Forest a-frames near Lyons

Just across the river from the North Santiam State Recreation Area, Lyons is a good spot for picking up supplies before heading east along the Santiam Highway or north up to the Silverton area. Here you'll find supermarkets, a hardware store, an auto parts supplier, and even a few small restaurants. While most people just stop here en route to more woodsy terrain, the town itself offers a few spots to get close to nature as well, including the John Neal Memorial Park on the Santiam River, the pond-facing Lyons City Park, and nearby Shellburg Falls.

Along the Santiam River

Lyons offers easy access to outdoor recreation and camping along the Santiam River, which attracts anglers with its variety of salmon and trout species. Popular spots in the area include the North Santiam Recreation Area, Buell-Miller County Park, and the Santiam State Forest.

Detroit Lake and Around

The Santiam River spills out into the Detroit Reservoir, a massive lake that’s popular with water-sports enthusiasts and campers alike. The area around the reservoir is full of campsites and trails, most within the Mount Hood National Forest, and is home to the Breitenbush Hot Springs retreat center.

The Silverton Area

The area just north of Lyons, near the small city of Silverton, is full of places to explore, including the Oregon Gardens and Silver Falls State Park, known for its dense collection of waterfalls. The Bavarian-inspired town of Mount Angel is also nearby; come in mid-September to experience its annual Oktoberfest celebrations

Lyons is in the Willamette Valley, which has a relatively mild climate, with hot and somewhat dry summers and cool (but not cold temperatures) and plenty of rainfall the rest of the year. Summers here get busy, owing largely to the area’s close proximity to the densely populated Interstate-5 corridor, but things start to get quieter after Labor Day, when kids go back to school, particularly on weekdays.