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.

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.

Pretty cool and secluded spot for an easy hike along the scenic McKenzie Pass…read more We decided to pull off and check out the short hike to Hand Lake last weekend. There's a wide shoulder on which to park, big enough for 5 or so cars, right across from the trailhead. The trailhead sign provides info, as well as the free self-issue Wilderness permits for access. (Short and easy form) The trail is short and well-maintained, easy for most anyone. After trekking a bit through the gorgeous trees it opens up to the lake at the small cabin shelter. Right now it's more of a palm only, as the water pool is small this time of year, but you can still see the dry fingers. Nice views of the Three Sisters from the middle. It's a short trail, definitely more of just a leg-stretcher only as you travel along the McKenzie, but a cool setting and I'm sure much more of a scene when the waters up.

Great snow park and sledding hill and easy great 30 minutes drive from Sunriver. Kids had a blast…read moresledding and we did too. When you pull in off the highway take a left to the snow park, there are bathrooms.

What a fun place to bring kids to or to bring out your inner child! Just up the road it was raining…read moreso we thought it was going to be a poor, slushy day for sledding, but as you can see by my photos, it was white, fluffy, and such a joy! There are public bathrooms, a public shelter building/room with a wood fireplace to warmup at or dry your wet clothes, and of course there's a very nice (wide) hill at a 45 degree angle for safe, fun sledding (and building snowmen - ha!). We've been here twice now and will most certainly return. Enjoy!

I recommend parking at the Koosah Falls parking lot- there is ample parking available there…read more Parking at Sahalie Falls is overcrowded and some folks had to park across the highway. There is a dig out restroom available in the parking lot. The trails are very well maintained and the overlooks offer excellent views of the falls. The path between the falls offers views of the BLUE McKenzie River. Across the river you will see the McKenzie River Trail with runners and hikers. There are several unmaintained paths going from the trail to the river- wander down at your own risk! Definitely a low effort high reward hike! Do not miss this one!

Koosah Falls sits right along Waterfalls Trail beside the McKenzie River. It's not difficult to…read morereach and there are a bunch of overlook viewpoints with benches offering different perspectives. The first few lookouts are partially obstructed by trees and branches, but eventually as you keep walking, you're afforded undisturbed panoramas which are special, imo. And before walking over to this Koosah Falls (since it's barely strenuous, I wouldn't even consider it hiking), you'll immediately confront another terrific looking waterfall, and that's Sahalie Falls. You get two scenic waterfalls by simply stopping here for an hour or so. That's pretty efficient in my opinion, lol. I showed up in late July around 3:30pm and although the small parking lot was mainly full, I was still able to nab a spot. It's free to visit at your own accord. This Highway 126 situated next to the McKenzie River is the epitome of exploring around nature and is "one of Oregon's most famous recreation areas". Just 3.5 miles up the road from here at Koosah and Sahalie Falls is the iconic Tamolitch Falls - Blue Pool. That should not be missed as well. Including hiking to the colorful Blue Pool, it takes about half the day to visit. Back to this Koosah Falls...while walking along Waterfalls Trail, you'll have opportunities to relax at any point and soak up the McKenzie River forest surroundings. It's a pleasant setting. Extra notes... - Koosah Falls is 64 feet tall but appears more grand in real time. Sahalie Falls is about the same length. - Although you can't reach down to the base of Koosah Falls, Sahalie Falls is accessible and I suggest climbing over the railing for closeup views. It's not hard to do. Last thing I can say, I discovered Koosah and Sahalie Falls through TikTok mentions. TikTok is a great source of information for adventurers looking to find hidden gems among the great outdoors. Thank you to TikTok.

Depending on your experience level and head-space, this is either an extremely heady "hike" or an…read moreeasy climb. This is 99% a hike, but once you near the summit, you will definitely have to do some rock climbing moves. They are easy moves, easier than anything you'd find in a rock gym, but the rock is a little loose. This is the Oregon Cascades after all, where the mountains feel like they are made out of epoxy and kitty litter! The summit views are tremendous though. Almost all the Oregon Cascades are visible (from N-to-S): Hood, Jefferson, The Three Sisters (this is an excellent place to photograph South Sister), Bachelor, etc. The best views though, are peering right down into the massive summit crater of Broken Top. Bring a wide-angle lens! Expect this to take a full day. I recommend starting EARLY. (before sunrise)

This is one of my favorite mountains to climb, but also one of the more dangerous hikes I have been…read moreon. This mountain looks as if it has blown its top, but according to a couple of geology classes I have taken, the cone at the top has been eroded by glaciers. Which is almost as cool. Another noticeable feature to this mountain is its location compared to the other mountains in the Cascade Range in this area. The Three Sisters, Mount Bachelor, Mount Jefferson, and Mount Thielson are all in the same linear path. But Broken Top is west of this path. What is important about that is that when you get to the top of Broken Top you are actually given a different perspective of the other mountains. You are looking at the Cascade Moutain Range as if you are flying above them. Now if you combine this with the fact that you can drive pretty close to the base of this mountain. You have a pretty awesome combination. There are a couple ridges that you can take to get to the top of Broken Top. I have only been on the southern ridges. From what I am told, this is not the safest path to take. I don't recommend it unless you are an experienced climber. My friends and I took this path because it is the shortest. The downside is that it is fairly steep and does not lead you to officially summit the top. We both had some close calls on this ridge. The terrain is so steep that once you misstep and start sliding you have a really hard time stopping. I had started to slide on this ridge a couple of times and was very lucky to have caught my arm on some rocks before sliding off of a cliff. Next time we will be sure to take the ridge to the north. From what I am told, it is longer but much safer and takes you to the official summit. The hike itself is very beautiful. You start above the treeline somewhat and follow the trailhead. You will find an old canal and some melting glaciers in the summertime. Once you enter the valley you will see that you are inside the bowl of Broken Top. Everyone I have talked to seems to all agree that this reminds you of the video game Halo. As the bowl looks like the giant halo around the planet that you see. From here you will want to pick the ridge you plan on climbing up. I recommend passing on the south ridge and walk around to the north ridge. This trail is located in the three sisters wilderness and it important to remember that help is not close. So you will want to be extra careful. As you may not even have cell coverage. The terrain and the ecology around here are fragile, so you will want to be respectful and travel along durable paths and not leave any trash on the ground. Obey the rules and make safe decisions and you will have a five-star experience. Here is a link to the land management agency that manages this land https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/deschutes/recarea/?recid=38808 Here is a lin to a map and elevation gain and loss to the different routes https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/oregon/broken-top-trail Here are some more summit tips on this mountain http://www.summitpost.org/broken-top/150574

I found the preserve on articles when researching where I could check out larches as they turn…read moreyellow. We'd been hiking around Camp Sherman before, but didn't even know the Metolius Preserve existed. There are 2 trailheads, North and South, each with parking. We chose to park at the North Trailhead, as we'd chosen to take the Larch Trail this day. There's a good amount of parking, and nice gravel roads throughout. Trails and trail intersections are signed well. The 10 miles of trails here are for hikers and bikes, although we only met a couple of each while there. The Preserve grounds are very pretty and serene. Gorgeous trees and fall colors (including turning larches) abound, as well as birds and the occasional critter in the brush. Everything we encountered while there was well-maintained and clean. Can't wait to check out the other trails.

A beautiful hike. We did the waterfall loop, which is about a 3 mile hike that takes you by Koosah…read moreand Sahalie Falls. We brought the dogs and the kids, and we had a blast. The scenery was stunning and the trail condition was perfect. We'd definitely come back here again.

What a gift it is to be surrounded by so much natural beauty. Today I was able to hike Sahalie…read moreFalls, Koosah Falls, and Tomalitch Blue Pool, all in one out and back 10.5 mile trek. The drive to the trailhead took 2.5 hours from my home in Portland, so we left by 6. If you arrive after 9 or 10 you have to deal with the crowds. Sahalie Falls was first and can be accessed very easily from the parking lot - no hike required. Keep this one in mind if you have mobility limitations. If you're up for it, hit the trail here. A short distance along the Mckenzie Creek will take you to Koosah Falls. Gorgeous, with falling turquoise water. Want a scare? Look up the fools who cliff jump from here. Incredible. After that you pass by the reservoir, then have a nice hike along a soft pine needle path down to Tomalitch Blue Pool. Again with the cliff jumping. Don't do it! So dangerous. But do carefully follow the pink ribbons over the rock ledge and down to the shore. You can swim if you dare in the 38 degree water. At least dunk your feet. The hike back to where you parked at Sahalie is 5 miles. Pack a lunch, a lot of water (I finished my 3 liters), and enjoy the day.