Nice view of the river and falls. Not very high but still beautiful. Would not recommend to lower…read morecars. I took a midsized car and encountered several locations that we bottomed out, muddy and or dusty area. Had porta potty at parking area. Near is addtional walking areas. Wear appropriate shoes since can be slippery. Area also looked like a tent camping place. No tents were in area. Possibly off season. Would like to return.

This is part of the Deschutes River System / Deschutes River Trail, which has its own listing…read more However, Dillon falls really deserves its own listing because there's parking nearby and you can treat it as a stand-alone destination. It's also listed on Google Maps as its own destination. The falls are glorious. This is a real gem of a spot. There's a couple of small parking lots nearby. It doesn't take long at all to walk to the falls - they are only a couple hundred feet away from the parking. There's also a bathroom that is maintained incredibly well. It's super clean. Check out the beautiful Ponderosa Pines on this land while you are on your way to the falls! The Deschutes River is incredibly beautiful. This spot is magical because above the falls it's quiet and serene. The falls themselves are loud and boisterous, a high energy feeling. Barely saw any people here. The few that I did see were walking dogs, fishing, etc. If you're looking for beautiful waterfalls to check out in the area, while Dillon isn't the biggest you've ever seen it's really pretty and worth the very short walk it takes to get there from the parking lot. Only downside... and it's non-negligible... the roads going in are amusingly atrocious. Like really really bad. I've never seen so many potholes in my whole life. I'm not docking any stars though, because it's still just so beautiful I don't care. Worth it anyway.

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.

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.

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.

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.

As a local for nearly 40 years, I wasn't sure about using a tour, but every detail of our starlight…read moresnowshoe adventure went so well. The online res system was easy to use. A change to our party 1 week prior was dealt with quickly and kindly, including a follow up call just to be sure we were taken care of. Our tour leader was super friendly and knowledgeable about local ecology. I learned so much! The snowshoes had great bindings-- no one had them come loose. (Poles would have been helpful. I would bring my own next time) The bonfire was amazing and the goodies were tasty. Nature did her part with a sparkling clear night, brilliant moon and meteor. I will definitely do another tour with Wanderlust!

I went on two tours, the first a night time canoe trip, which was incredibly beautiful. We floated…read morein Hosmer Lake -- like glass, saw billions of stars, the milky way and a comet or two shoot across the sky. The guide, Krystin was fantastic. A few days later, I went on a day time kayak trip with them and it was equally fantastic. Super nice people and in addition to the relaxing time in nature, learned a little about the town of Bend. Highly recommend!

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.

Truly such a wonderful place to rest and reset in Bend during the summer months. The water provides…read morea place to cool down and the plentiful amounts of grass provide a place to do some fun summer activities like hula hooping!

Miller's Landing was super busy when we went by. Quite alot of people enjoying the river and the…read moregrassy areas. We walked the trail up and over the bridge and down the other side of the park. They were hosting a river surfing competition on the rapids along with some vendors and food trucks on that side of the park. There was a live band performing in the park along side the food truck and the vendors. It was nice to be able to listen to the music while walking the river trail. The park is well maintained and well loved as quite alot of people were in the park when we visited. Beautiful park and a nice trail.