Mountain-Lodge Resort with Golf Course, Spa, and Town Center

Bordered by the Cascade Mountains, the landscape at Running Y Ranch in southern Oregon is sprinkled with ponderosa pine trees, ponds, and an Arnold Palmer–designed golf course that was recently ranked one of Golf Digest's 100 Greatest Public Courses in America. Although the course will be closed during your stay, you'll have plenty of other ways to explore the property—the resort offers horseback riding, 8 miles of paved hiking trails, and 3,600 acres of wooded hills where you might spot elk and bobcats.

The property’s timber-framed lodge echoes its natural surroundings with flagstone floors and wood furniture. Not far from the fireplace in the lobby, you’ll find the entrance to The Ruddy Duck, where you can dine on hearty, family-friendly meals of blue cheese burgers, fresh salads, and pizzas from the hearth oven. The mountain-lodge ambiance extends to the golf-view guest rooms, some of which come with a balcony overlooking the fairways.

Directly adjacent to the lodge is The Shops at the Village where you’ll find a few convenience stores selling snacks, light meals, coffee, wine and microbrews. There are dining options here, too, including a café and ice-cream parlor. To work up an appetite, you can hike the newly developed Skillet Handle birding trail overlooking Upper Klamath Lake or hit the onsite sports center.

Klamath Falls, Oregon: Wildlife Refuges amid High-Desert Terrain and Wetlands

Located near the California border, the city of Klamath Falls sits in the heart of a vast expanse of mountainous woodlands, lakes, and desert. This photogenic landscape was a popular haunt for noted naturalists John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt in the early 1900s. It’s still a paradise for lovers of the outdoors, especially around the Klamath Basin. This complex of wildlife refuges is home to one of the largest concentrations of wintering bald eagles in the United States. Visitors come here from around the globe every February to take part in the Bald Eagle Conference, the nation’s oldest birding festival.

In the winter months, guests at The Ranch enjoy year-round access to Crater Lake National Park, as well as the onsite ice skating rink, indoor pool and spa, and moonlight snowshoe tours with area outfitters.

The town itself is fairly simple—farming and ranching drive the local economy. It’s worth spending some time downtown to check out the historic buildings and learn some local history from the city’s three museums. The Favell Museum stands out for its collection of Native American artifacts, including baskets and bone and shell work. During the summer, you can ride a restored 1906 trolley from the Klamath Falls visitors' center to the museums and other downtown sites.

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