Juniper Park feels like a really old but well maintained park. My girlfriend and I walked around…read morefor a while and it struck me how peaceful it is with the large fields with a bunch of old growth trees around. The park has a bunch of amenities too! A fitness center, swimming center, playground, and a tennis court. The squirrels here are absurdly fat, clearly living luxurious in Bend. This is one of the nicest parks in Bend. It's simple, welcoming, and just feels good to be in. Five out of five stars!

This is another beautiful, well maintained park in Bend. I have been taking my kiddo here mainly…read morefor tennis lessons and I love walking around the park while waiting. Only negative I could think of was the parking lot. Wish it was bigger.

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.

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!

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.

Cute little park…read more Note there's no shade on playground in morning. We ended up hanging out more on the grass field where there was a ton of shade. A cool feature of the playground: It's shaped like a pirate ship, and it includes a bouncy plank! There's a small shaded picnic table area with maybe 3-6 tables. There is a water fountain and port-a-potties. Parking was not easy on 4th of July. There was no dedicated lot, and the park's located in a busy residential area.

Great park and playground! We stopped by to let the kids get some energy out and they have a…read morereally nice pirate ship-themed playground. There is also a slide that goes down the hill right alongside the banks of the river, and just a few yards away is a neat wooden bridge that crosses the Deschutes. It was so cool to see tons of people floating down the river, right from the park. Kids had fun and we'd come again.

I would definitely recommend this lake in summer. Lots of places to paddle to and the views are…read moreamazing. I would recommend NOT going in fall. The water level was only 7 inches or less in a majority. To not get stuck in the mud you had to find the channels. It's an extra adventure to try to push yourself 20 feet out of mud.

This is such a beautiful location to hike or paddle! Beware that the lake slowly drains over the…read moresummer, so it becomes too shallow to paddle as the summer wears on. It's pretty awesome to be able to hear the water draining out through the lava rocks when you're along the edge of certain parts.

We were excited to complete the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway and visiting Tumalo Falls was our first…read morestop. We visited in late September and the temperature was pretty perfect. Be sure to arrive early to grab a good parking spot. The lot is small and fills up very quickly. Once parked, we walked up to the viewing area and took in these gorgeous falls. They are located within the Deschutes National Forest and the falls head over a cliff face of 97 feet. Tumalo Creek continues down the mountain. We followed the trail up further and discovered more waterfalls which I believe are called Middle Tumalo Falls. I believe we hiked a total of 4 miles and we really enjoyed hanging out here. I love and seek water hikes of all types and this one just kept providing us a good time. It was a great way to start our day and prepared us for a whole day of experiencing the beauty of Central Oregon. Always remember when visiting these natural areas to pack in/pack out and LEAVE NO TRACE.

Beautiful Falls. We went to Tumalo Falls and Deschutes National Forest with our family (locals) and…read moreloved it. We started our hike at the trailhead just steps from the parking lot. The path is well-maintained and leads directly Tumalo Falls. It is incredible and cascades from a height of 89 feet. So impressive. The sound and power of the Falls is such an outstanding sight. It took us 2 1/2 hours-but it was worth every view. See you next year!

According to the Bend Parks & Recreation website, Bend has three city-owned parks with tennis…read morecourts, and two of them are in the high rent neighborhood of Awbrey Butte (Sylvan Park is the other one on the butte, with Juniper hosting the sole non-Awbrey city courts). Not sure what to think about that other than I don't much like it. Anyhoo, Summit is a small, highly manicured bit of green space that indeed sports two new tennis courts, which are immaculate. Parking is very limited, which reinforces the notion that this park is for locals only.

This is a great little neighborhood park on the corner of Summit and Promontory. Within walking…read moredistance from many of the homes on the Butte. We ventured up their after spotting their tennis courts. We've lucked out both times and have had the place to ourselves. There are two courts, nothing fancy, but certainly do the trick. Benches for spectators inside the court area, nice grassy area outside for those who need a little shade. Plus a working water fountain. Basketball hoop, not even half court size, but works for practicing free throws, or working on your jump shot. Nice grassy area which is fairly level. Seems like an ideal spot for a game of frisbee, or picnicking with the family. Only one side of the park is actually on Summit Drive, the far side opposite the tennis courts at the end of the far grassy area. So, safe enough for little kids if you aren't picnicking on that side of the park. Has it's own lot with maybe 3 or 4 spaces and plenty of street parking.

According to the Bend Parks & Recreation website, Bend has three city-owned parks with tennis…read morecourts, and two of them are in the high rent neighborhood of Awbrey Butte (Summit Park is the other one on the butte, with Juniper hosting the sole non-Awbrey city courts). Not sure what to think about that other than I don't much like it. Anyhoo, Sylvan is a small, highly manicured bit of green space that indeed sports two new tennis courts, which are immaculate. Parking is very limited, which reinforces the notion that this park is for locals only.

This is a gorgeous little park on the top of Awbrey Butte. It has a couple new tennis courts, about…read morefour picnic tables, and a playground. It has a bunch of well-maintained grass and huge Ponderosa trees towering over it. The courts are typically free. The parking is somewhat limited though are trails that lead to here. The Archie Briggs Canyon Trail runs through this trial taking you to the Deschutes River Trail or Summit Park. There are no bathrooms, but there is a drinking fountain. It's a good park to get in a game of tennis or a picnic when the other parks are full.