Jefferson County possesses some real gems. Among them, the Metolius Preserve — a conservation area consisting of 1,240 acres of land surrounded by the Deschutes National Forest near Camp Sherman.
Once home to several logging companies, it was purchased by the Deschutes Land Trust in 2003. The Trust has been working for over 20 years to manage the woods, meadows, and creeks for people to enjoy, and has established an extensive trail system for horseback riding, bicycling, and hiking.
You can take your dog, but they must be on a leash. The trails are well marked with signage and the trailhead has a large kiosk with maps and brochures.
The Trust sponsors guided hikes and walks for the public, including a geology wander, wildflower hike, plant hike, native bee walk and butterfly walk.
The trails are also open to the public without guided tours, but if you wish to receive insight from experts in their field, a guided walk may be more rewarding.
A recent butterfly walk from the North trailhead was an easy 1-2 mile walk on relatively flat ground, on a trail that meandered among the Doug Fir, Western Larch, Ponderosa pine, wildflowers, meadows and over a footbridge of the north fork of Lake Creek.
The butterfly walks start mid-morning 11 a.m. and last two hours. Unlike birds, butterflies require solar energy to warm up their bodies to take flight. When you start too early or have a cool morning, you may be disappointed. The guided tours are free but require registration on their website: www.deschuteslandtrust.org.
It turns out that this section of forest is a hotspot for butterflies and is home to more than 50 species of butterflies. Due to their nature, not all are visible in one visit as some hatch later in the season.
On the first guided walk of the season, June 7, the group was treated to close up views of seven different species. Swallowtails, tortoiseshells, Echo azure’s, pine elfins, skippers and Western sulphurs were spotted. Amanda Egertson guided this day and brought butterfly nets for anyone adventurous enough to try their hand. After a demonstration in the parking lot, and cautions to be delicate, the participants were fortunate enough to have caught several butterflies in the net during the walk. Egertson also brought a jar so everyone could look at the butterfly up close and personal for a few brief moments before releasing them back to the wild.
Egertson spotted a clover patch where several blue azures were nectaring in the sun. Most people would have walked right by, not seeing a thing. The value of a guide should not be underestimated! Egertson explained that butterflies use their feet to taste, their antennae to smell, and their proboscis to sip the nectar from the plants.
Hikers can bring lunch and enjoy nature, or drive a few miles to Camp Sherman for refreshments, or back to Sisters, which is about 20 miles.
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