South Canyon Reach comprises the section of the river trail running on both sides of the river…read moresouth of the Reed Market Road Bridge. Note that the section including Riverbend and Farewell Bend Parks is in the Old Mill Reach. A loop trail of about three miles in length, South Canyon is an easy walk. Much of it is on developed gravel trail. A footbridge spans the river at the loop turn around point. Bikes are allowed on the section running along the east side of the river but not the west. There are connections to other trails on both sides. A cool feature is an outfall from a small Central Oregon Irrigation District hydropower plant. You'll see it on the east side where a boardwalk runs along the river.

I came here on a weekday afternoon to run, and the trail was awesome! It goes along the river, very…read morepeaceful and great views. Not too many people, and it has a one-way path due to covid I think. Lots of water, trees, great views.

Shevlin park is somewhere we would visit every summer growing up when visiting family in the area…read more They have great trails, fishing, picnicking, and even slow spots where you can get in the water. Shevlin park has a teepee that you can check out and go inside of, they have more than one trail, good for bike riding, dog walking, fishing. I remember having picnics here as a kid and I still come back as an adult when in the area. They trails are low impact and fairly flat.

My mom friend and I were visiting from out of town. As we were visiting Dudley's bookshop, the book…read moreshop seller shared that we had to try hiking here. We absolutely love nature, and knew we had to try it. At first upon arriving, I feared there would be no parking at 11:00 a.m. However, the lot was only halfway full which was nice. The trails were laid out on the trail map a little ways past the shelter on the left, but there was a discrepancy between what the trail map said and the websites listed in terms of trail names and trail lengths. So, we decided to forge our own path. We took the main loop around. The conifer trees and contrast with the desert landscape were beautiful, and the creek shots were stunning.

Bend has a lot of nice green spaces, Farewell Bend being one. Along with enjoying walks or whatever…read morealong east/south side of the river, this park has easy access to the other side (Riverbend Park) and south to the Deschutes River Trail.

Hike it up you know you wanna!…read more Coming here was just the start of the way to a trail that leads you down river and back up again as that's what was good on this given day! I'm going to keep this short and awesome as pretty much most of our time spent here was on the trail that leads you away from the park basically it was beautiful and full of just a mellow vibe that you so know you wanna hike about! Overall this trail wasn't too long and wasn't too short but it was a definitely a fun little adventure I'd do again!

One of the Best Parts of Bend Was Right Outside Our Hotel…read more While staying in downtown Bend, my family and I were looking for something outdoorsy and close by, and the Deschutes River Trail ended up being one of the highlights of our trip. What started as a casual morning walk quickly turned into a beautiful four-mile hike filled with rushing rapids, peaceful river bends, towering pine trees, and some incredible Central Oregon scenery. One of the best parts of this trail is how much the landscape changes as you go. At some points the river was calm enough for paddleboarders floating by, and at others the rapids were roaring against the rocks with serious energy and sound. The trail itself was also a nice mix. Some sections were smooth and paved, while others became a little more rugged with dirt paths, rocks, and small elevation changes that made the hike feel adventurous without being overly difficult. I would still consider this a very approachable hike for most people and fitness levels. We saw walkers, runners, families, and people out with their dogs enjoying the trail. Pro tip: bring water, especially on warmer days, because parts of the trail are fully exposed to the sun. Another thing I appreciated was how accessible this experience was from downtown Bend. We were able to walk straight from our hotel into what felt like a completely different environment surrounded by river, forest, and nature. We eventually wrapped up near the Old Mill District, which made for the perfect ending with shops, restaurants, and a chance to relax after the hike. Sometimes the best travel experiences are not the big tourist attractions, they are the simple moments outside on a trail reminding you why places like Bend are so special.

This hike hit all the spots. Easy to get to from downtown. You get a nice river view. You get a…read morebridge. You get trees. You get sunlight if the weather is cooperating. You get a small park/playground area at one point and you get rocks and trees and nature and a few homes to look at too. Easy 3.5 miles walk around.

I think I walk this trail 3-5 times a week! It is the best trail to chill out or walk your dog. You…read morestay within city limits but escape the noise and busyness of it all! First off. NO SWIMMING IN THE CANAL. I am not an expert but I think that might be drinking water??? Someone fact check me. Also all of the bridges are blocked underneath so if a lonely tourist decides to try and float the canal. They will get stuck under a bridge and no one will see or hear them again. Ominous right? But don't do it. Otherwise, very very lovely trail and I enjoy it immensely.

An in-town walking trail running from about the intersection of Reed Market and American to the…read morewest side of the parkway south of Blakely Park, the Central Oregon Historic Canal Trail (also referred to as the Central Oregon Canal Trail but the trail markers include the word 'Historic') is one of the many maintained by Bend Parks and Recreation. As such, it connects (or comes close to connecting) to other trails - the Larkspur Trail on the east side, and the Deschutes River Trail to the west. The trail is improved gravel and affords easy walking. With several inches of loose gravel in some areas, I'd say it isn't the best biking trail but maybe some like it for that anyway. One of the great features is an underpass that gets you across the parkway without dealing with the parkway itself. One of the drawbacks to the trail is that it runs alongside or near Reed Market for a good ways and that means traffic noise.

This is one of the coolest paved bike paths in Bend. I started my journey here on the side of the…read moretrail over by Overturf Park. It started on a gravel road and passes by a dog park. The trail is pretty high in elevation like the name suggests. It has great views of Awbrey and Pilot Butte. It travels through neighborhoods and ends near Phil's trail complex. There are plenty of native habitats that surround this trail. Though there are houses and neighborhoods in the distance, there are some natural aspects of the surrounding ecology. The pavement on this trail is in pretty good condition and the path is wide enough that you really do not have problems passing others. This is a great trail for a bike ride or walk. I will be back again!

Bend has a great many trails to walk and jog and this is one of the best. There are areas to launch…read morea personal non motorized watercraft and plenty of places to sit and watch the natural runs of the river. The Descutes river is so pretty. A great way to spend the day walking and enjoying the natural landscape.

The Deschutes River Trail runs a fair distance, including through the city of Bend. Lucky us - it's…read morea great resource virtually at our doorsteps. On Yelp, reviews for the trail are divided among the various 'reaches', or segments, located within and near the city. For a good overview of the whole trail system, see Chris C's review here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/deschutes-river-trail-system-bend Running from Pioneer Park/First Street rapids to Sawyer Park, the River Run reach is a fine urban trail popular among locals who live along and near its path (which includes me). We obviously can walk to the trail from home but there are parking areas at both ends, although quite limited. At Sawyer Park, you'll find a moderately-sized lot but that park is very popular (with good reason) and likely to have a full lot. At the south end, you'll find space set aside for three or four cars only. After that, it's street parking, which is plentiful. The trail runs right along a fairly placid yet still scenic section of the Deschutes, crossing Mt Washington Drive near the middle. There you will need to walk along the sidewalk a bit before proceeding. It also runs past the River's Edge Golf Course, and here's where I take issue with whatever urban planning went into this section of the trail. The third hole of the golf course is literally divided by the trail. The tee boxes are on one side, the fairway and green on the other. Golfers must hit their tee shots across the trail. For non-golfers, the tee box is where the initial shot of a hole is played, typically with a club meant to deliver the ball a good distance. But golfers are not all PGA pros - sometimes their shots go wild. I know mine do. Here, however, if you shank your tee shot to the left, you may well send your ball on a path directly along the trail. You may well hit someone on the trail. Needless to say, getting hit by a golf ball driven with great force off a tee is not pleasant and can be quite dangerous. Because the trail runs close to the tee box, there is little time to warn trail-goers of an errant missile coming their way. It may not even be a good idea to issue a warning. Yelling 'FORE', for example, may only cause unwary people to look towards the call, thus exposing their faces to the ball. Not everyone knows to cover up and hunker down when they hear that warning. The trail has signs advising people on the trail of the possibility for flying golf balls, but they are inadequate. The tee box is a bit hidden anyway and what are people supposed to do? Run as fast as they can through this section? Hold up shields? The signs are a joke, although better than none, I guess. I've played River's Edge Golf Course. The first time, I was horrified when I arrived at the third tee box. Seriously? You expect me to drive a golf ball over the heads of people on the trail? As it happens, Old Man Winter was still with us and there was no one on the trail, so I went ahead and hit the shot. The second time, too. However, on my third visit to the course, it was a pleasant day and there were people on the trail, including a group of one adult, two kids and a dog. I waited on the tee box for them to walk out of sight and with great trepidation, hit my shot. It went screaming to the left, directly up the trail towards them. I was horrified. It could possibly have hit someone and if I hadn't waited, I'd say there was a very good chance it would have. Plus, the golfer has no way of knowing if a runner or biker is coming down the trail towards them. You hit the shot and then there they are, exposed. It's unsafe and the golf course should be redesigned to make the third hole a par 3 or short 4 with the tee box on the same side of the trail as the fairway and the green. For myself, when I play River's Edge I've vowed not to take that tee shot. I'll just drop my ball at the beginning of the fairway and start from there. Other than that, this section of the Deschutes River Trail is awesome! Very scenic; very relaxing. And being a golfer, I know to listen for the sound of a club striking a ball and look the other way. You should do the same if you come here.

This is a great paved path that takes you out of town. This path travels along the Deschutes River…read moreand parallels Colorado Drive for the first part of the trail. As you start to leave the urban areas out of town, this trail will take you out to Forest Service land where you can link up to the Phil's trail Complex via the COD trail. The path itself starts on the top of an old canyon allowing for some great views of the Deschutes River and the Old Mill District. I always take this path when I am heading to school from the Old Mill. There are a couple side trails along this path once you get to the bend in the Deschutes River that are definitely worth stopping and checking out. The view at these trails is unique and perfect for a panorama shot. The view is on top of some interesting rock faces and can be a great way to scout how busy the river is in the summer. If you happen to be staying in the Old Mill District, this path is a great way to kill some time with some great views of Bend.