Walking Camp Sherman

Driving through Camp Sherman you might notice the many hikers either walking or strolling the trails on Forest Road 14. Generally, there are at least as many hikers as cars.

People will either power walk or stroll, depending on their needs.

Avid walkers, Jim and Teri Webster have lived here over two years and enjoy hiking at Canyon Creek campground, the head of the Metolius, or Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery. They also travel around the foot of Three Fingered Jack and hike to the top of Black Butte.

Webster has been coming here since 1963, when his Dad and Grandpa brought him fishing at the Allingham Bridge. He followed suit in later years by bringing his own children to the area. They take full advantage of all Camp Sherman has to offer by fishing, hiking, and cross-country skiing.

One thing he appreciated about Camp Sherman is that it has changed little in the 30-plus years he has been coming here. The "burger place" is gone, but other than that, the store is still here and the area is still pristine.

They power walk for exercise, and sometimes just walk the trails to relax. There are few areas in Central Oregon they haven't traveled.

Their children recently came to visit, and they all went for a walk around Jack Creek enjoying conversation, fresh air, and the stream. To get there from Highway 20, drive Forest Road 14 to the four corners, turn left onto Forest Road 12, and drive until you see signs directing you to the headwaters after you pass the Jack Creek campground.

Dennis Chapman has been coming here since Christmas of 1975. The last 15 years he has come for the Pole Pedal Paddle event in Bend. His favorite things about the area are walking in the woods, the smallness of the community, and activities like skiing, bicycling and kayaking all being within arms reach. A perk is being able to hike Black Butte.

Strolling the area, he feels he leaves the city behind.

Bear Brown, a Camp Sherman native currently living in the Bay Area of California, says people are so close to nature here they have to go along with it. A lot of the rest of the world suffers from corporate burnout, but a lot of the world at large doesn't matter here. She loves the community because people really know each other.

Brown believes in walking to get to her destination, rather than driving, whenever possible. She also strolls to see the flowers, plants, animals and river.

Scott Blau and his family have been coming here since 1952. His is one of many families, he says, who live in Sherman County and have second homes along the river. A retired letter carrier, he leads interpretive walks, is a member of Friends of the Metolius, and the Treasurer of the Camp Sherman Historical Society. He remembers when Tom Smith owned the Camp Sherman store in the 1950-'70s. His mother originally came here as a Girl Scout in the '30s. Blau likes to hike Black Butte and walks to relax and visit his neighbors.