What begins as snowmelt high in the Three Sisters Wilderness fingers into tributaries that converge outside of Sisters, Oregon, to form Whychus Creek, a 41-mile river that terminates at the Deschutes River, which eventually joins the Columbia River more than 300 miles away. Water flows between steep rocky canyons, pouring over waterfalls and occasionally widening into short, flat sections of wet meadowlands. These meadowlands are critical habitats for fish, plants, birds, and other wildlife; however, they were altered by homesteaders in the early 1800s, early agricultural efforts, and the Army Corps of Engineers in the 1960s, who rerouted, straightened, and bermed sections of the creek to reduce flood danger. Such colonial interruptions turned a meandering creek and rich habitat into a fast-flowing industrial resource.

After decades of cattle ranching, logging, farming, and other Euro-American settlement activities, valuable habitat areas surrounding Whychus Creek have been reduced, compacted, and developed. In 2010, Deschutes Land Trust purchased 930 acres on Whychus Creek to create the Whychus Canyon Preserve. For the past fifteen years, they have been engaged in multiple multi-year restoration projects to return sections surrounding Whychus Creek to healthy wet meadows, meandering waterways, and open forests. 

Their approach has been threefold: forest restoration, stream restoration, and managing noxious weeds. In 2016, they partnered with the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council (UDWC) to focus on a 1.5-mile stretch of Whychus Creek that had been straightened and bermed, creating a straight, fast-flowing river beside a hard-packed, open paddock. In August 2016, with bulldozers and other heavy machinery, professional construction crews removed berms and shaped the floodplain so the creek could flow throughout the valley, slow down, and meander. That fall, volunteers planted thousands of native trees, shrubs, wildflower,s and grasses; and within a few years, the results were astounding. 

Between 2021 and 2023, the Land Trust and its partners did similar work on the section of Whychus Creek that runs through Rimrock Ranch, a 1,123-acre private wildlife preserve also owned by Deschutes Land Trust. They added whole trees across the floodplain to strategically create more habitat. Today, fifteen years after the first phase of restoration, native grasses and other wetland species like cottonwood, willow, and dogwood are rebounding, fish are returning to the many pools and shady alcoves, and what was once a lush complex habitat is being restored.

Why is this so important? Because water is scarce in the high desert. Wet meadows and floodplains encourage water to slow down and linger, giving it time to soak into the ground and replenish the water table. The diversity of habitat creates more livable areas for fish and insects, and precious green spaces where wildflowers, undergrowth, and shade-giving trees flourish. Where wildflowers grow, insects thrive. Where insects thrive, small birds and fish abound. Where small fish, amphibians, and fish abound, raptors and larger predators grow strong. All of this creates a healthy, resilient ecosystem.

Such lush oases tucked between steep basalt canyons, sagebrush plateaus, and arid pine and juniper forests not only improve animals’ access to drinking water and food sources but also benefit humans by helping to protect nearby homes and neighborhoods from potential wildfire risks. Restoring Whychus Creek also has downstream effects: it filters and keeps our water clean for everyone to enjoy.

These efforts attempt to make the creek more resilient and functional for long-term restoration. Since time immemorial, the area now called Central Oregon has been the traditional lands of the Wasco (Wasq'u) and Warm Springs (Tana'ma) Peoples, with crossover from many neighboring nations including the Wasco (Chinookan), Klamath, Molalla, Tenino, Tygh, Wyam, John Day (Sahaptin) and Northern Paiute (Numu) Nations, who traveled into the area for trade, harvesting seasons and following game.

In 1855, the United States government and members from multiple bands signed the Treaty of 1855, in which roughly 10 million acres were ceded to the U.S. government in exchange for money, goods, and a much smaller reservation. Today, members of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, which includes the Wasco, Warm Springs, and Northern Paiute Nations, maintain their rights to fish, hunt, and harvest at traditional locations like Whychus Canyon Preserve. Deschutes Land Trust and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs work in partnership to manage and restore Land Trust preserves throughout Central Oregon.

Santiam Wagon Road

Unique to Whychus Canyon Preserve are remnants of the original Santiam Wagon Road. What likely began as an Indigenous trade route was later overtaken, utilized, and popularized by homesteaders seeking to connect the Willamette Valley to Eastern Oregon. Gold seekers, cattle and sheep drivers, and merchants traveled the Santiam Wagon Road between the busy Willamette Valley and the quieter high desert east of the Cascades. Ranchers took advantage of open grazing. Gold-seekers traveled between coastal cities and eastern mining camps. Merchants sold goods like wool, fruits, and vegetables.

Near the turn of the century, the road builders happily received “free” public land to complete the Santiam Wagon Road. Between 1865 and 1939, the Santiam Wagon Road was the main corridor used by Euro-Americans traveling between Central Oregon and the Willamette Valley. Eventually, when cars entered the scene in the early 1900s, a new road over McKenzie Pass was built in the 1920s, and today’s Santiam Pass opened, shifting traffic away from the old wagon road into a more modern era.

Know Before You Visit

When you visit Whychus Canyon Preserve, you can walk through historic Santiam Wagon Road sections. From the parking lot off Goodrich Road, take the Wagon Road Trail, which joins the Meadow Loop to create a two-and-a-half-mile loop with interpretive signs along the way. Those interested in longer hikes can do the Mid-Canyon Route, a three-mile loop with stunning wildflowers and river canyon overlooks, or the Long Canyon Route. This five-mile loop leads down into the canyon with steeper, more challenging terrain. 

Before you go, always check deschuteslandtrust.org for the most up-to-date trail rules. Dogs are allowed on leash only at Whychus Canyon Preserve, and horses, bikes, or motorized vehicles are not allowed (pedestrian travel only). Visitors should always stay on trails to protect plants, wildlife, and historical artifacts. Catch-and-release fishing is permitted, but please see rules and state-wide regulations before casting your line. Public access to Whychus Canyon Preserve is only available from Goodrich Road.

About Deschutes Land Trust

Thanks to Deschutes Land Trust, and at the time of this publishing, 18,742 acres around Central Oregon are being preserved, restored, and maintained for the continual enjoyment of wildlife and humans in nature spaces. Since their inception in 1995, Deschutes Land Trust has upheld their mission “to conserve and care for the lands and water that sustain Central Oregon, so local communities and the natural world can flourish together for generations to come” by purchasing tracts of land and partnering with various land stewards, including the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. 

Their work is primarily achieved thanks to their Board of Directors, paid staff, and a robust army of dedicated volunteers who help with everything from observing wildlife and collecting data to getting their hands dirty with on-the-land work parties. This community-based stewardship includes fence-pulling, trail clean-ups, event planning, and leading guided walks. If you’re in Bend for a day, weekend, week, or longer, consider signing up for a Deschutes Land Trust event, class, lecture, walk, or hike. Get outside and get to know the impressive environmental and human history of Central Oregon, and thank Deschutes Land Trust for helping preserve critical habitat areas that are so important to all of us. Learn more at deschuteslandtrust.org.