Outdoor Enthusiasts Find True Bliss Here
For nature lovers, Eugene is all about location, location, location. With proximity to the mountains, the ocean and spectacular landscapes in between, Eugene is a dream come true for those who find their bliss beyond walls.
“We’re really close to nature,” says Kathy Madison, marketing and public information manager for the city’s library, recreation and cultural services department. “One of the things about this county, is that you can go from the mountains to the ocean in about two hours. Eugene is smack in the middle. You go west and you get to the ocean in about an hour. Go east, and you get to the mountains for skiing, recreating and fishing, mountain climbing, mountain biking and all those kinds of activities.”
Eugene residents don’t have to venture far to enjoy green spaces. There are dozens of parks and trails throughout the city for walking, biking, jogging, picnicking and more.
Those who would rather get into the water than stay on shore enjoy whitewater rafting with Wild Water Adventures.
“Folks who live in Eugene are pretty outdoor minded,” says owner Paul Reynolds. “Doing something like this is a lot of fun.”
Wild Water Adventures offers trips on the McKenzie, North Santiam, Deschutes and Lower Owyhee rivers.
A trip added in the 2008 rafting season was the McKenzie Quickie – a two-hour rafting trip designed for families. In 2008, Wild Water Adventures hosted 78 trips for about 2,500 customers, Reynolds says.
The patriarch of outdoor adventures here is the University of Oregon’s Outdoor Program, established more than 40 years ago. Although modern technology has made networking easier, the program has remained true to its basic concept of cooperative outdoor adventure.
“We’re a product of the ’60s, which was about how we can cooperate together in a consensus format to make things happen from the ground up rather than from the top down,” says Dan Geiger, outdoor program coordinator. “It is a concept that thrived during that time period and also in Eugene. It really resonated and continues to do so.”
The Outdoor Program is available to all UO students, whose membership is covered in incidental fees they pay. It is also open to all Eugene residents for a nominal annual fee.
The program facilitates 150 to 200 trips a year – 167 in 2007 with 1,800 participants – all initiated by the participants who post trip proposals on a board in the program’s office. The trips are planned and funded by the travelers.
“It’s very spontaneous around here. Often, we don’t know what trips we’re going to have the following week. The sky’s the limit,” Geiger says. “We’ve had groups that have climbed in the Himalayas, river trips in the Arctic and Central America, as well as smaller, closer outings.”
