Things to do in Bend
June through September brings warm, dry high-desert days ideal for hiking, paddling, and floating the Deschutes; winter draws skiers and snowboarders to Mount Bachelor while many alpine lakes and the Cascade Lakes Highway close under snow.
Best months: June, July, August, September
What is worth your time in Bend
Deschutes River TrailDo not miss
A scenic path tracing the Deschutes from the Old Mill into the canyon, linking footbridges, parks, and pine-shaded river bends.
Scenic Route · 2 hr5
Smith Rock State ParkDo not miss
A world-class climbing and hiking park of towering tuff cliffs above a horseshoe bend of the Crooked River, 30 minutes north.
Day Trip · 5.5 hr4.9
High Desert MuseumDo not miss
An acclaimed indoor-outdoor museum of high-desert wildlife, Native cultures, and frontier history, with live raptors and otters.
Museum · 2.8 hr4.8
Pilot Butte State Scenic ViewpointDo not miss
A drive or short hike to the top of an in-town cinder cone delivers a 360-degree panorama of Bend and nine Cascade peaks.
Viewpoint · 1.1 hr4.8
Lava Lands Visitor Center and Lava ButteDo not miss
The gateway to Newberry National Volcanic Monument, where a road climbs a cinder cone to a summit lookout over miles of black lava flows.
Nature · 2.3 hr4.7
Old Mill DistrictDo not miss
A revitalized riverfront of former lumber mills now full of shops, restaurants, and the Deschutes River trail, the social heart of modern Bend.
Neighborhood · 2.3 hr4.5
Downtown BendDo not miss
A walkable grid of brick storefronts, independent boutiques, breweries, and farm-to-table restaurants along the Deschutes.
Neighborhood · 2.3 hr4.4
Cascade Lakes Scenic BywayDo not miss
A breathtaking alpine loop past Mount Bachelor and a string of volcanic lakes mirroring the Three Sisters peaks.
Scenic Route · 4.5 hr
Mount BachelorDo not miss
Oregon's premier ski and snowboard mountain in winter and a lift-served hub for hiking and scenic chairlift rides in summer.
Activity · 4.5 hr
Tumalo FallsDo not miss
A thundering 97-foot waterfall a short drive west of town, with a viewpoint right at the lot and trails climbing past upper cascades.
Nature · 1.8 hr
Worthy Brewing and the Hopservatory
An eastside brewery with a hop garden, rooftop deck, and a domed public observatory for star parties on clear nights.
Nightlife · 1.9 hr5
Crater Lake National Park
America's deepest lake, an impossibly blue caldera ringed by a rim drive and cliffs, a stunning full-day excursion two hours south.
Day Trip · 10 hr4.9
Dee Wright Observatory
A castle-like lava-rock lookout atop McKenzie Pass with windows framing the surrounding Cascade volcanoes across a vast lava sea.
Viewpoint · 1.1 hr4.9
Big Obsidian Flow
A surreal interpretive loop over Oregon's youngest lava flow, a glittering field of black volcanic glass in Newberry.
Nature · 1.1 hr4.8
And 31 more, which the planner picks between based on your dates, pace and what you are into.
Worth knowing
- Bend sits at 3,600 feet in the high desert, so days are sunny but evenings cool fast; pack layers even in summer.
- The Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway and many high-elevation trailheads are snowbound and gated from roughly late October into June, so check seasonal road status before driving up.
- A car is essential: the icons spread from downtown to Newberry, Smith Rock, Sisters, and the Cascade Lakes, all a short drive apart.
- Bend is one of the country's great craft-beer towns; pick up a Bend Ale Trail passport and pace yourself across the breweries.
- Summer afternoons are perfect for floating the Deschutes; book a shuttle or tube rental early on weekends when the river gets busy.