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    Recommended Reviews - Paulina Falls

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    Towering trees
    Jason C.

    Had never been and no one we knew had either. We live a good 3 hours away and wanted some easier hikes and waterfalls and stumbled on this gem. We found the trails to be well maintained and would've loved to have had our mountain bikes for them too. The main viewpoint is a short 2-3 min walk from the parking lot. We spotted another viewpoint from there that was on the opposite side. Hiking upstream from there, we found Paulina Lake and it's lodge a short distance from the main viewpoint. There's a bridge to cross and headed downstream till we found the other viewpoint... amazing! We headed back and decided to take the trail down to the base of the falls. Found a sweet little spot on the water to have some snacks, crack a beer and chill while cooling off. Barefoot and in swim shorts I scaled the steep rocky rivers edge, making it to the pool created by the falls. It was a pretty simple climb up, just make sure your footing is solid and a good handhold for each step. With the waterfall pouring down on my head, adrenaline pumping I could feel the refreshing water abundantly recharging my soul while taking in the epic views. I will be back... #TheGoodLife

    Lori H.

    Gorgeous twin falls and easy 0.25 mile trail up to the viewpoint at the top of the falls. The paved trail is beautiful, surrounded by pines and moss. You also have the option of walking down to the bottom of the falls (2 miles) for a different perspective. There's a decent sized parking lot with restrooms available. This requires a $5 day use pass. Highly recommend!

    09.01.18  Paulina Falls check-in
    May A.

    Twin Falls Paulina Falls is part of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. It is a forested trail leading to the falls plunging 80-feet. There are two ways to get to the falls: 1- a shorter hike leads to the upper viewing area (.25 mile) 2- a longer 2-mile hike leads to views from below Now guess which route we took? If you know me well enough then your answer was #1 LoL! There is really no hiking involved. The paved short trail is also wheelchair and stroller accessible and there is a picnic site in this area. An informative interpretive sign is adjacent to the overview lookout. To give you an idea on this short stroll, the walk to the main viewpoint is incredibly short that we could actually hear the falls from the parking lot. A beautiful trail provides access to the bottom. I believe it is not paved. After small hikes at the Lava Butte Trail and Benham Falls we weren't feeling adventurous hiking down to the lower viewpoint. We saw a couple of kids (or were they adults?) playing at the foot of the falls. It gave me perspective on how huge the boulders were below. The sight of the falls side by side was pretty cool. Review #1121

    Paulina Falls
    John K.

    There are two ways to get here - a trail from the lake will bring you to the top of the falls, or a separate parking lot down the road places you between the top of the falls and a trail that swichbacks down the hill to the base of the falls. The upper level viewing is very flat, and the hillside hike is not very taxing. Lovely views everywhere. The falls combines wonderfully with the nearby Big Obsidian Flow to make up a delightful day trip from Bend.

    Judy V.

    Wow, beautiful and amazing! Breathtaking! You can also take your dog with you on the trail that leads to the waterfall or you can skip the trail and go to the lookout point where you can see it from above!

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    9 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    Photo of Sam N.
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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    7 years ago

    This is not the location for the falls but instead the administration building for the forest. Use All Trails.

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    Photo of Tom K.
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    11 years ago

    Nice falls and the kokane are spawning right now. The entrance is a quick 1/4 mile from the main gate so get ready to make the sharp right.

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    Review Highlights - Paulina Falls

    Hiking upstream from there, we found Paulina Lake and it's lodge a short distance from the main viewpoint.

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    Deschutes River Trail System

    Deschutes River Trail System

    4.7
    (20 reviews)
    36.3 km

    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.

    Photos
    Paddle boards
    Paddle boards
    Playground
    Playground
    Trail

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    Trail
    Tumalo State Park

    Tumalo State Park

    4.1
    (47 reviews)
    46.5 km

    Tumalo Falls was an amazing adventure and one of the highlights of our trip. We chose the loop…read moretrail so we could see all of the waterfalls, and it was absolutely worth it. One of the most exciting parts was crossing the river several times. In some places there were bridges, and at one point we had to carefully balance across a log, which made the hike even more fun and memorable. We visited in April, and there was still a little snow on the trail. The weather was beautiful, but I would recommend bringing traction spikes if conditions are slippery and hiking poles for extra stability. The waterfalls were spectacular, and the scenery along the trail was breathtaking. It was a perfect mix of adventure and natural beauty. I'm sure I'll return one day with my kids to experience it all again.

    I am DONE staying quiet about this. Oregon residents, read every word of this…read more Let's start with the Oregon State Lottery. Not just scratch tickets -- we're talking about over 10,000 video lottery terminals running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in bars, restaurants, truck stops, and corner stores from Portland to Medford to Pendleton. Machines that never sleep. Machines that pull HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS out of Oregon communities every single year. One of the big promised beneficiaries of all that money? Oregon State Parks. HUNDREDS. OF. MILLIONS. OF. DOLLARS. Every year. So now I want you to listen very carefully to what Oregon State Parks does with all of that money -- and then I want you to tell me this makes sense. They charge you $50, $60, sometimes more -- just to pitch a tent on a patch of dirt and gravel. For a campsite. A flat piece of ground with a fire ring and maybe a picnic table. That's it. That is what they are charging your family a premium price to use -- land that the lottery was supposed to already be funding on your behalf. But wait. It gets worse. Who actually runs those campgrounds day to day? Who checks you in, keeps things clean, handles problems, and maintains order so your family has a decent experience? In many Oregon state parks, that's the PARK HOST. And you know what the park host gets paid? Nothing. Zero dollars. Not a dime. They volunteer their time and labor in exchange for a campsite to park their RV. Oregon State Parks is getting free labor -- DONATED labor from retirees and volunteers who love the outdoors -- and they are STILL charging you through the roof and STILL claiming they need more money. And then there are the rangers. Now I want to be fair -- but let's be honest about what a lot of ranger activity at campgrounds actually looks like. They drive around and check that you paid. They verify your tag. They make sure your receipt is displayed. That's the job. Fee enforcement. At wages that aren't exactly making anyone rich. So let me get this straight: -- The lottery generates hundreds of millions of dollars, with parks as a named beneficiary -- Volunteer hosts donate their labor for FREE -- Rangers are not highly paid -- Operating costs are therefore not enormous AND YET the fees are sky high, they keep climbing, and nobody in state government can give Oregon families a straight answer about where the money is actually going? I'm not just frustrated. I am demanding answers. Where is the lottery money going? Show us the budget line by line. Show us how much came in from the lottery last year and exactly where every dollar was spent. Because right now it looks like Oregon families are being squeezed from both ends -- losing money at lottery terminals across the state AND then getting charged again just to stand on public land for a weekend. This is public land. It belongs to you. You already paid for it. You are being charged to use what is already yours -- while the state collects a river of gambling revenue that was supposed to make this more affordable, not less. Enough. Share this post. Contact Oregon Parks and Recreation at oregon.gov/oprd. Call your state legislators. Demand a full public audit of every lottery dollar that was supposed to go to parks. Oregon families deserve to know where their money went. And they deserve to use their own land without being gouged for it. SHARE THIS. People need to know.

    Photos
    Tumalo State Park
    Tumalo State Park
    Tumalo State Park

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    Riley Ranch Nature Reserve

    Riley Ranch Nature Reserve

    4.8
    (6 reviews)
    42.8 km

    Great place for a peaceful walk…read more We love Riley for getting some exercise in a serene setting. There are a couple of loops running the upper perimeter of the ranch...flat and easy for anyone. Then there's the gorgeous canyon loop below, through the trees and along the river. Both are great, but canyon loop is my favorite, just a beautiful space...large boulders, sweet trees, and the constant sound of rushing Deschutes. Apparently you can take the canyon trail to Tumalo State Park, although we haven't done that yet. Love having this space for nature and animals. Although we saw deer on the way in, we didn't see any while inside, but we did spot lots of tracks...as well as lots of birds. Great preserve!

    Riley Ranch is a wonderful nature area operated by Bend Parks & Rec that probably many Bendites…read moredon't know about yet. It hasn't been open long. - Scenic views of the Deschutes, where the river runs fairly fast and has carved a canyon through the lava. Above the canyon wall on the east side lies Gopher Gulch air field (private property). - Lots of riparian areas here. People are instructed to only approach the river at designated access points. There are several, so that isn't too much of a restriction. - Junipers and ponderosas abound. - Trails are easy walking on mostly level terrain in the higher elevation areas (Juniper and Sage Loops). Robin's Run is a short segment which drops down somewhat steeply but there are rock steps installed to make it easier. The Canyon Loop trails along the river are much like you'd encounter along the Deschutes River Trail south of Bend. - This is a well-marked hiking area. Directional signs at key intersections, a very good overall map at both entrances (and mini-versions on some intersection markers), river access points identified. - If you keep going north past the Canyon Loop, the trail will take you out of Riley Ranch and towards Tumalo State Park. Along the way is the confluence of Tumalo Creek and the Deschutes River, which is pretty cool. - There are a couple of old (~1900) cabins fenced off along the Canyon Loop trail (one is actually a short distance down the trail towards Tumalo SP). - A Bend Parks & Rec person was stationed at the parking lot on a Sunday to remind people not to bring their dogs. - Medium-sized parking lot. As Rick J suggests, maybe its not larger on purpose. There's certainly room for a bigger lot. Bend has a surplus of great in-town and nearby casual walking trails. Riley Ranch is one.

    Photos
    Riley Ranch - trail to the canyon loop below
    Riley Ranch - trail to the canyon loop below
    Riley Ranch - canyon overview
    Riley Ranch - canyon overview
    Riley Ranch - canyon loop along the Deschutes

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    Riley Ranch - canyon loop along the Deschutes
    Hosmer Lake

    Hosmer Lake

    3.9
    (7 reviews)
    37.2 km

    I had the pleasure recently of visiting the Bend area for the first time since I was a kid -…read moreincluding a day trip to beautiful Hosmer Lake for some canoeing! Set against the picturesque backdrop of Mount Bachelor, Hosmer is a popular, serene lake full of wild birds, lilipads, and great canoeing and kayaking. The weather was warm and the water was smooth as we glided the canoe across the lake and found a quiet spot at the far end to go ashore and do some exploring. Even though the parking lot was busy, the lake was big enough that we didn't feel crowded or like we were encountering other visitors at every turn. There's a small boat launch, decent sized parking lot, and a pit toilet here - as well as a campground (which we didn't visit on this trip). If you're looking to enjoy some watersports near Bend, I highly recommend Hosmer!

    This is not the fault of what was once a serene, quiet top quality fishing lake. Now, the fishing…read moresucks because the lake is not really stocked anymore, and all the fish are natives, but because of the fact that paddleboarders have taken over, the fish are not as plentiful as they once were. Get there after 10 am? Good luck finding a place to park that isn't the side of the road on Elk lake loop. People now crowd in parking so badly on both sides to the access to the boat ramp makes putting in and getting out an actual boat extremely difficult. Plus people have no clue they are in the way, just put out your paddleboard and pump it up, oblivious that they are blocking the road, on both sides. Fishing is incredibly difficult when there is a freeway of paddleboarders and kayakers continually going by. The lake channels seem even more crowded when having to stay to the right with a non stop rush of non fishers speeding by as if it is a race to get wherever. At last visit i noticed hardly anyone had nw forest passes displayed nor dashboard daily passes. I think the paddleboarders have taken advantage that this lake's parking and access is not regulated. When i left there were over 20 cars in the "parking lot" at least 10 on both side of the access road and another 20 lining the Elk lape loop. I talked with a local person that had been going there for 50 years and in their words, "this place is a f*cking zoo". Never going back, this lake is ruined, thanks paddleboarders.

    Photos
    View of waterway
    View of waterway
    Another duck
    Another duck
    Beautiful view

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    Beautiful view

    Paulina Falls - landmarks - Updated June 2026

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