By Kyla Merwin Cheney & Wikipedia
Is it wrong to love Wikipedia? What follows is a snapshot of the mighty river that courses through the heart of Oregon and meanders through the lives of travelers in time to Central Oregon. Details courtesy of Wikipedia. Photo courtesy of Oregon Archives.

The Deschutes River  in central Oregon is a major tributary of the Columbia River. The river provides much of the drainage on the eastern
side of the Cascade Range in Oregon, gathering many of the tributaries that descend from the eastern, drier flank of the mountains. It provided
a major route to and from the Columbia for Native Americans and later pioneers on the Oregon Trail. It flows mostly through rugged and arid country, and its valley provides a cultural heart for central Oregon. Today the river provides irrigation and is popular in the summer for whitewater rafting and fishing. READ MORE

The Deschutes River slices through the center
of Oregon, flowing from humble beginnings at Little Lava Lake in the Cascade Mountains to
its terminus at the Columbia River. The Lower Deschutes - the 100 miles from Pelton Dam to
the Columbia - is a powerful, even imposing,
river. The rugged, 2,000-foot tall basalt canyons and high desert environs that envelop the Deschutes augment its stark beauty; a river of such fecundity seems misplaced amidst such stark, sagebrush surroundings, a veritable oasis.
READ MORE & SEE MAP HERE