Sunday, July 26, 2026  |  Oregon's Outdoor Journal
Clackamas Wilderness: A Weekend Backpacking Loop Through Mount Hood's Forgotten Old-Growth Corner

Clackamas Wilderness: A Weekend Backpacking Loop Through Mount Hood's Forgotten Old-Growth Corner

Less than 60 miles from Portland, the Clackamas Wilderness protects some of the finest old-growth Douglas fir forest remaining in Oregon's northern Cascades. Here's a complete guide to the best weekend loop — including access, campsites, wildlife, and why this wilderness deserves more attention.

By HFR Staff  ·  July 26, 2026
Reloading the 6.5x47 Lapua: Sub-MOA Precision Loads for Pacific Northwest Long-Range Shooters
Reloading

Reloading the 6.5x47 Lapua: Sub-MOA Precision Loads for Pacific Northwest Long-Range Shooters

The 6.5x47 Lapua is the cartridge precision rifle competitors reach for when they want match-grade accuracy from a smaller, more efficient case. Here's a complete reloading guide covering brass, primers, powders, and the loads that actually shoot.

July 26, 2026
Oregon's Long Creek Unit Archery Elk: DIY Public Land Bull Hunting in the John Day Country
Hunting

Oregon's Long Creek Unit Archery Elk: DIY Public Land Bull Hunting in the John Day Country

Grant County's Long Creek Unit offers serious DIY bowhunters a legitimate shot at a public land bull elk. Here's a complete breakdown of unit access, habitat, summer scouting strategy, and rut-timing tactics for Oregon's archery opener.

July 26, 2026
Lower Deschutes River Smallmouth Bass: July Peak Season from Macks Canyon to the Columbia
Fishing

Lower Deschutes River Smallmouth Bass: July Peak Season from Macks Canyon to the Columbia

July is the pinnacle of the Lower Deschutes smallmouth bass season. Here's how to fish the 25-mile roadless canyon between Macks Canyon and Heritage Landing — one of Oregon's most rewarding summer float trips.

July 26, 2026
Archery Ambush Setup: Reading Sign and Terrain to Kill Deer and Elk on Oregon Public Land
Archery

Archery Ambush Setup: Reading Sign and Terrain to Kill Deer and Elk on Oregon Public Land

A good shot starts long before you draw your bow. Here's how to read terrain and animal sign to position your stand or ground blind where Oregon deer and elk will actually be.

July 25, 2026
Mill Creek Wilderness: A Weekend Backpacking Loop Through Oregon's Ochoco Highlands
Backpacking

Mill Creek Wilderness: A Weekend Backpacking Loop Through Oregon's Ochoco Highlands

Just outside Prineville, the Mill Creek Wilderness offers old-growth ponderosa pine, rocky canyon walls, and a twin-pillars landmark that most Oregon backpackers have never seen. Here's the loop.

July 25, 2026
Reloading the .41 Remington Magnum: Versatile Loads for Oregon's Premier Hunting Revolver
Reloading

Reloading the .41 Remington Magnum: Versatile Loads for Oregon's Premier Hunting Revolver

The .41 Magnum sits in a sweet spot between the .357 and .44 Magnum that most handgunners overlook. Here's how to reload it for hunting, defense, and the range.

July 25, 2026
Oregon's Steens Mountain Unit Archery Mule Deer: Public Land Bucks in the High Desert
Hunting

Oregon's Steens Mountain Unit Archery Mule Deer: Public Land Bucks in the High Desert

The Steens Mountain unit offers some of Oregon's most spectacular archery mule deer hunting. Velvet bucks, vast glassing country, and almost zero competition if you know where to look.

July 25, 2026
North Santiam River Summer Steelhead: A Wade Angler's Guide to Oregon's Western Cascades Wild Fish
Fishing

North Santiam River Summer Steelhead: A Wade Angler's Guide to Oregon's Western Cascades Wild Fish

The North Santiam holds a run of wild summer steelhead that most anglers drive right past on the way to more famous rivers. Here's how to find and catch them.

July 25, 2026
Monument Rock Wilderness: A 2-Day Backpacking Loop Through Oregon's Forgotten Blue Mountains
Backpacking

Monument Rock Wilderness: A 2-Day Backpacking Loop Through Oregon's Forgotten Blue Mountains

Monument Rock Wilderness in the Malheur National Forest offers genuine solitude, high granite ridges, wild redband trout, and summer elk — and almost no one knows it's there.

July 24, 2026