A breathtaking hiking trail west of Bend. Lava Cast Forest is in the depths of Deschutes National…read moreForest. Since it's a relatively recent lava flow, one can see how the molten rock encased the Ponderosa pines. The lava preserved the casts of the majestic trees, leaving behind a ghost forest of sorts among the volcanic Cascade mountains. Signs along the path describe the dramatic geological history. It's in a pristine part of Central Oregon, a breath of fresh air not far from the growing city of Bend. Be sure to bring plenty of water&snacks for the trail. Worth the time&effort. Beautiful!

This is a unique trial that takes you to a lava flow that has giant casts of Ponderosa Trees in it…read more It is south west of Bend and located in the Deschutes National Forest. Here this trail does a loop and has some interpretive signage that explains what happened. Basically, when the lava flow that you are looking at started to destroy the forest is cleared many things in its path. But for some reason, there were some large Ponderosa Trees that did not get taken away. They were so thick that the lava just flowed around them and left them where they were. When the lava flow cooled and hardened, it hardened around the trees. Of course, a few years after the lava hardened the trees died and eroded away leaving these giant casts in the lava. You can actually fit your entire body into many of them and see just how crazy it must have been to see back in time. Here is a link to a website with more information on this trail. https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/deschutes/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=38390&actid=50

East Lake is next to Paulina Lake just south of Bend. I brought my nephews to swim while I was…read morefishing from the shore. They had a great time playing out in the water. I had a few on and only reeled in one, but I was happy with my nice Kokanee. I tried different ways to interest the fish, but worms are what they really seemed to like. What I really didn't like about where we were had to do with people that had previously been there. We picked up quite a bit of broken glass. I wish people would respect the outdoors and everyone's right to enjoy it.

This lake is located in the Newberry National Monument. It is one of the two lakes that are located…read morein the crater below Paulina Peak. Both of these lakes have hot springs in them, but in my opinion, the hot springs at Paulina Lake are much better than the ones here at East Lake. But as with those springs be better in quality, you might find the East Lake springs to be less crowded. East Lake is a bit further away than Paulina, but very much worth the trek. Both of these lakes can be fished from shore or a boat. Sailboats are often found at these locations and make for some really stunning photos. You can hike the shore from around this lake and will have many photo opportunities if you are a fan of wildlife. All while hiking through this lake you can see the peaks from the Paulina Crater that constantly remind you, that you are traveling inside of an active volcano. If you have an interest in geology you need to come here and just soak it all in. Nearby there are cinder cones, shield volcanos, calderas, and obsidian lava flows all within a few square miles. If it's hot out and you need a break from the heat, this lake is a great option. Just remember to bring some cash for the fees and to respect the environment to avoid any tickets. Here is a link to the land management agency that manages this area. https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/deschutes/recarea/?recid=66159 Here is a link to some other information about this lake https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/deschutes/recreation/recarea/?recid=71988&actid=42

Open swim: Weekdays: 2p-530p…read moreWeekends: 1030a-530p What a fun indoor pool for guests/homeowners at Sunriver Homeowners Aquatic Recreational Center! Here on a family vacation for the holidays, there is no snow this year, so having this indoor pool to pass the time was great. We were the first in for the weekday rec swim time (2p-530p) and found into be clean and warm. The dreaded indoor chlorine smell wasn't bad either. As a bystander, there were ample loungers and benches around the pool to find a spot. The volley net and basketball hoop were up. A fun swirling whirlpool section was popular. The lap pool remained open for open swim, or to distance from the busy play and heavy splash areas once it got busier. The outdoor hot tub was running and steaming for those who wanted to be outside. A small slide for 48" and shorter was also a hot spot. Life jackets were available for free use, and lifeguards were actively patrolling the pools. Rec center also has meeting rooms, living room, café, and full locker rooms. Not to shabby!

The "water park" is the smallest lazy river ever seen by man, they are understaffed and overcrowded…read moreevery single day. And the Sunriver homeowners association is the most corrupt form of governing body on earth. I wouldn't recommend buying a house here because of them they are terrible and have surplus every year and never cut a check back to the homeowner and find random things to spend money on. They want even more money for a new recycling center, which got voted down and now they are making the current recycling center more difficult to use so it gets voted in eventually. Fire everyone who has any power and re do the entire organization it is sickening

We love coming here on our annual trip to Sunriver! The pool is a great place to take kids off all…read moreages. They've got a baby pool area which is for kids under 5. It includes a splash pad/water play area. They also have a larger splash pad open to all ages. Their main pool has a zero depth entry so it's perfect for little ones to sit and play! On the deep end of the pool they have these two giant blow-up sharks that kids can climb and sit on, and they have a series of floating platforms you can try to balance and cross without falling in the pool. They also have a lazy river and two huge water slides (which have a minimum height requirement of 42" and 48"). Lastly, there is an indoor pool with lots of different amenities if you need a break from the sun. It's quite the facility! It does get quite crowded though since it's the only pool in all of Sunriver. That's my only complaint. I feel like if they could build a couple more pools then it wouldn't be so crowded. It would also be nice if they had a little bit more shade. They also have nice locker rooms/bathrooms, including a couple family restrooms. The food place is decently good. It's mostly fried food and barbecue but that's pretty much what you'd expect at a giant resort like the SHARC.

I love the Sun River weather and access to amenities. Unfortunately, this trip flagged several…read moreissues that significantly impacted our trip. 1) Vrbo cabin had no hot water, a 3 day rental and no access to a hot shower. Vrbo is not offering any refunds, just a late check out 2) we spent 3 days at the pool and all three days portions of the pool are closed due to people pooping in the pool! Lifeguards say it's primarily babies being held in the main pool... omg- keep them in the kiddy pool! 3) Food at the Sharc was low quality, inconsistent, and the staff were rude. My order was taken incorrectly at the register... then made incorrect. When we asked about it the kitchen said- "I gave it to you how I got the order, what do you want me to do about it?" This was an adult woman, not a high school kid on a summer job. Yesterday we ordered food that was gluten free, today we order it again and it comes out breaded. No refund or apology for that mistake. The kitchen is not run by Sharc, so there was literally nobody to help. Just paid for food I can't eat. This place could be so much better.

This is a clothing optional Hotsprings, we learned this the hard way after driving 5 hours my…read moregrandson was not so pleasantly surprised lol. So we immediately left..our bad. Oops....But the host was so friendly gave us recommendations on when to come back without him. What the best times are and nearby campgrounds. $12 a person 12 and up. Short walk from the parking lot up to the springs. Pack it in pack it out, porta pots in the lot. We will be back.

My partner is a hot springs enthusiast and always seems to have this on his list for how he wants…read moreto celebrate his birthday. The drive out from Portland is long, but after you get here the trip is really enjoyable, we often try to plan a night somewhere closer. It's 12$ for a 2 hour visit, they do take credit cards. We tend to be here mid week mid day so we have not had any issue with parking. There are always other people present, but it has never seemed overly busy. The staff we interact with are always very pleasant. There is a bathroom in the parking lot. It's a short walk up to the hot springs, I'm confident mostly anyone could do this. It's nice to feel like you are in nature. I imagine this was a much more beautiful area before the fires, but I am thankful that it did reopen and is usable. Do make sure you bring some water to stay hydrated while hot springing. Do be aware that sometimes people are unclothed at hot springs. Also know that hot springs are hot and this may not be how you want to spend a hot day. There are multiple pools of multiple sizes which do vary in heat. There is a small stream with cold water running nearby. There are places to sit where you can be partially in the water. If you are planning to walk around a lot you may want water shoes as these rocks can be hot on your feet. We always have a nice time and leave feeling rejuvenated. I keep meaning to look into camping options nearby. I'd love to experience this with some friends on my next visit.

This is a little too rustic. The trail to the hot springs is steep and not well maintained. The…read morepools are gritty and shallow. Went once and that's enough.

This place was worth everything! We recommend coming early when they open so you get a pool. We got…read morethere at 8 and most were full but luckily they

This is an awesome fitness center, particularly if you have kids. The rates are reasonable and…read morethey have tons of options and there is no sign up fee or obligation ever. The pools are amazing; especially for kids. They have a ton of kids swimming lessons that are really good. The weight room/fitness room are in great shape with lots of machines and hardly ever a wait. They have childcare for a minimal amount during most days and the kids always look really happy in there. The only gripe I have is that some of the group fitness classes are really easy. It is hard to know which one and so you end up wasting a lot of time not getting a hard workout. The hip hop dance class on Tuesday night is awesome and a great workout. I will update as I find other tough classes.

This fitness center probably makes fives times as much money as any other gym in bend. They charge…read more65-75$ a month. All the gym products are old and falling apart. The locker rooms are absolutely disgusting by the end of the day. They don't have male cleaners here. That means no one is cleaning the men's locker rooms all day. The classes posted on the doors don't match up to the classes online. They do not turn on the heat in the hallways. You go from the sauna to a freezing cold hallway. Feels like you're gonna get sick. This gym is basically a daycare center mixed with an old people's home. They are always having events and closing the pools. They close early without notice and the hours here are horrible. There are homeless people lurking in the parking lots and come into use the facilities. Things get stolen as well. I cannot wait for there to be real adult fitness club in bend. Because juniper is garbage.

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.

This is a very nice venue that hosts many activities during the year from roller skating, birthday…read moreparties to ice hockey and more. The staff is super nice and it's no extra cost for the pads and helmets! Today it's $10 a person to skate for 2 1/2 hours.

Everything was great only thing is we can't come back every year because it's way too expensive and…read moremy family only last and hour and half and there done. Please get some specials or deal days we would come back. Very busy in the winter was way too many people and most of the time we were there they were fixing the ice for 40 min of our 2 hours there including putting on skates and take off.