Ed Jahn

What's changed in the 30 years since Oregon was thrust into the spotlight during the "Timber Wars"? Three "Oregon Field Guide" stories reflect on the spotted owl, the culture of the timber community of Philomath and whether one successful effort to find a compromise in John Day can reveal a path forward.

What's it like to hike across 750 miles of the Oregon high desert? The Oregon Desert Trail is Oregon’s newest long-distance trail and a grand showcase of solitude, geology and beauty. The trail links hidden jewels like Crack In The Ground, the Owyhee Canyonlands and Steens Mountain to outposts like Christmas Valley, Fields and Frenchglen.

Think you need water to sail? These yachtsmen have found a way to use the wind to cast off across the waterless Alvord Desert, and the experience is both sublime and exciting. The Alvord desert is the perfect playground for landsailers, with miles of uninterrupted playa, sage scenery and solitude that is unmatched in the Northwest.

Every year, stargazers from all over the country gather in the Oregon desert to bond over a love of dark nights and starry skies. The lack of light pollution in this part of Eastern Oregon makes this one of the best spots in the nation to view an intense tapestry of constellations, planets and stars…

You bought the paddleboard and have aced the test of standing up on a calm lake without faceplanting. Ready for the next level? A multi-day adventure down the John Day River is a test of whitewater mettle that rewards with 70-miles of canyon and desert panoramas.

From the rolling hills of the Willamette Valley to the shimmering aspens of Steens Mountain, Oregon has many scenic settings to find fall foliage.

Crowberry Bog on the Olympic Peninsula is like no other place in Washington. It’s a raised bog that sits like an inflated bladder above the surrounding forest — the first of its kind to be identified in the Western U.S. outside of Alaska.

"Oregon Field Guide" end-of-year wrap of feel-good stories.

Where to escape the leaf blowers, car alarms and revving engines that plague modern life? A study conducted for the Noise Control Engineering Journal identified candidates for the quietest places in Oregon, but you’ll need an expedition mindset to reach them.

How can you find a place that is truly quiet? And what would that be like?