Klamath Falls sits on the south end of Upper Klamath Lake, a broad shallow sheet of water that is the largest lake by surface area in Oregon, and the whole town faces it. Tucked in a high basin of the Cascades' eastern flank, at over a thousand metres, the city of twenty-odd thousand has a dry, sunny, big-sky character, more like the high desert than the green coastal Oregon of postcards. The Link River tumbles through town, connecting the lake to the Klamath River, which flows west to the Pacific through a wild, deep canyon.
The region has a rich history. The Klamath and Modoc peoples lived here long before settlers arrived, and the Modoc War of the early 1870s was fought a short distance south, at the lava beds. The basin later became a centre of cattle, timber and irrigated farming, and the town grew around the railway. Today, it is a practical place, home to a technical university that heats its buildings with geothermal water from beneath the town, a quiet quirk that goes back decades. The wetlands and lakes of the basin are important bird habitat, with huge flocks of waterfowl on migration, and in winter bald eagles gather in good numbers.
For a rider, this is the start of the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway, a long route linking Crater Lake with Mount Shasta through lava fields, pine forests and old volcanoes. Highway 97 runs north and south through the basin, a wide, fast road with views of the lake and mountains, while Highway 140 climbs west toward Lake of the Woods, a delightful, curving mountain road. Crater Lake, about an hour north, is among the finest sights in the United States, though its rim road closes with snow for much of the year.
Fuel, supermarkets and diners are easy to find in town. Weather here is dry, with hot summer days and chilly nights, and winter brings snow and ice. The best time to ride is late spring to early autumn. In the evening, the sun sets over the lake in a long, orange wash, and pelicans glide low across the water. Pack layers, because nights are cold.