We tried to pick something active and fun each day and one of the highlights was Tumalo Creek…read moreTrail. Depending on the season you're visiting, it's a different experience. In the winter when it snows, the parking lot is much farther away with the main road blocked off. The parking in this area is small, making it a challenge to find a spot on busier days. From this parking it's a few miles to the falls; about half way there you'll walk through the summer parking area. Even with the packed snow, it was a relatively easy hike as we saw families with little kids making it to the end. When you get close, there's a switchback trail up to viewing points overlooking the falls at various elevations; it's worth it going to the very top to see spectacular views of the valley you just walked in. There is a public restroom near the base of the falls, but it's closed when the summer lot is so don't expect facilities. Taking it easy, we spent about three hours here up and back with a break at the top. You really feel remote and far away, even though it's only a short drive from Bend. If you're a fan of hiking, this is worth your time.

In A Nutshell: -If…read moreyou are looking for fun, easy hike then Tumalo Creek Trail is a good one to do. -Parking was pretty easy, my advice is to drive all the way to when the road stops, look for a spot, if you don't see one, no worries, you will have noticed the many turn outs where you can drive back to & park, then walk back. -The trailhead has a bathroom facilities, a map & garbage cans. -There's also an immediate treat at the trailhead where you can pose for photos w/ the Tumalo Falls as your background. -After your Instagram selfies are taken, you can then begin walking the Tumalo Creek Trail. -The hike is very easy & moderate uphill. -Bring snacks & water. -In mid-June 2022, there was still evidence of snow, which is cool. Overall, this is quiet hike w/ beautiful views!

This is a great trail if you are an intermediate rider who likes rocky terrain. I myself am not a…read morehuge fan of this trial overall. But do have some favorite sections here and there. The elevation gain and loss on this trail are pretty up and down. I am not a huge fan of this as I don't like uphill pedaling. But if you are looking for a good workout, you might find this trail to suit you. It travels from the Storm King Trail to The Lair and can be a great connecting point from the Wanoga Trailhead to Phils Trailhead. This trail is pretty low in elevation in the section near Phil's Trailhead and can thaw quicker than the Wanoga trials. Overall, if rock features are not your favorite, this trial may not be ideal for you. However, if you're looking to get from the Wanoga Trailhead to Phils Trailhead, this is a great option to consider and might save your day. Here is a good link to the trail etiquette in this area https://bendtrails.org/ Here's a good map and elevation information on a good loop option from this trail. https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/25918/cod-storm-king-loop Here is a link to the land management agency that manages this area https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3794824.pdf

Very gentle 10 mile loop trail that is best suited for mountain biking. I hiked it with no problems…read more- the bikers gave a shout out and always said thanks for hopping out of the way. I have a knack for going the wrong way, and I did it here but got back on track within half a mile. There are dozens of cross tracks in this loop and it's super easy to saunter down the wrong one. I use the downloaded map from All Trails and keep the GPS on. I can make a quick check to make sure I'm not headed off the edge of the world. Hat is essential, there is no cover here. No potty, no water - so be ready to make due. Did I mention there is no cover? About 4 miles along I really needed to pee but dang it's no fun out in the open like that. I finally saw some bushes and got in my girly squat and then I heard a bike coming down the trail!!! Dang! It startled me and of course I peed a little on my pant leg trying to get myself back together. Grrrr. But hey! It dried quick enough and besides, who cares!! Not me.

Horse Butte trail is a 9 mile bike/hiking trails that loops around from Horse Butte towards the…read moreArnold Ice Cave. I haven't hiked the whole trail, only parts near the butte itself. As with other Deschutes National Forest trails, Horse Butte offers great scenery and hiking near to town. If you climb the butte, be ready for uncertain footing. This is a red cinder cone so there's lots of small lava rocks that can cause you to loose your footing.

This has to be my favorite trail after the Whoops when the conditions are right. Tiddlywinks is one…read moreof the trial options from the Wanoga Trailhead. It is pretty long, so if you want to ride up and back, you should have a good portion of your day free. I highly recommend shuttling this trial. The trail starts off pretty rocky. The elevation will drop and gain consistently and you might think that your ride is going to be pretty lame. But eventually, you will find yourself in a beautifully dense conifer forest. At this point, you will have a good elevation gain to continue on. Once you hit a crossroads you will start to notice that there is not much elevation gain left. That's when things get pretty epic. Once you start your decent, you will be faced with some pretty epic berms and jumps. you will know this because it's quite visible. If you are not an intermediate rider, you may want to take caution. I have flown out of control a time or two here myself. But it's the most exciting feeling you could ever wish for. The berms and jumps last for maybe a quarter mile or so. If you had a blast you could peddle up the little trial to the side and do it again. After that Tiddlywinks mellows out and you have some smooth fast riding left. About a couple miles I would say. Then you will see another jumpy/bermy section left to ride. After that, you will ride through some more gorgeous sections of the trail until you reach the Storm King trail intersection. At this point, your journey will be close to over. To shuttle this trail it is only a couple hours long, but to travel up and back, it took me about half a day. One thing to keep in mind is that this trial is pretty high in elevation. So it can take a while for the snow to clear to ride it. The other factor is it is quick to get sandy and rutted out. So if it's too late or early in the season your SOL. WARNING: The gnarly sections are downhill only. If you don't like getting collided into, be sure to find the signs that say "Downhill Only" and keep off that section of trail. Here is a link to the etiquettes and trail information in Central Oregon. https://pinemountainsports.wordpress.com/tag/tiddlywinks/ Here is a link to the land management agency that monitors this area. https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3794824.pdf Here is a link to a map and elevation information. https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/21540/funner-tiddlywinks

South Canyon Reach comprises the section of the river trail running on both sides of the river…read moresouth of the Reed Market Road Bridge. Note that the section including Riverbend and Farewell Bend Parks is in the Old Mill Reach. A loop trail of about three miles in length, South Canyon is an easy walk. Much of it is on developed gravel trail. A footbridge spans the river at the loop turn around point. Bikes are allowed on the section running along the east side of the river but not the west. There are connections to other trails on both sides. A cool feature is an outfall from a small Central Oregon Irrigation District hydropower plant. You'll see it on the east side where a boardwalk runs along the river.

I came here on a weekday afternoon to run, and the trail was awesome! It goes along the river, very…read morepeaceful and great views. Not too many people, and it has a one-way path due to covid I think. Lots of water, trees, great views.

This is a great alternative to Phil's Trailhead for mountain biking. This trailhead is located…read morewhere the Wanoga Snowpark is in the winter time. It is right off of the Cascade Lakes Highway halfway in between Bend and Mount Bachelor. There are several trails that start from this point and if you wanted to you could even ride down into Phil's Trailhead while only crossing one paved road to get there. The main trails from this trailhead are Tiddlywinks and Funner. These trails are a lot of fun, but more suited for intermediate riders. So if you're new to the sport, be cautious with these trails. The best way to bike from here is to shuttle, either with a friend or any of the shuttle companies in town. Since the trailhead is much higher in elevation than town, many people just ride back into Bend from here. The other thing I love about the trails from this trailhead is the conifers you find here. There is a good mix of Fir and Ponderosa trees that make the sights lush and green. If Phil's is busy and you want to mix it up, consider the trail from the Wanoga Trailhead. You won't regret it!

My brother concocted a scenic loop to visit Sahalie Falls on our way from Sunriver to the Oregon…read moreGarden. I was following him in our van, wondering, "Where in the heck is he taking us?!" Once we reached our destination, I got it! Though it's in the middle of nowhere, the parking lot was full. We had to park on the highway, cross and head for the path down to the falls overlook. So powerful. So beautiful. That's a lot of water! Inspired envy coming from the land of drought. Bro took the boys on a hike down through the forest, along the McKenzie River, along with a lot of other adventurous folks, to a second waterfall. One of nature's wonders! Other features of the Pass are volcanic rock formations in abundance, along with gorgeous evergreens.

"What a strange, strange trip this has been" best describes our journey on the biway. I don't know…read morewhere we went wrong but somehow we managed to get lost. I had three maps and none of them included the biway. Through a series of turns and u-turns somehow we found ourselves on the right road. The drive was fun. A lot of twists and turns. A visit to Sahalie Falls is a must. The path can be a challenge for some so be sure to wear good walking shoes. There are so many spots along the drive with fantastic views. You will not be disappointed. This is a good choice for a day trip, just be sure to bring the correct map.

Located in-between South and North Sisters, this peak is also in the middle in terms of difficulty…read more In good weather/conditions, South is very much a hike or "walk up". North, is always a technical climb. There are many "you fall, you die" zones on it. Most everyone takes a rope and climbing gear. Middle...well, you definitely want an ice axe and crampons, but you can probably leave the rope at home. The summit offers incredible views of the other Sisters (duh). It's also big enough and flat enough to set up a couple tents. It's not anywhere NEAR as big as South Sister though, so don't get any crazy ideas!