When you think of scuba diving, you typically imagine a colorful island paradise. At first glance, you might believe that this incredibly blue water belong to a beautiful seaside spot... but they're not. These freshwater divers filmed their underwater exploration of Clear Lake, Oregon.
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Clear Lake, located in Linn County, is considered one of the best places to lake dive in the country. This mountain lake is filled with the snow runoff from Mt. Washington and serves as the McKenzie River headwaters. The chilly water, which rarely reaches temperatures over 43° F, makes it impossible for many types of algae to grow, keeping the waters from clouding up. The lack of plant life prevents most species of fish from calling Clear Lake home, leaving the submerged landscape eerily still.
The silty lake floor is made from ash leftover from the volcanic activity of the Cascade Mountain Range thousands of years ago. Although little plant or animal life thrives here, there is a sunken feature in Clear Lake that you won't find anywhere else: 100 feet beneath the surface, tall, upright tree trunks dot the desert-like hills and valleys, incredibly preserved by the freezing water. These unique trees are more than 3,000 years old and were killed by the same volcanic ash that created this beautiful lake.
It's a little spooky to see the trees appear from the depths as these divers explore this otherworldly environment, but we can't tear our eyes away from the shimmering, exceptionally blue underwater footage!
This video, shared by Dmitriy on YouTube, is one of many incredible diving adventures from around the world - check out his channel to see more amazing underwater footage!
If you're looking for the perfect lazy river in Oregon to spend a sunny afternoon, head to the Sandy River. I grew up swimming or floating down this river, and it's still my favorite place to spend a sunny day. There are multiple spots to enter the Sandy River, whether you want to float for a few hours or stay put in one spot to swim. I particularly love Dodge Park, Glenn Otto Swimming Beach in Troutdale, Sandy River Delta Park, Dabney State Recreation Area, Oxbow Regional Park, and Lewis and Clark State Park. Wherever you enter to start your fun, the Sandy is great because it is relatively warm, has a gentle current, and offers lots of beaches and stopping points along the way.
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Dodge Park offers easy access to the water for swimming and other river activities.
For more information about swimming, floating, or playing in and around the Sandy River, visit the Portland Parks and Recreation's Dodge Park website or a park at another access point near you.
If your visit to the park includes a drive, you may want to stock up on car-friendly snacks and/or bring a lunch to enjoy at one of the picnic areas. Or stop in at Sugarpine Drive Inn for fabulous eats along the river.
We'd love to know how you enjoyed your time floating or swimming in the Sandy River, so please leave a comment to let us know about your experience. Also, feel free to share your favorite lazy rivers and swimming spots in Oregon that we should try next.
When summer heat descends upon our corner of the Pacific Northwest, there's only one course of action: tackling one of the many lazy rivers in Oregon! Because really, is there anything better than spending a hot, sticky summer day soaking up sun rays atop a gently bobbing inner tube as you float down one of Oregon's cool, clear rivers? If there is, please let us know! There are lots of lovely places to go tubing in the river in the Beaver State. Here are six of our absolute favorite places to go tubing in Oregon:
If you're looking for an awesome place to float near Portland, the Sandy River is always a great choice. This lovely is a popular place for lazy river tubing in Oregon in the summertime, as there are numerous options for fun, leisurely trips. As with most of these river floats, you may want to pair up with some friends to drop off one car at the place where you'll end your float so that you don't have to hike all the way back upstream to your car. One classic way to float the Sandy River is to start at Dabney State Recreation Area or Dodge Park and float down to Lewis and Clark State Park.
I simply adore Bend, Oregon, as the options for epic outdoor adventure are pretty much endless. One of the most wonderful rivers to float in the Beaver State is the gorgeous Deschutes River near Bend. On a summer day, you're likely to cross paths with numerous other floaters and paddle boarders taking advantage of the warm weather and beautiful scenery. A popular route is floating from Riverbend Park to Drake Park. One awesome perk of taking this route is that after your float, you can walk or take public transit back to Riverbend Park to fetch your car.
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There's also a Sun Country Tours inner tube rental kiosk at Riverbend Park, which will set you up with a ticket for a shuttle ride back after you're done. If you're looking for more reasons to visit Bend when the weather warms up, allow us to convince you!
There are numerous places to float along the Willamette River, and if you're looking to float in the lap of luxury, definitely look into a Yacht Tub! For purists, though, one of the most memorable outings is the yearly River Raft Float event, wherein hundreds of people grab their inner tubes and other floatation devices and set off on a massive floating celebration of the Willamette River. This river is one of the best for tubing in Oregon.
The Clackamas River is a gorgeous place for a fun float under the summer sun. The combination of its natural beauty, lazy pace, and proximity to Portland draws crowds on hot days, so it's unlikely that you'll have the river to yourself. That shouldn't stop you from visiting though! One great way to go about it is to start at Milo McIver State Park and float on down to Barton Park. For a shorter trip, simply float from the McIver Upper Ramp down to the Lower Ramp. Or, ditch the raft and take in the views from Stone Cliff Inn!
A favorite spot for swimming and water recreation near Eugene, the McKenzie River is a perennial crowd-pleaser. One of the more popular floats leads from Hayden Bridge to Armitage Park. There are a couple of rough spots you'll want to navigate around but otherwise, it's quite an easy ride and one of the best places to float the river.
Located near Lebanon, the South Santiam River is one of the most beautiful and underrated places in Oregon and another fabulous place to bob along on an inner tube. One trip option is to climb aboard at Bates Bridge and get off at Waterloo Park.
Be sure to come prepared with a sturdy inner tube, a zip lock bag for your car keys, and a life jacket. We also recommend taking as little as possible with you, since objects are really good at getting lost (and getting wet) during river floats. And because we always like to abide by Leave No Trace principles here in Oregon!
Have you been to any of these lazy rivers for tubing in Oregon? Which one is your favorite? Are there any we left out? Let us know in the comments. If you're looking for more awesome water attractions, get your swimsuit on and go to these wonderful swimming holes in Oregon:
