The Deschutes National Forest is one of our favorite places on Earth and if you're unfamiliar with…read morethe many roads, trails and attractions, this is the place to start. Located conveniently off Cascade Lakes highway just a few miles outside of Bend.

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!

Easy to find, plenty of paved parking, clean bathrooms, greenery & friendly peeps on trail- what…read moremore could u ask for?'! Also- not too far from Bend

Don't forget bug spray. We made that rookie mistake and ended up miserable and turned around about…read more1.5 miles into our journey. Dozens of mosquito bites aside, those 3 miles out and back were quite fabulous and I imagine a complete journey is even more spectacular. Honestly, even the drive here is worth it, with incredible views of Mt. Bachelor, still snow-topped in summer. We will certainly return for a lengthier hike to the actual lakes and will be more prepared for the onslaught of bugs. Bring cash for the DIY payment process. There is a place to submit your payment in a envelope, as well as another spot right by the start of the trail where you fill out the day permit that they require one person in your group to carry.

One of the more accessible hikes into the Sisters wilderness, the trails to Moraine Lake take you…read moreto an area of superb and varied scenery. From the lake, the views of South Sister and Broken Top are fabulous, as is the lake itself. There are a couple ways to get to Moraine Lake - via the South Sister climbers trail from Devils Lake, or via the Green Lakes trail. We did the climbers route, which is about 6 miles round trip including walking the circumference of the lake. It's not a particularly difficult hike but the initial climb up to the lake elevation through heavily forested terrain (about 1.8 miles, 1200 ft el. gain) is steep. The trail is in good shape though. After that, it flattens out and you even have to descend a bit (you're going to a lake, after all). Along with considerably less huffing and puffing, you'll enjoy a radical change in terrain - more open, less cover, longer distance views (including South Sister, which dominates). The lake is cool, a great spot to chill. There's nothing there except what nature provides (it's a wilderness). If you're camping, you must do so in designated spots of which there about twenty. A bucket list hike if you spend any time in Bend.

This trail branches off of the north side of the Deschutes River Trail. It travels uphill into…read moreAwbrey Butte. The beginning of the trails travels upwards into a dry canyon. The canyon is filled with smaller pine and junipers trees. You can start to see the view of mt Jefferson and Hood as you climb up in altitude. Once you leave the dry canyon that the trails start off on you begin to cross a few roads. There are about four from my count until you reach Sylvan Park. Nearly each time the trail approaches the road, the trail on the other side of the road is to the left or the right. So you may want to give the Bend Parks and Rec map a look before hand. This trail will take you to two different parks. The first being Sylvan and the second being Summit Park. Both have tennis courts, picnic tables, and water fountains. But most of the fountains are shut off currently. Most of the trail is shaded and not too busy from the few times I have been on it. All in all, I would say if you are looking for a good uphill hike and a good view isn't a deal breaker, this trail would be a good alternative to Pilot Butte!

Sawyer Park holds so many memories from my childhood. I still stop by every time I am in the area…read more We used to eat lunch here with my grandma on her lunch break when I was a child. Sawyer has a nice grassy area with picnic benches. There is a few different trails you can take including the Fishermans trail that goes down to a few different water access points. There are large rocks and great photo areas. We used to eat lunch on the rocks by the river. This park is also dog friendly and we met quite a few furry friends on our visit.

See, this is why Bend is so great. Mere minutes from downtown, minutes from most of the city, a…read morestone's throw from a busy commercial street, you find an idyllic river park straight out of A River Runs Through It. This little spot where the Deschutes River gets a bit excited, where a reedy marsh attracts birds, where the Deschutes River Trail passes through, offers a wonderful place to do short walks, picnicking, dog-walking or just lazy contemplation. You also can jump on the river trail here and do a longer hike. Robert Sawyer Park is within the city limits and comprises acreage on either side of the river, connected by a nice footbridge. Other than picnic tables and benches, there are no facilities that I saw other than one port-o-john. Access by car is from O. B. Riley Rd just across from the Tumalo State Park Maintenance facility (the access road is easy to miss). There's a small parking lot a short distance down the road that can accommodate maybe a couple three dozen cars at most. Open sunrise to sunset. The parking lot side of the park (east side) offers a picnic area and access to civilization via a paved path. If you step off the path at the bridge and head north, you'll climb the basalt bluff and gain some pretty spectacular views of the river from higher up. You can also head away from the river here and wander among the ponderosa pines. Crossing the bridge, you can walk either straight up the hill to get to the Deschutes River Trail (which is a wide, bike-friendly trail here), or you can take less developed, less obvious paths along the river in each direction and through the trees. There's a large, grassy open area used for ... well, I don't know. Playing with your dog? Frisbee action? Whatever, there are no sports-related improvements such as baseball paths or anything. I'm a big fan.

Dry River is a great short hike readily accessible from Bend. Located just east of the Oregon…read moreBadlands, the trail runs east and 'upstream' along a canyon. Dry River Canyon (which is the correct name per BLM) was carved out by repeated floods from an ancient lake, located SE of Horse Ridge. The result is some fairly high walls of lava where you can see volcanic layering. The trail is easy, although you have to step up and around some rocks in places. Junipers abound. To get to the trailhead, turn north off Hwy 20 at the Oregon Badlands sign just before the road steepens. It's about a mile east of the Flatiron Rock trailhead turnoff. This is the road that will take you to the Badlands Rock trailhead if you keep going north. After turning off Hwy 20, take an immediate right into what looks like a gravel yard (which it is). Drive east through the yard - you'll come to a dirt road (there's a sign). The trailhead is about half-mile or so at the end of this road, which is suitable for pretty much any vehicle as long as you pick you way through some nasty tire-killing rocks in spots. Note that Dry River Canyon is closed between Feb 1 and Aug 31 to protect peregrine falcon nesting, unless the BLM opens it earlier.

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.