This was an ok trip but I had mixed feelings about it. Pros: The guide was nice (we had Lane), which made the ride more enjoyable. He knew all of our names before we even left the parking lot. The trail was in good shape from recent rain so a beginner would have no trouble participating. Cons: The email confirmation and website mentioned the bike shortage and that riders had to be a minimum of 4 ft tall with a 24 inch inseam but didn't really explain how to measure that, etc. Sure, I know what an inseam in pants is, but turns out an inseam measurement for bike riding is different. Would have been nice to know without having to look it up the night before and then worry my kid wouldn't be tall enough. Lots of standing around. We were on the 10-4 tour and though we arrived at 9:45 no one directed us to have our kids take the bike test to see if they could go and nobody got fitted for bikes until everyone in the booking had arrived. Then, the large 10 am group was split into two smaller groups and if you were in the second group, you had to stand around for 20 minutes killing time to give the first group a head start. Why not just stagger the starts and have a 10 am and a 10:30? From a customer perspective this sort of sucked. This was billed as a Mountain bike ride with waterfalls and slides, but it was more like, walking/hiking to see 3 waterfalls and then a very mellow 3 mile single track ride to finish. It would have been nice to sort people by skill or interest (shorter vs longer rides) as we definitely had some gung ho dudes in our group and some newbies like me. Two of the waterfalls (at least) were accessible via McKay campground, which was a little disappointing. I thought we would be off the beaten path, checking out a little known spot, etc. Overall, our young kids, 8 and 10 enjoyed it and had fun. It was their first time mountain biking. I'd rate the ride and scenery 4 stars but the administration and organization only 2 stars (I'm a fan of efficiency and customer service) , hence my 3 star rating. read more

Was excited to go. Day of the trip for our group smoke was heavy. Hazardous in fact. His terms and conditions explain that you must show up no matter what the conditions. From there the group will vote and you must conform to the group decision. We were the only ones who showed up. The owner, Todd, decided after getting various voice messages the day before and the morning of, but he would cancel the event. Great! No pick up the phone and call your customers to make sure they don't waste their time and come all the way out to the top of a mountain only to find your experience was canceled. He claimed to have sent a text in the early morning hours. But I didn't get it until after the fact. Oh well, not great but not terrible. Did waste a lot of our time driving out there on a horrific weather day for smoke. Talked to Todd personally later, and he said "no problem I'll give your money back." Refund it all of it except our deposit, then wouldn't answer the phone or return multiple calls. In my final message I reminded him of his neglect as a business owner and a conscientious honest human. Told him repeatedly he needed to refund my deposit, as there were no terms or discussion of anything other than a full refund. Really annoying to deal with business owners who aren't conscientious. Really detracts from your credibility. So here's the review I promise to leave you if you went another two weeks without returning my calls again. Gave you four chances Todd. read more

While visiting Bend we chose this experience for our family due to the ratings and it looked fun. It was the perfect blend of riding (almost all downhill, how good is that?), beautiful scenery and informative plant and herbology date from Lane. So unique. I definitely recommend this adventure for you and your family. The bikes were also newer and kept in very good condition including comfortable seats. We even had an adult who had only started riding bikes the day prior and, although she felt nervous about this experience prior to arriving, she had a great time too! read more

The trip would have been 5 stars if they equipped themselves with the right equipment. The day before they send you an email that they have only adult bikes and you need to measure inseams. They have known this for a while and should really limit at time of booking or invest in a handful of kids bikes. They are available at bike stores! In addition the adult bikes have snow tires and other equipment that limits the enjoyment. I had to stress throughout the trip that my daughter who barely made the measurement would be safe on the bike. She fell a couple times and could not keep up. It's really disappointing that they have full bike tours which means they are making $ but have not invested in the right bikes. read more

Great fun activity while visiting Bend. I would absolutely do this again. Beautiful scenery and exciting biking. Great knowledgeable guides and well kept bikes. Recommend for kids 10+ read more

Wonderful experience. First time single track mountain biker here. I'd admit I'm not a great biker and the narrow paths were really intimidating for me, but I made it unscathed! Our guides were fantastic. Helmets/backpacks free to use. Thought initially it was expensive but it was worth it for an all day activity. We stopped at 4 waterfalls. The guides were super helpful and held your hands and told you where to step in the falls. No one got hurt. The kids ages ranging from 5-10? Were so fearless, racing down the mtn and waterfalls. Not me! Cold soda reward at the end. We bought our own lunch. Great adventure in the woods. I do wish some of the trails were wider for a newbie like me, so that my hands weren't clenched to the brakes.. oh, yes we climbed down some steep trails for the waterfalls...and of course, you climb back out! Start stretching, lol. PS - forgot to take trail and bike pics - was kinda busy trying not to crash. read more

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This really shouldn't be billed as a mountain biking trip. With that being said, we had a great time with a few caveats. What you get: beautiful scenery, waterfalls you wouldn't otherwise know existed, a bit of mountain biking in between waterfalls, and some basic history of the area, along with a LOT of standing around. The guides were great, the trip was organized but we did a lot of standing around. It might have been that we had 27 people in our group. When we were waiting to load onto the bus to head out in the morning, we could not believe all of the people there. We had read reviews so we thought there would be several groups going up separately. Not the case. There was a very large foreign exchange student program and they got onto the bus along with all of the masses of people going. We got up to the launching point and spent 20-25 minutes standing around and then getting instructions. Because there were so many people they did break us up into two groups but the group size was still too large. They sent the other group ahead of us and so all day long, we were standing around, waiting for them to clear out of the area we were headed to. We would ride our bikes a few minutes, get off, and wait. It was pretty frustrating. With that being said, the kids loved jumping into the waterfall pools and sliding down the natural slides. They all said they would like to go back next year if we visit Sunriver again. I imagine the scenery of the mountains would be beautiful, unfortunately, we didn't get to see anything but smoke due to the fires (not the company's fault). I think this adventure would have easily rated a 5 stars if the group size would have been smaller. Maybe ask how big the group will be before reserving? We went on Monday, which we thought would be less crowded. Not true. My favorite part was the last 10 minutes of the trip where we got to ride without stopping about 3 miles on our mountain bikes. I wish there was more of this on the trip. To the reviewers who said this was a physically difficult challenge/adventure? UMMMM, my 5 year old did it without any issues whatsoever. The walks were not strenuous. Some of the hills going into and out of the waterfall areas were fairly steep but anyone in any decent kind of shape should have no problem with it. Definitely wear tennis shoes with good traction and that you don't mind getting wet. Use your own back pack too, and bring water! Skip their lunches- and pack your own. Definitely not worth 10.00. It was a very basic wrap thrown in a bag with a small tangerine and some packaged cookies. Make sure you pack enough water. We ran out and wished we had brought more. I would say 32 ounces at the very least for each person. I loved that they had an ice cold pop waiting for us at the end. Small touches like this mean everything to me. It was probably the most delicious pop I have had after such a long, hot, day. Overall a very fun day. Expensive but fun. read more

Perfect activity for my active family. Great combination of biking, hiking, swimming/sliding and beautiful surroundings. The guides tell you exactly what to expect and this adventure is suitable for anyone that is an active person that likes to bike and hike. We will do this again 100%. read more

This lake is located in the Newberry National Monument. It is one of the two lakes that are located in the crater below Paulina Peak. If you have seen photos of a beautiful hot spring in this area, Paulina is the lake you are looking at. I have traveled to East Lake a few times thinking that was the location. East Lake does indeed have hot springs as well, but they are small and smell pretty bad. The way to get to the hot springs at Paulina Lake is by boat as the trail is closed. This lake has a ton of wildlife along the shores, from butterflies, squirrels, and osprey. This lake has hands down the most osprey of any lake I have been to in central Oregon. I have yet to visit this lake without witnessing an osprey catching a fish, which to me is a rare occurrence anywhere else. There is a very intense aqua blue color to this lake that is very unique. The photos you will see typically do not do it justice. The shore has an orange and sand color from the algae that combined with the color of the lake make this location truly epic. All while hiking through this lake you can see the peaks from the Paulina Crater that constantly remind you, that you are traveling inside of an active volcano. If you have an interest in geology you need to come here and just soak it all in. Nearby there are cinder cones, shield volcanos, calderas, and obsidian lava flows all within a few square miles. If it's hot out and you need a break from the heat, this lake is a great option. Just remember to bring some cash for the fees and to respect the environment to avoid any tickets. Here is a link to the land management agency that manages this area. https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/deschutes/recarea/?recid=66159 Here is a link to some other information about this lake https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/deschutes/recarea/?actid=42&recid=71997 read more

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Took my young adult kids on this adventure yesterday. Chris, our guide, was amazing. He not only kept us prepared for what was to come, but we also got some lessons about forests, fires and nature. While this is fun, don't think it's simply a little stroll through the forests. Their "energetic" hikes to get to the waterfalls are challenging but well worth it! Also, take the helmet. There are places where you can really get moving and there are many unforgiving trees! Highly recommend this; we'll do it again! read more

My adult sons and I really enjoyed this experience. We haven't had any real experience with downhill biking, but the fat tire bikes were very forgiving - we were all able to ride aggressively and maintain a strong sense of control. The "energetic hikes" were difficult for some in our larger group, but not anything that my sons and I felt detracted from the overall enjoyment. The waterfalls were very nice. Being able to get in the water and feel their power was amazing. My only suggestion - I wish they rented GoPro cameras. There is no way to take pictures/videos while flying down a single-track mountain trail and I sure wish I had some video of the experience. read more

Awesome staff, superb family fun and a unique experience. Make sure to bring at least a liter of water per person. read more

The Paulina Plunge - At the third waterfall. Such a great time - Tours Near Me - La Pine, Oregon

Super fun! Nick was our guide and he was awesome. We saw 4 waterfalls; we jumped into 1 of them and got go down 3 waterfall slides. The biking trail is so beautiful but can be a little scary. Your body will be pushed so make sure you pack some snacks. Highly recommended. read more

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Great little attraction for a day's worth of site seeing here in the Bend OR area. Meet up in Sunriver and be bused up to the summit of a mountain in the Paulina forest section just north of La Pine. This is a pristine setting for mostly downhill coasting on mountain bikes via the single-track trail. You'll see untouched forest up close and pause for the occasional short hike down to the river where there are wonderful falls, pools and slides to be experienced! The guide (Brendon) was terrific and gave a nice non-political history of the area and the war between the new immigrant and native Americans. Part of the tour includes a natural water slide inside a burned out area in recovery. About 5 years have gone by since the fire and the shrubs are dense and green, contrasted by the blackened trunks of old trees. It's really cool. Nature can be brutal, but everything is for good. Don't go expecting to experience mountain biking as you'll be disappointed. It's a nice family activity where everybody gets wet, laughs, experiences bubbling pools, many falls, natural slides in a terrific setting. The value is terrific whether you opt-in for their lunch or bring your own picnic lunch to backpack along. read more

Worth every cent! I cannot explain how much fun my family of 21 had today. The staff is beyond friendly and accommodating. The guides are knowledgeable and fun. Th e waterfalls and slides are stunning. The hiking is very mild and the biking is exhilarating! I'd highly recommend this. We will be coming back next year! read more

The Paulina Plunge - Tours Near Me - La Pine, Oregon

The Paulina Plunge is a wonderful excursion for the entire family. It is obvious that the tour guides are fun and do much to make experience a great one. And the fat tire bikes they provide are perfectly suited for the tour. It is great that this company provides such a quality experience. I say this as an outside observer of these excursions. What is not appreciated about these tour guides is their attitude to those guests of the falls who are enjoying the falls without being part of a paid tour. The falls and all access to them are on public property. ALL people have the right to enjoy the access to and their time while at the falls. I had a tour guide disparage my family as we were overlapping our time at the falls 'Thanks for ruining my tour!' It is my hope that these guides continue to provide a great experience for their groups AND respect the rights of access and enjoyment to ALL who come to the falls. read more

Really fun day riding mountain bikes and taking plunges in the creek. Guides are friendly and informative. Great way to spend a day with your family. I would say kids 7 and up are good to go. Younger and it's a little tougher unless they are tandem riding with parent. Highly recommend. Bring lots of water and snack. Full 5-6 hour day. read more

Our family had such an amazing time on the Paulina Plunge Tour! Well worth the money and trip to Bend. It was a perfect day of adventure for our family. We got lost and were late for out 10am trip. We called and let them know, and not only did they wait for us, the owner stayed on the phone with us while we navigated there! A special thank you Hannah and Nick our guides who made sure we were entertained and safe. You guys are awesome! read more

We came here with a large group of kids and adults. Ages 4-47. And it was a great day for all! There was something for everyone and it really delivered an active, fun filled day with lots of laughs. Our guide Jordan was tons of fun and kept everyone on their toes! Highly recommend!!! read more

Dear Chris and the Paulina Plunge staff: Trip date: Thursday, July 19, 2018. Chris, you were an amazing guide for my 8 year old grandson, myself (his grandmother), and our entire group. You are enthusiastic, positive, and clearly know how to engage with, and manage children. Thanks for working so hard and encouraging all of us to try a slide. Thanks also for your safety procedures during biking and sliding. You took special care to make this experience unforgettable. We had a large group and everyone did nothing but rave about Chris and the entire staff. This is an organized company. From our bus driver to the bike loaders and check in staff, everyone went out of their way to help and support participants. Thank you for making this an incredible experience. read more

This was the highlight of our trip to Sun River. We had a blast. Lane was a great guide! He was very knowledgeable, professional and fun! Everyone working there was very helpful and super nice. We would highly recommend this adventure and would love to do it again next time we are in town. read more

What a great time!! Beautiful scenery and very knowledgeable guides. Max and Callie were fun entertaining and educational. Waterfalls and a great taste of the area. Loved this outing. Went with my husband daughter son in law and 2 grandkids aged 6 and 10 read more

Went with my family of four and had a wonderful time. Mountain biking was fun even though my daughter took a couple tumbles. After educating her on use of the brakes she got it down and really enjoyed her ride. The guides were very involved and took a great interest in her safety and experience. Waterfalls were amazing and though the water was cold I got used to it quickly. Highly recommend! read more

What an awesome experience! Yes you can do it on you own, but if you are not from the area, not familiar with all the trails to hike/bike, and looking for a full day adventure it is totally worth it! We have stopped here on a previous trip to Sunriver and totally overlooked all the waterfalls because we didn't know they were there. I would probably not have completed the whole experience if it wasn't for the group tour, encouragement from the guides, and I feel so accomplished for completing it! Our tour guides, Lane and Brighton, were so awesome, friendly, funny, personable, and patient! Todd (the owner) watched our small dog, which was prearranged, and he texted us pictures of him during our trip. We would definitely do it again! The only complaint is that I underestimated the amount of hiking involved - I don't mind hiking, but some of the hikes were very steep (down to the water and a steep uphill hike back). Just something to take into consideration. read more

It was more swimming in the river and falls than mountain biking, but it was still fun and a nice family outing. You go out in group of 45-50 on a bus and then they split you into two groups of 20-25 people based upon age of children in family or no family. One guide per group. Jordan was our guide and he was great! Kept it light and fun. Don't expect a thrilling mountain bike experience. They have to keep it easy enough for the kids and less adventurous adults. If you are an thrill-seeker, make sure to get at the front for the last 3-miles of the ride. Then you can go as fast as you like without having to wait for others in front of you. The scenery and swimming spots are fantastic. It was worth $70 to do this once, but I wouldn't do it again unless there was a more advanced, adventurous trails. read more

We've been on this adventure three times now and it keeps getting better. We missed our "regular" guide, Cecil, this year but Chris was amazing and the new fat tire mountain bikes made it even more fun. This simply doesn't get old...we look forward to our next ride... read more

My kids 11, 16 and 19 had a blast! So did my husband and I. The biking was fun and the water was a beautiful adventure. Our guides Hannah and Jeremy were awesome. They did a great job with all levels of experience. Even the bus driver Phyllis was a hoot, not to mention a great driver. My kids cannot wait to go back again. read more

Dear Todd, My family and our very closest family friends have been on Paulina Plunge in the past. We absolutely loved the adventure and all of your employees were incredible. So this year when we scheduled another vacation to Bend we immediately scheduled another Paulina Plunge adventure. Sadly, five of our nine participants were up all night the night before our scheduled trip quite sick with the flu. I called first thing in the morning panicking because I knew we could not make it to our scheduled Plunge. Todd, you were awesome on the phone! I appreciated your calmness and most of all your understanding. We have vacationed in Bend for the last seven years and we plan to come back every summer for as long as we can. We will definitely continue to tell all of our friends about Paulina Plunge, your amazing staff and the thrill of the biking/hiking/water adventure. We will definitely be back without a doubt to see you guys again next summer. Thank you! read more

We just came home from a trip to Bend. At the last minute we decided to book this tour, what a great decision!!! We had a party of 11, ages 9-66. Everyone had an amazing time. The water fall belly flops were the best ice breaker and the bikes were a blast. Chris was our tour guide and he was very informative and entertaining! Our 9 year old found a new buddy in him!! I'd totally recommend read more

So much fun!!! We had an awesome time on this excursion of our Sunriver trip. We saw some gorgeous waterfalls that you only see in the movies! The guides were friendly, animated and wanted to ensure that we were all safe and had a great experience. They constantly watched out for everyones safety and well being. They were also more than willing to take group photos. Some of the treks down to the falls were steep, but as long as you have appropriate shoes and pay attention it was fine. They allowed ample time for people to get down, explore the falls, do the waterslide, etc and for everyone to return to their bikes and be off onto the next leg of the trip. I would recommend this excursion to anyone! Especially people with kids probably 9-18 ish aged. Some of the trails are a little tough to bike on, so confident bike skills are a must. However, if you do fall on the back, chances are you are falling in sand, so it doesn't hurt :) read more

So fun. Waterfalls are awesome. Biking is pretty easy, fun. They take care of everything, including lunch. Must see.

This was the best part of our vacation while in Sun River! We had perfect weather, packed our own lunch and had a blast! Our guide was Ryan and he was awesome!!! He was fun, positive, patient and knowledgable. The waterfalls and scenery were beautiful! Well organized trip for sure! Would recommend that people be in decent shape as there is some hiking and single track trails on the bike. Wear comfortable shoes for hiking that can also go in the water and clothes over swim suit that dry easily. Definitely worth doing! read more

Terrible costumer service! My family and I wanted to do the plunge for my sister's birthday, but unfortunately we never got to go. We called to make the reservation 3 days in advance and there was space available. The owner refused to our card at the time and then said we had to go back online and make the reservation, then he would call us. So we did that, but you can't pay online. He then called back at 8:20am on a Sunday morning. My mom called back within 10 minutes and he had already given away all six of our spaces. To make it worst, he was extremely rude about it. I was looking forward to this experience, but was appalled by how he treated his "customers". I would not recommend even attempting to make a reservation with this company. read more

We had a group of 20+ people ranging in ages from 7-73 and every last person had a great time. You start off taking a bus up the mountain to get your bikes and to where the trail starts. After getting some basic instructions we were off. The first segment of the ride is where you get the only climb of the day which most people will walk their bike up, it's really no big deal. We made three stops at different places along the river where you could play in the water falls, pools and natural slides. Each stop requires you to hike down to the river. None of the hikes are very long and in some spots get a little step. Again even the 73 year olds in the group didn't have a problem. The last part is where the longest of the rides begins which is about 10-15 mins of gentle downhill single track which was super fun. Not only did we have a variety of ages but also some who are avid mtn bikers and some very cautious riders we had some people in great shape and others not so much and yet everyone said it was the highlight of the trip and would go again. I give a lot of credit to our guide he was super patient and was great with all the kids. If you're considering this trip don't hesitate! Couple pieces of advice...pack your own lunch in your own backpack and take a decent sized water bottle for the bike and maybe an extra one in your backpack. read more

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A unique experience. The natural waterslides are awesome. The biking is cool too. It's intermediate terrain, not too steep, not too rocky. I haven't been for many years, since I live here now, but when I did, it was really special. I think it's a Central Oregon vacation essential. read more

For myself, I would give this four-five stars for the experience. The waterfall slides were amazing and incredibly fun and our guide was great. It's like nothing I've ever done before. The only issue I have is that the website says it's "safe and fun" for ages 4-70. I took my six-year-old, who is great on a bike, (albeit not a mountain-biker) thinking we'd be good to go. First of all, they waited until we got to the top to test the kids on the bikes. Though he could ride the bike fine, he was a bit too short. Perhaps they could place a height suggestion on the website as I was then left to ride a tag-a-long bike with him on the back. I was definitely not prepared for that. Riding a tag-a-long on cement roads is one thing, but mountain biking down on narrow, dirt roads was quite another. It was definitely a little scary for the both of us, which left me strained to enjoy the experience. If you are accustomed to this type of riding, though, you'll probably be fine. The other thing I would mention is that your child should probably know how to swim. They don't mention this on the website; I did a lot of research beforehand and couldn't find anything on this subject. Some of the pools are deep and plunge you under water. My kiddo is comfortable in the water, but was uncomfortable with some of the rushing water, so we brought a life vest for peace of mind. The water is chilly, but that's to be expected. If it's warm out, you'll dry off and warm up quickly. Overall, the experience was pretty cool. I just wish I would have had some of this information prior to booking and getting to the top of the mountain. If I had, I probably would have waited until my son was older or left him at home. My suggestion is that this experience would be better suited for kids over the age of 8 unless you have an experienced mountain biker. read more

Disappointed. We were so embarrassed by our guides behavior to other people on the trail that were using the waterfall. He was rude & confrontational with them because they were there but not in our group. Shame on you for acting so unprofessional. I would not recommend this guide group. read more

TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE!! Do not give your money to these people! Do not believe their website that this ride is appropriate for kids as young as 4!! We went on this ride with a group of 28 friends as a reunion, with our 5 and 8 yr olds. When we got to the ride start my 5 yr old got scared and started crying. Rather than work with him and help him, the owner told us to take him away and basically kicked him off the ride. Then our 8 yr old was told he was a bad bike rider (he's not) and rather than work with him, they told him he had to go on a tandem which humiliated him in front of his friends and made HIM cry. So he got kicked off the ride too! We then distinctly heard the owner offer anyone in the group who also wanted to go back could get a refund. On the bus ride back, the driver told us we would have to talk to the owner when he got back in 5 hrs to get the refund. My husband trudged back hours later and the owner was incredibly rude to him and flatly denied him a refund. We got kicked off the ride because they upset our kids. We were lied to about a refund. HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE!! DO NOT TAKE YOUR KIDS!!! read more

As others have said, this trip is well worth going on! My two daughters, 12 & 15 and I went on this trip last week as part of a week-long Oregon vacation. It was definitely one of our favorite days. Booking was easy and professional. Our tour guide, Chris, could not have been better. We had a group of about 15 people and he was attentive, clear with instructions and engaging and gave great information about the area as we hiked. I'm a dental hygienist, so I don't get a lot of exercise, but am in decent shape. The bike riding and hikes were definitely do-able (the first hike back up was the most challenging, in my opinion). The waterfalls and slides were beautiful and fun. The bikes are well maintained and easy to ride and all the staff I interacted with were friendly and professional. Our group consisted of mostly families with kids between 10 to teen and had no adults over the age of 50-ish, but I'm pretty sure anyone in decent shape could manage all aspects of this great adventure. I wholeheartedly recommend this trip and if you get Chris for your guide, you'll be in for even more of a treat. Great trip! read more