Explore Oregon Podcast: Wildfire update, Opal reopening, Hood permits, coast camping

In this episode of the Explore Oregon Podcast, Zach touches on the biggest stories of Oregon's summer so far before a long conversation about the best backpacking trips in southern Oregon and northern California wilderness areas.

Podcast topics include:

3:20: Wildfires and closures in place in Oregon at Waldo Lake, Diamond Peak7:20: The McKinney Fire on the Oregon-California border and what's at risk in that magical part of the world19:40: The reopening of 180,000 acres of pubic land including Opal Creek, Breitenbush, Jeff Wilderness24:50: New permits to climb Mount Hood, visit Lava Cave, and more27:20: Crowded campgrounds and how to score a few sites on the Coast38:00: Best backpacking trips in S. Oregon and N. California

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Every episode: All 70 episodes of Explore Oregon Podcast, a guide to state's outdoors, news and history

Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 15 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. To support his work, subscribe to the Statesman Journal. Urness is the author of “Best Hikes with Kids: Oregon” and “Hiking Southern Oregon.” He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Podcast: Oregon reopens 180,000 acres including Opal Creek, Jeff Park