Willamette Water Trail: Idyllic floats and campsites on this underrated river

Explore Oregon Podcast: The state's most beautiful places and biggest issues

In this episode of the Explore Oregon Podcast, host Zach Urness returns to one of the state's great backyard gems — the Willamette Water Trail. Urness highlights his two favorite places to float and camp on the mainstem Willamette, that features surprisingly beautiful scenery, wildlife habitat and camps just a stone's throw from cities such as Eugene, Corvallis and Salem. Then, Urness plays an interview from 2021 with former Willamette Riverkeeper executive director Travis Williams — now with Willamette River Preservation Trust — about the best floats, history and things to know about being on the Willamette.