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.

Beautiful place Lovely hike…read morePlenty of parking Quick wrkout Scenic Popular Would recommend Go enjoy! :)

The views from the top are unmatched! You can see the entire valley, and luckily on this clear day…read moreall of the mountains too!! We did the dirt trail and though there were parts that were steep, it was fairly easy to navigate in just our regular sneakers & jeans. There were lots of people trail running, many walking the paved path, it was such a fun way to get a look at the city.

Kyle and I love to come to this lake in the summer. It's nice small lunch is always good at the…read morerestaurant.. Great little atmosphere!

It was a little smokey due to all the fires. The lake was nice and the scenery was peaceful &…read morebeautiful. Our family had a nice picnic & day. The kids loved seeing all the butterflies, dragonflies & frogs. We'll be back again.

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.

Very beautiful lake. A short walk from the parking. Don't forget your parking pass. Very quiet and…read moretranquil.

Did an engagement session, winter 2019 and there were a ton of cars/people in the parking lot. We…read moredecided not to hike the trail since my couples were dressed up and didn't have the proper shoes to hike. We went down to the field and took pictures and found snow to do the rest of the engagement photos in. If you are looking for an intimate wedding or elopement photographer, please visit stunningportraitphotography.com

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.

A beautiful park right here in downtown Bend. What seems so far away is within walking distance if…read moreyou are anywhere close to downtown Bend. Lots of space to throw a blanket and chill. You can put i. to float here as well.

Drake Park has a lovely walking trail as well as water access, restrooms, picnic tables and large…read moregrassy areas. There is alot of street parking (4 hour max). There were people floating on paddle boards, there could be some good fishing within as well as alot of crayfish. There are beautiful homes along the waterfront as well as some resturants and downtown access from the parkway.

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.