Definitely one of the best highlights of our trip to Bend, Oregon over the weekend…read more Shay (maybe spelled Che) was A fantastic tour guide! Very knowledgeable, whimsical, lighthearted, and free spirited. The perfect person to lead an adventure into the Oregon wilderness. Our trip started with a short van ride from the Fred Meyer parking lot. She shared lots of knowledge about various trees in the area, wildlife, things the local government was doing to help clean up some of the territory we're gonna be going to explore the cave. She seemed like somebody who genuinely enjoys her job, likes to explore, and is just a genuine, good person all around. Going into the cave was surreal, almost like stepping into a different climate. It definitely felt like it was 45° all year round down there. Once we lost the natural lighting too it became very spooky, but everybody had headlamps so it was pretty easy to see where we were going. My wife and I saw a few baby brown bats hanging out on the walls while we were there. They were so tiny and cute! I'm glad they're able to survive down there. I really like that her tour guy gave us a choice between one of two directions into the cave. I have really bad knees, and thankfully, our tour guide, and our group was able to respect that. We had a very good lighthearted adventure down in the dark. My favorite part was when we all got to turn off our headlamps for a little bit, and stay silent, and just enjoy utter blackness. Deathly felt like a good way to de-stress a little. Shay was a fantastic tour guide and we are definitely going to be using this to our group again in the near future. Thanks for the memories!

I booked the Fort Rock Stargazing Tour and was very disappointed with the overall experience. The…read moretour was poorly organized, communication was limited, and I had concerns about the attention to guest safety. There was very little information provided in advance about the length of the tour, what to expect, or transportation to and from the site. Several guests brought chairs that were not traditional camping chairs, and there was not enough room in the van to accommodate them. As a result, the chairs were placed underneath other guests' feet, leaving very limited foot room in an already cramped space for a long drive. After arriving at Fort Rock, we took a short nature walk around the area at sunset. Since we would be returning after dark, I would have expected the guides to advise guests to bring flashlights or headlamps. No such recommendation was made, and the walk back was difficult to navigate in the dark, which raised concerns about safety. The lack of preparation was also evident when the guides used rock-paper-scissors to determine who would lead the hike. While this may have been intended to be lighthearted, it contributed to the overall impression that the tour had not been well planned. There was one clear bright spot: Brian was extremely knowledgeable and engaging, and he was the highlight of the experience. Unfortunately, despite Brian's efforts, the overall lack of communication, organization, and attention to safety made this a tour I would not recommend.

I love the vibe here. Cute & eclectic. Beautiful outside area with a comfy area inside the…read moreoutfitter bar. Bartender Zach is so charismatic & makes sure you're taken care of! Laid back & homey.

Came here with a family of 7 so we got our own boat but 1 person sat in the middle seat and didn't…read morerow. She didnt want to row so she was fine with that. The overall trip was fun but not the best I've done. We did a class 3 rapids and the beginning of the rapids was slow as in it took some time to get into the rapids. It was fine because our guide was nice and telling us about the surrounding lava rock. The guide was great at telling us what to do. He let people ride the bull and jump into the water if they wanted. I'm so glad we did this as a family activity.

What an awesome experience! I highly recommend for anyone visiting this area. One of the owners…read morechecked us in and was super nice & funny. Our tour guide, Ky, was hilarious. We ended up seeing 11 of the breweries in the 2 hour period which was awesome. It really helped us figure out which breweries were our favorite so that we could spend more time at those places afterwards. We also got to know a lot about Bend thanks to Ky!!

HA what a crack up this place was. From my call to make a…read morereservation, to my Segway lesson and all through the tour- what a good time. Live here or visiting- this place is a must. Easy location just above Old Mill, at the Box Factory, you have so many places to grab a bite to eat or drink before or after the tour. Lots of information on the area past and present. well well well worth the cost

We're local and I've been wanting to explore the trails off the 20, this was well worth it! We did…read morea guided trip but it's super chill, they take you to the best views and you get some play time in the black sand. The main thing is to stay within a mile of the guide so you get a TON of freedom. They have you arrive an hour early but if everyone is there you roll right out so we ended up getting extra time. We also did a great stop at a cave. We were exhausted in a good way at the end. Will be back in the future. Great thing to do! Don't forget your blackstrap for the dust.

We had an incredible time on our snowmobile tour, and Clay was awesome. He was informative, fun,…read moreand made us feel completely comfortable on the snowmobiles from start to finish. Clay did an amazing job ensuring our safety while creating a relaxed, fun environment. He took us to the best spots and made the whole experience unforgettable. This was truly the best way my husband and I could have spent our anniversary. Thanks Clay!

Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe is the best! Located right next to the Old Mill District in Bend, it's…read morethe perfect place to start an outdoor adventure and then enjoy lunch or dinner nearby afterward. The staff was incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful in choosing the right paddleboard for us. We rented stand-up paddleboards for one hour for $30, with the option to extend to two hours for $40, which is a great value. The river is beautiful, peaceful, and full of interesting scenery. There is always something to see along the way, making the experience fun and relaxing at the same time. And don't be shy about jumping into the water if the conditions allow--it can be part of the fun! Just be sure to follow the safety instructions provided before your adventure begins. We had a wonderful time and would highly recommend Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe to anyone visiting Bend.

My wife and I were unsure about kayaking as we have never gone before and we're bringing our 11lb…read moredog with us. The staff here is very welcoming and they explain everything to you. Basically you kayak against current near the edges of river and then you go with the current back to the dock. The staff is very laid back and they don't pressure you into anything. It was a great experience and we'd definitely do it again. Very safe and reassuring.

We tried to pick something active and fun each day and one of the highlights was Tumalo Creek…read moreTrail. Depending on the season you're visiting, it's a different experience. In the winter when it snows, the parking lot is much farther away with the main road blocked off. The parking in this area is small, making it a challenge to find a spot on busier days. From this parking it's a few miles to the falls; about half way there you'll walk through the summer parking area. Even with the packed snow, it was a relatively easy hike as we saw families with little kids making it to the end. When you get close, there's a switchback trail up to viewing points overlooking the falls at various elevations; it's worth it going to the very top to see spectacular views of the valley you just walked in. There is a public restroom near the base of the falls, but it's closed when the summer lot is so don't expect facilities. Taking it easy, we spent about three hours here up and back with a break at the top. You really feel remote and far away, even though it's only a short drive from Bend. If you're a fan of hiking, this is worth your time.

In A Nutshell: -If…read moreyou are looking for fun, easy hike then Tumalo Creek Trail is a good one to do. -Parking was pretty easy, my advice is to drive all the way to when the road stops, look for a spot, if you don't see one, no worries, you will have noticed the many turn outs where you can drive back to & park, then walk back. -The trailhead has a bathroom facilities, a map & garbage cans. -There's also an immediate treat at the trailhead where you can pose for photos w/ the Tumalo Falls as your background. -After your Instagram selfies are taken, you can then begin walking the Tumalo Creek Trail. -The hike is very easy & moderate uphill. -Bring snacks & water. -In mid-June 2022, there was still evidence of snow, which is cool. Overall, this is quiet hike w/ beautiful views!

Lava Butte sits above the trail of the molten lands. It is home to one of the first fire watch…read moretowers in the area and has a rim trail that circles the edge of the crater. It is a steep hike up to the fire watch tower and has an information center under neath the tower with information and history. There is a nice pathway. We were unable to do the rim trail as there was a huge lightning storm coming in. From the top you can see lava rock for miles from the eruption thousands of years ago.

This short 15-minute loop trail is located on the summit of Lava Butte. The 360-degree view of the…read moresurrounding countryside side was grand. It was worth the $3 shutter price to get to the summit. The active fire lookout station was closed to visitors.

The Lava lands visitor center has a small gift shop, staff out front with times for a guided tour,…read morethey have souvineer penny smasher and a small museum about the volcano and fossils. It also had the trail heads for the trail of the Molten lands, the trail of the whispering pines, the roadway up to lava butte, as well as information on the lava river tunnels, and other things in this portion of the park.

Lava Lands is part of small cinder cones on the northwest side of Newberry Volcano, a massive…read moreshield volcano rises to the southeast. This region is characterized by extensive lava flows, including the 7,000-year-old flow from Lava Butte, a prominent cinder cone. How I like to see as much as possible is by mountain bike. From Lava Lands parking lot pick up the 4 mile fast flow furious fun single track for 4 miles curving through Ponderosa Pines following lava fields. Ride through the lava rock featuring panoramic views of snow capped mountains. At the end of Black Rock single track connect with the Deschutes River and ride along at least a mile to Benham Falls - so magnificent! Continue riding 5-10-XX more miles filling up your passion bucket in the natural wonders following and flowing with the Deschutes River. I fulled up my bucket for 20 miles - at time rivers flows with power and times as still as a lake. Let's go! Wherever the powerful river flows! Wherever the peaceful river goes! Many feel the pace only the river knows - as I did flow along by mountain bike!