community members to the resources they need for their pets.

“We want folks to know they can call on us, get assistance, and we are there for the long haul,” Bremken said.

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Oregon Humane’s Doggie Dash is one of the largest gatherings of pets and people on the West Coast. Registration is $25. Doggie Dash Portland takes place Saturday, May 9, at Tom McCall Waterfront Park. A Salem event is scheduled for Saturday, June 6.

Copyright 2026 KPTV-KPDX. All rights reserved.



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Oregon nonprofits to share nearly $5.2 million in grants to boost community well-being

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Oregon nonprofits to share nearly .2 million in grants to boost community well-being


Nonprofits serving every corner of Oregon — from domestic and sexual violence survivors in Yamhill County to Spanish-language radio listeners in the Columbia River Gorge and families rebuilding in Central Oregon — will share nearly $5.2 million in new grants from the Oregon Community Foundation.

In all, 258 grants will support organizations through several Oregon Community Foundation grant programs, with awards going to organizations serving all 36 Oregon counties. Most of the funding, $4.77 million, comes through the foundation’s Community Grants program and will go to 252 organizations.

“Oregon is full of people working hard to improve the lives of our neighbors across the state, and we’re grateful to our donors for sharing resources to support big ideas and smart solutions,” said Kim Koenig, director of community programs for Oregon Community Foundation.

Community Grants provide general operating support, a flexible funding source nonprofits can use for needs ranging from stabilizing staffing to strengthening programs or maintaining infrastructure. This cycle, the foundation prioritized organizations that have historically experienced underinvestment, including those serving small, rural communities and those that are culturally specific or culturally responsive. Nearly half of the grants went to organizations focused on economic vitality and livability.

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Among the recipients is Row River Fire Response, which received a grant to protect residents of the 20-mile Row River Valley in Lane County.

“We started this work in 2022 with a goal of fire protection in the valley, and in 2024, the community came together to create a volunteer fire district,” said Kathleen Istudor, executive director. “Now in 2026, that effort continues to grow as we work to build a main fire station for our volunteers. Along the way, we have come to see how connected we are, not just to each other, but to the land, the watershed and the people beyond our valley.”

Yachats Youth & Family Activities Program will use its grant to support preschool, summer camp, afterschool activities and other programming for families on the North Coast.

“We try to keep tuition as low as possible so that we can ensure services to all families who walk through our doors,” said Kristina Anderson, executive director.

The Oregon Community Foundation also announced additional grantmaking across several focus areas:

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Arts and culture: $250,000 to build arts sector infrastructure. In 2022, the foundation established a learning community for arts educators that led to the Oregon Arts Education Collective, a program connecting educators and advocates to cultivate a thriving arts ecosystem across the state. A grant will support the Collective as members develop infrastructure and build coalitions that advance arts and culture.

Arts and culture: $50,000 to preserve and inspire the field of architecture. A fund that advances professional development for design and building professionals will award a $50,000 fellowship through the Van Evera and Janet M. Bailey fund, supporting the Van Evera Baily Fellowship designed and administered by the Architecture Foundation of Oregon in partnership with the Oregon Community Foundation.

Economic vitality: $37,500 to support the sector and small businesses. The foundation said these grants will support nonprofits helping communities build and sustain strong local economies, including efforts to expand entrepreneurship, strengthen small businesses and increase access to opportunity.

Housing stability: $30,000 for homelessness response. These grants support research around best practices for organizations helping Oregonians stay housed and regain stability.

Several organizations highlighted in community stories described how grant support can help meet local needs.

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Furnish Hope, based in Central Oregon, said it helps people restarting after unexpected and often traumatic events by furnishing homes with donated items.

“We believe that everybody needs a place to call home and that there are people all throughout our community that are working really hard to get back on their feet after something unexpected and oftentimes traumatic has happened,” said Megan Martin, founding executive director. “We’ve furnished over 3,000 homes in seven years. On average, we furnish 50 or more homes each month. Our vision is to see this region transformed by hope. And the vehicle that we use to bring hope to people is furniture.”

In Yamhill County, Henderson House said it provides confidential services for victims of domestic and sexual violence, including emergency shelter, advocacy and culturally relevant support for the Latinx population.

“We were founded and are currently led by survivors of domestic and sexual violence. We are the only domestic and sexual violence confidential victim services provider in Yamhill County,” said Fay Schuler, executive director.

In Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley Mentoring said it connects youth ages 9-24 with trained adult mentors through one-to-one relationships and mentoring circles.

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“Our work makes a difference because it addresses a fundamental human need: connection,” said Laura Pinney, executive director.

The Oregon Community Foundation, founded in 1973, said it distributes more than $200 million in grants and scholarships statewide each year in partnership with donors and volunteers.

The foundation said individuals, families, businesses and organizations can work with OCF to create charitable funds supporting causes important to them.

More information is available here.



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Oregon Lottery Pick 4 results for May 3

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The Oregon Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at May 3, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 3 drawing

1PM: 5-6-3-4

4PM: 2-7-6-0

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7PM: 6-7-3-3

10PM: 4-0-2-5

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Oregon Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 7:59 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 7:59 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Pick 4: 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily.
  • Win for Life: 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Megabucks: 7:29 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Oregon editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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