Explore Oregon Podcast: The state's most beautiful places and biggest issues

Latest Episodes:

Ghost wagon, wildfire escape, OR-7 and COVID-19 shutdowns highlight biggest stories of 2020 Jan 01, 2021

Show notes

Zach and David close the books on 2020 with a look back at the year's biggest stories in Oregon's outdoors. Stories covered include a ghost wagon that rose from Detroit Lake, a man that escaped the Labor Day fires by sheltering on a river and the death of conservation icon George Atiyah.

Winter adventures amid COVID-19, and the best overlooked Oregon state parks Dec 23, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, we discuss your best options for getting outside this winter and what to changes to expect. We also replay the Oregon State Parks draft from an earlier interview with state parks director Lisa Sumption.

The best hikes of McKenzie Pass, a land of fire, ice and waterfalls Dec 12, 2020

Show notes

In this episode Zach and guidebook author Matt Wastradowski talk about the best hikes of Oregon's McKenzie Pass.

Winter waterfall hunting: Status of NW Oregon's favorite waterfalls Nov 16, 2020

Show notes

The historic wildfire season burned and closed many iconic waterfalls while the continued impact of COVID-19 and storm damage has shuttered others. We talk about some of the best-known waterfalls in Northwest Oregon and whether they're open or closed, burned or unscathed.

Grants Pass: What's in a name? And Zach's top picks Nov 06, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, hosts Zach Urness and David Davis talk about the outdoor paradise around Southern Oregon's Grants Pass while discussing the history of the town's name — which includes murder, betrayal and a Civil War general. Urness, who lived in Grants Pass for six years, also talks about meeting the founder of Dutch Bros and the glory of the Rogue River, the Illinois River, local mountain biking spots and the Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve.

How Oregon State Parks survived a complete shutdown and some overlooked picks Oct 16, 2020

Show notes

Zach speaks with Lisa Sumption, the director of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, and longtime parks spokesman Chris Havel to talk about why parks were shut down, how they've been impacted and what comes next — including when yurts and cabins will reopen.

Biking, rafting and wildflower hunting near Hood River Oct 06, 2020

Show notes

In our first mini-podcast, we detail four of our favorite things to do around Hood River, Oregon. From a leisurely bike ride along the Columbia, to wild rafting trips, to fruit farms and wildflowers.

The Labor Day wildfires that devastated the Santiam Canyon Oct 03, 2020

Show notes

In this edition of the Explore Oregon Podcast, hosts Zach Urness and David Davis talk about the genesis of the fires that ripped through the Santiam Canyon the night of Labor Day 2020 and into the next morning, devastating communities up and down the canyon.

Planning your trip down the iconic John Day River Aug 14, 2020

Show notes

On this episode we'll take you to the second-longest undammed river in the United States which snakes through deep, isolated canyons in Eastern Oregon for a trip that features beautiful camping, great fishing and mellow rapids.

Ten hikes to explore Oregon’s old-growth forests and trees Jun 24, 2020

Show notes

In this episode we're joined by Chandra LeGue, author of Oregon's Ancient Forests, to talk about the best tree-focused hikes in Oregon.