RV rental Deschutes National Forest, OR: Motorhome rentals, camper van rentals and more

Deschutes National Forest is an outdoor adventurer’s dream destination. There’s something for everyone: high mountain peaks to summit. Picturesque, glassy lakes to kayak across. Hundreds of miles of hiking trails to explore. An intricate network of caves and lava tubes for spelunking. Deschutes National Forest encompasses around 1.8 million acres of Oregon wilderness, and around 350,000 acres consist of old-growth forests. Some trees have been determined to be around 500 or 600 years old. A nearby volcano, Newberry Volcano, is considered active, though it has not erupted in over a thousand years. Hikers, thrill-seekers, and fledgling geologists can explore its cinder cones, lava flow, tubes, and hot springs heated by geothermal energy deep beneath the earth. Deschutes National Forest has over 250 known caves for people to explore, some of which are guided, and there are likely several more that have yet to be discovered. Several hundred miles of trails allow for a variety of outdoor recreation fun. Hike, bike, or mount a horse and hit the trails. Along the way, keep an eye out for wildlife. Deschutes National Forest is home to several hundred mammals, birds, and reptiles, some of which are threatened or endangered. A shortlist includes black bears, bobcats, elk, minks, and deer. Endangered or threatened animals that reside in Deschutes National Forest include the gray wolf, northern spotted owl, barred owl, greater sage grouse, and Canadian lynx. When winter arrives and covers the mountains in deep, soft snow, the fun doesn’t stop. The trails remain open to snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and for the stubborn, hiking. Note that most of the trails are not groomed. Rockhounds and fossil hunters, take note: collecting specimens of fossils and minerals is permitted in Deschutes National Forest. However, collectors are limited to common invertebrate or plant fossils and only for personal use. Common finds in Deschutes National Forest include snail, clam, and leaf fossils.