Succor Creek Family Hike: Exploring Upstream from Camp

🥾 This video is a little different from my usual drone flights — and that is what makes it special. This flight was filmed during our four-day family camping trip at Succor Creek State Natural Area in eastern Oregon. In the previous video, I focused more on the campground, canyon walls, and the overall beauty of the area. This time, the story moves upstream. My granddaughters met up with another family camping nearby and decided to go for a walk up Succor Creek. Since I had never really flown the drone upstream from camp before, I decided to explore that direction too — partly to see the canyon from a new angle, and partly to follow along with the girls as they hiked. 🚁 A New View of Succor Creek From above, the creek takes on a completely different look. The drone follows the water, canyon walls, bare spring trees, green patches of grass, boulders, trails, and the winding shape of the canyon. Succor Creek is already beautiful from camp, but flying upstream shows how much more there is tucked just beyond the main area. 👨‍👧‍👧 Family Time from the Air Most of my videos focus on scenery, history, geology, and wide-open landscapes. I usually do not film people much, but this one is more personal. In the second half of the video, I followed the girls from a respectful distance as they made their way back toward camp. It was not about filming strangers or making people the subject. It was about capturing a family moment — kids exploring, laughing, walking through the canyon, and making the kind of memories that outdoor places are meant for. 🏕️ Camping at Succor Creek Succor Creek is one of my favorite places to visit, camp, drive, ride quads, and fly the drone. Oregon State Parks describes it as a primitive camping area with sites on both sides of the creek, a vault toilet, and no available water, so visitors should come prepared. That simple, primitive feel is part of what makes the place special. No fancy campground, no big crowds, no distractions — just canyon walls, dirt roads, creek water, campfires, and time together. 🌋 A Canyon Shaped by Volcanoes and Time The Succor Creek area is also fascinating geologically. A BLM brochure for the Leslie Gulch–Succor Creek area describes the oldest exposed rocks as part of the Succor Creek Formation, formed about 15 million years ago, with volcanic sediments from distant explosive eruptions, along with sandstone and conglomerate layers. The area is also known for petrified wood and Oregon’s state rock, the agate-filled thunderegg. That geology is part of what gives the canyon its rugged character — the cliffs, boulders, reddish rock, pale slopes, and carved shapes that make Succor Creek feel so different from the farmland and towns just a short drive away. 🌄 Why This Flight Matters to Me This video is not just about showing a place. It is about enjoying a place. Watching the girls hike upstream reminded me why Succor Creek has meant so much to me for so many years. It is a place to explore, camp, ride, wander, and spend time with family. Sometimes the best drone flights are not the biggest or most dramatic. Sometimes they are the ones that capture a simple moment — a walk up a creek, kids exploring the canyon, and a family campout in a place that already holds a lot of memories. ⚠️ Quick Recreation Reminder For those visiting from Idaho with motorcycles, quads, ATVs, or side-by-sides, Oregon requires the proper ATV permit for machines operated on designated public lands. Oregon Parks lists the permit at $10, valid for two years, and notes that out-of-state riders can purchase one online. Thanks for watching, and please subscribe to Above the Frontier for more drone views, family adventures, and hidden landscapes across Idaho, Oregon, and the Owyhee country. #SuccorCreek #FamilyCampout #OregonDrone #AboveTheFrontier #OwyheeCountry