Fish a High Lake
Many of the forest's 350 lakes are situated at elevations exceeding 4,000 feet and require some hiking to reach. Once there, you can fish in solitude for rainbow, cutthroat, brook and steelhead trout. Drop a line in Daly Lake, Parish Lake, and Riggs Lake - - or try one of the many rivers and streams such as the Williamette River, Salmon Creek, Salt Creek, Quartzville and the Middle Fork of the Santiam.

Hike Among Giants
Hikers will come across vine maple, huckleberry and rhododendron as they traipse the forest's more than 1,700 miles of trails. Hikers seeking rigorous, high-altitude outings can explore the trails that wind their way up into the High Cascades. Low-impact hiking opportunities also abound-three of the trails have been designated National Recreation Trails: the McKenzie River, Fall Creek and South Breitenbush. The Fall Creek trail passes through an old-growth forest of virgin Douglas fir, red cedar and western hemlock. Some of the ancient giants are 500 years old.

Ski the Hoodoo
In the Santiam Pass Winter Recreation Area, skiers and snowboarders can cascade down the Cascades amidst small buttes, cinder cones and volcanic sand blowouts. The Hoodoo Ski Area is the oldest ski area in the Central Cascades and features five chair lifts and two full service lodges. If you can't ski or snowboard, you may want to try sliding down the slopes in an inner tube-at the Santiam Sno Play Area, the run is cleared of trees for inner tube and saucer sliding. If you believe in earning your turns, then head to the Willamette Pass Winter Recreation Area, where experienced skiers willing to supplement the chair lift ride with some hiking gain access to untracked powder.