We convinced Subaru to loan us a Crosstrek to fuel some adventure at Leatherman. Handing the keys to some of our employees, we’re sharing why we love calling the Pacific Northwest home. What’s up for our second story? Lake Billy Chinook.

It was a pretty chilly weekend in early May when we decided to make a pre-summer trip up to a friend’s cabin at Lake Billy Chinook. Billy is a public lake, filled with houses, houseboats, camp spots and plenty of places to drop a boat in to have some fun. In the summer, weather is pretty consistently warm and sunny, making for a great vacation spot for us pacific northwesterners (and anyone!).

The drive to Lake Billy is about two and half hours from Portland, three if you’re unlucky with traffic in Portland or over Mt. Hood. Located just 27 miles from Madras, and 55 from Bend, it’s a great central Oregon location.

If you wanted to visit Lake Billy Chinook, there are plenty of camping spots, or houseboats and houses you can rent along the river. They book up fast on big weekends though, so book ahead on holidays.

Lake Billy is formed by the Round Butte Dam in a canyon at the meeting of Crooked, Dechutes, and Metolius rivers. Just south of the lake is Lake Billy Chinook Airport, a privately owned small airport for public use. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch a homeowner or two flying in on a small jet for their weekend getaway.

There are a few really great hikes around, and some off-roading trails available for use. We had a few friends who were feeling daring, so they suited up in wetsuits and headed out on the lake for some wakeboarding and water skiing.

Overall, we had a great time. Our weekend was filled with food, friends, drinks and some adventure. Although a summer hotspot, there is still plenty of fun to be had at Lake Billy Chinook in the spring.

We left the weekend dreaming about our next Pacific Northwest Adventure, fueled by the Subaru Crosstrek.