Browse The Trails
Catch and Release Trail
Trail Snapshot:
Trail Description
E-bikes NOT allowed on Catch and Release
Catch and Release was built in 2015 as a connector trail between the Forest Service Welcome Station on Cascade Lakes Highway and the bottom of Lower Stormking and Tyler’s Traverse. This is a key addition that allows riders to create all sorts of all-singletrack loops out of the Wanoga and Phil’s areas. There are a few rocky sections which make this a blue trail and a large boulder at one point that takes some gumption to get up and over, but mostly it’s very mellow beginner stuff.
REI had a regional conference in Bend in the Summer of 2015 and sent nearly 300 people out to this trail to work with COTA and the Forest Service — they completed a huge section of trail in record time.
This trail is maintained by Central Oregon Trail Alliance.
Good to ride. Couple snow spots.
Saturday, 5/14, from Noon to 1 PM the PPP mountain bike leg will have racers riding up Catch and Release to the RD 41 crossing. Please plan accordingly
Large tree down at 43.989,-121.414
Probably 14-16″ diameter. Very close to Conklin and turn off for the ‘gravel pit’
Reported cat to Oregon Fish & Wildlife and they believe the large buck killed recently was most likely this cat’s kill, not a different cat.
Cougar meet and greet yesterday. Heading north on Catch & Release towards Storm King / Cascade Lakes Highway. Juvenile cat about 60 pounds was play hunting me and stalking behind a bush. About 30 yards off trail at most. Walked off unafraid when I yelled at it. Stay alert! There’s a big mama cat out there too, near the river corridor, a large buck was found half buried recently. That may be its kitten.
trail is now open all the way. Lower tyler’s still closed m-f
FYI: Dead deer less than 1/4 mile after the trail crosses and NF41 on the left. Scared the crap out of me yesterday (6/15 about 10:45am) it’s less than 1’ off the trail and the vultures were at it already.
Small woody debris in the south from brush clearing.
Trail now closed near the Tyler’s TH.
Catch and Release closure is now lifted.
A segment of the trail is closing for logging operations. Time frame unknown. Signs going up today. Map of closure posted above.
Wonderful, firm trail conditions (with a few crunchy spots) mid-day, after freezing overnight temps. May soften in the afternoon, but riding perfectly!
No logging issues riding from the Welcome Center to Storm King today, Friday.
Avoid during the week until logging operations are finished but trail was completely rideable today albeit a bit bumpy in a couple spots
From Storm King to about half way to Tyler’s was closed last night for logging operations. Judging from the size of the cut-piles it looks like that could be closed for a while. Easy to jump on the road and go around this section.
Rode Catch and Release on Sunday 4/30. The recent trail maintenance is nice! It was riding very well. Lots of logging along side the trail, but the trail itself is fine.
Catch and release was worked on today above stormking. Should be riding well now in the section.
I ride it today and it’s riding well with no snow or wet spots on the trail. The area has been thinned and there are lots of limbs on the ground so it’s hard to see the trail in spots and also hard on your rear derailleur.
Per cota: Note regarding logging damage. This trail was not in place before the logging contract was awarded so there was never any stipulations to protect the trail. Cota was expecting this and it will be repaired.
There are some snow patches, which will go away soon. More importantly, the logging operation has completely trashed the middle portion of the trail.
Seconding what Tristan and Eric said, there is a 1/3 mile section just north of Storm King that has been obliterated by logging operations. Big ruts, huge slash piles built right on the trail. It looks like logging is finishing up, hopefully they do a little a clean up before pulling out of there.
Between Century and SK, the logging has effectively erased chunks of the trail. A couple snow patches.
Past SK, there are several largeish snow patches that are unrideable. Decent dirt everywhere else, but not worth the time yet.
The lorax would have a fit about this trail now.
Great condition for first 3/4 way from Century to Storm King, then a couple big patches of snow. Once you get past that, tons of branches covering the trail from the tree clearing operation.
Seriously, the trail conditions do not get any better than they are right now. Should probably call in sick tomorrow and go ride.
Yeah was rolling down C&R yesterday, and was thinking how this trail has really smoothed out and is starting to have ‘flow’
Biked there yesterday and it was pretty dusty, but tons’o’fun!
Perfect!
Tread is a lot smoother than last fall. Only one small patch of snow near the trail.
I rode down Catch and Release on my fat bike today. Mostly great, tacky dirt with no puddles at all. There are still quite a few snow patches which require some hike a bike, especially on the north facing stuff as you get closer to Storm King and Tyler’s. Unless we get more snow and low temps, it seems like it’ll be 100% clear of snow within a few weeks.