Pringle Falls Experimental Forest in La Pine, Oregon:

Just outside of La Pine, Oregon on Burgess Road, on your way toward Cascade Lakes Highway, there is an experimental forest right before you get to Pringle Falls.  This summer, my husband Cary and I stopped there to look around, and then drove up to the top of the mountain behind it.

The Pringle Falls Experimental Forest is one of several such research forests in the state of Oregon.  It was developed in 1931.  Here is a cool map of where these special forests are located.   I obtained it from this link provided by Oregon State University:  "Bole Decomposition Rates of Seventeen Tree Species in Western USA"

Source:  Oregon State University Research Paper

These are the photos that we took that day. It was pretty, warm and peaceful.  If you happen to be driving by, why not stop and take a look for yourself?

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

#1:  The Multi-Age Forest:

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

#2:  The Same-Age Forest

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

#3:  The Turn-of-the-Century Forest

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

To learn more about this cool place, please click on the research paper below.  I have posted more links at the bottom of this post, but this link is very thorough and full of history.  It was written in 2007 by Les Joslin:

Ponderosa Promise: A History of U.S. Forest Service Research in Central Oregon

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

My handsome driver took me up to the top of the hill behind the forest.  The road was pretty good, since it was summer and dry.  The area seemed pretty undisturbed, like we were the only recent folks to travel on it.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

I thought that we were looking at Davis Lake down below, but looking at the map it could have been Wickiup Lake instead. We stopped at the top, and then turned back around.  Our cell phones worked, but we were at the end of our drive that day and didn't feel like exploring further.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

The marker says Road 500.  This area is just plain old.   I kept thinking of Indians and hunters and people being buried there for some reason.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

It was so quiet, and very pretty.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

There had been deer around, but we didn't actually see any; just their evidence. 

If you get the chance, stop by and take a look at the markers.  That part is visible from Burgess Road, and is very accessible.  For further information, please check out some of these links:

Link to an OSU Powerpoint Presentation about the Pringle Falls Experimental Forest: Ponderosa Pine Management

Forest Service: Experimental Forests, Pringle Falls

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