A beautiful park right here in downtown Bend. What seems so far away is within walking distance if…read moreyou are anywhere close to downtown Bend. Lots of space to throw a blanket and chill. You can put i. to float here as well.

Drake Park has a lovely walking trail as well as water access, restrooms, picnic tables and large…read moregrassy areas. There is alot of street parking (4 hour max). There were people floating on paddle boards, there could be some good fishing within as well as alot of crayfish. There are beautiful homes along the waterfront as well as some resturants and downtown access from the parkway.

Tumalo Falls was an amazing adventure and one of the highlights of our trip. We chose the loop…read moretrail so we could see all of the waterfalls, and it was absolutely worth it. One of the most exciting parts was crossing the river several times. In some places there were bridges, and at one point we had to carefully balance across a log, which made the hike even more fun and memorable. We visited in April, and there was still a little snow on the trail. The weather was beautiful, but I would recommend bringing traction spikes if conditions are slippery and hiking poles for extra stability. The waterfalls were spectacular, and the scenery along the trail was breathtaking. It was a perfect mix of adventure and natural beauty. I'm sure I'll return one day with my kids to experience it all again.

It's been awhile since my last stay here. We love the yurts here. Easy access, they have heat, a…read morecouple of tables and beds, and it's comfortable. The fire pits are nice to but they cemented the bottom of them. They need to have more holes for air flow. Still I'm grateful to have those. Love the river trail as well. So beautiful! It's been awhile since we've been here. No snow this time but that's ok. Still peaceful and beautiful and not far at all from Bend.

The park is in our backyard and is a wonderful part of our everyday enjoyment. Taking a walk or a…read morehike here is a great experience in any season.

Came here for part of a day and really enjoyed it. At the surprise urging of my kids, we ended up…read morehiking up the Misery trail to the other side of the mountain and then around the entire thing - took a couple hours and I was shocked they wanted to do so much. There's lots to see and the views are spectacular. We brought some food and ate at a picnic table before leaving. Would definitely come back.

I'm in favor of just any protected natural areas, so five stars it is. Lots of paths, some paved…read moreand the rest gravel. Looks like a fine place to take the (leashed) mutt for a superior olfactory experience. The Crooked River is a jewel of Central Oregon.

Beautiful park with miles of trail. Great views. Good birding. Great interpretation of history,…read moreplants, birds, fish and current uses. Very nice toilets. Kiosks have information and brochures. It's obvious this is a special place. So many volunteers take such good care of it.

This is one of the best parks for a photographer looking for a unique photo of Bend. This park…read morestarts at the base of Overturf Butte. It overlooks pilot and Awbrey Butte as you walk your way up the trail. The park at the bottom has a playground and some picnic tables like any other parks you may find in Bend. From here you can find several trails, one you can walk with your dog off leash. The other you can walk away from unleashed dogs. This trail heads up to the Cascade Highlands Trails. From here you can find some large water tanks and then the trailheads up the Overturf Park lookout. The top has a view of the old mill district and both Pilot and Awbrey Butte. There is an old fire lookout that has some interpretive signage. Over by the Cascade Highlands Trail you can find a massive off-leash area for dogs. Overall this is one of the most scenic and little know parks in Bend and definitely worth visiting on a busy day when the other parks are overcrowded.

We were spending the day in Sisters and wanted to do a hike with our 4 and 8 year old kids. We…read moredrove up early and got there a little after 7 am. There is a small parking lot out front with 2 handicap stalls. We were able to do the hike pretty quick with them, about 15 min. There is gravel/sand with a wide path. It's curves through the woods with vegetation around. Three points to stop and look. The last view was nice of the sisters and broken top. No water access from this hike but the other, longer, trail has it. The kids liked the hike and enjoyed running through and finding walking sticks. Two restrooms at the beginning - gender neutral. Shady for the most part with a few sun rays coming through. We used some bug spray so no issues for us. On the way out we saw a coyote running across the road. Stay safe!!

Nice, easy hike with fabulous views!…read more The trailhead is an easy and pretty drive from Sisters. We'd seen some reviews for this trail and decided to try it out while in town. The trail head has a decent sized lot and toilets, and the trail itself is well marked. It's a loop, and according to the sign taking the trail to the right was supposedly a bit rougher...we didn't find it so. We did the full loop, along which you're provided multiple overlooks. The main overlook towards the mountains is large, with views down to the river below as well. The whole path is easy and not much of a slope. We decided to take an offshoot trail down to the river after we left the overlook. It was a nice, narrow trail that zig zagged down. There were other trails that crossed it at the bottom that weren't marked, so we just used the sounds of the water to get there. A very peaceful, easy trail with beautiful views of the Sisters.

3.9 miles, 932 ft elevation gain, 1 hr 38 minutes to complete…read more We started the hike around noon which is probably the least advisable time to complete it. Aside from that the weather was fairly mild and the skies were blue! The trails and grounds are well maintained by the staff. The bathrooms available are also very well kept. The hike itself is supposedly easiest if done clockwise. I decided to go counterclockwise to get the hardest part out of the way. Several stops were made along the way to the top. The entire trek was gorgeous and while you're catching your breath you can look out over the river. There's lots of wildlife down at the river level you can watch as you trek by. It's also neat to see rock climbers up above you. A fun little surprise!

Misery Ridge Trail (in my opinion) is the epicenter/main attraction hike while visiting Smith Rock…read moreState Park. If you complete this hike, you'll comprehend what makes Smith Rock so stunningly beautiful, especially for being nearby an under the radar town like Terrebonne, Oregon. Misery Ridge is a difficult 3.7-mile round trip loop gaining almost 2000 feet in elevation. And, if you begin the hike located just past the entrance area, there'll be a warning sign stating..."steep, rough trail", but that should not deter you whatsoever. When I was here, everyone was hiking this pathway without hesitation. Starting out past the trailhead, you'll confront the hardest part to it all, the stairway incline going up the mountainside. Within the first few moments, the ascent is pretty vertical that if you turn and look back down below, you realize how high you've climbed. But think, if you get past this part...the rest of the way will be pretty easy, especially arriving at the summit/plateau portion of the hike. Then, it's flat ground where you can sit down and relax at any point in time (maybe even have a picnic) and overall, just enjoy the gorgeous scenery from high above. So while walking along the plateau area...you'll have plenty of moments for picture taking. I'd describe the vast Oregon landscape as primarily flat level with small towns and green grass surroundings set in the distance. And it's sort of interesting that this part of Oregon is not mountainous at all, but when you arrive here in Smith Rock SP...the rugged terrain makes for a rock climbers' paradise! Towards the latter part of the hike, you'll confront the well-known "Monkey Face", a 350-foot rock spire standing high and mighty that's the primary focal point of the park. The views are so rewarding, like out of a postcard scene. And if you look closely, it's truly unbelievable...you'll notice rock climbers dangling off the cliffs of Monkey Face. It's thrilling to look at, you think..."how do these people hang on without a fear of heights"??? Just past Monkey Face, the trail winds down with a series of switchbacks from the plateau and back towards the base. During these switchbacks, I'd advise to be cautious when descending as there are no handrails to grab onto and the downslope can be unsteady if you're not wearing sturdy hiking shoes. Finally returning to the bottom...the trail is easy for the remainder of the way. You'll walk among a pretty nature setting while passing beside a pristine lake with the jagged peaks hovering above you. This Misery Ridge Trail will take a few hours to half a day to complete depending on how much time you afford yourself at the summit plateau. Once finished, if you're still interested in hiking more, I'd recommend the Wolf Tree Trail. In the end, Misery Ridge Trail is a fantastic hike to embark upon. Smith Rock State Park opens at 7am and for those early birds, you can venture out here first thing in the morning and get in some great hiking exercise for beginning your day.

I think I walk this trail 3-5 times a week! It is the best trail to chill out or walk your dog. You…read morestay within city limits but escape the noise and busyness of it all! First off. NO SWIMMING IN THE CANAL. I am not an expert but I think that might be drinking water??? Someone fact check me. Also all of the bridges are blocked underneath so if a lonely tourist decides to try and float the canal. They will get stuck under a bridge and no one will see or hear them again. Ominous right? But don't do it. Otherwise, very very lovely trail and I enjoy it immensely.

An in-town walking trail running from about the intersection of Reed Market and American to the…read morewest side of the parkway south of Blakely Park, the Central Oregon Historic Canal Trail (also referred to as the Central Oregon Canal Trail but the trail markers include the word 'Historic') is one of the many maintained by Bend Parks and Recreation. As such, it connects (or comes close to connecting) to other trails - the Larkspur Trail on the east side, and the Deschutes River Trail to the west. The trail is improved gravel and affords easy walking. With several inches of loose gravel in some areas, I'd say it isn't the best biking trail but maybe some like it for that anyway. One of the great features is an underpass that gets you across the parkway without dealing with the parkway itself. One of the drawbacks to the trail is that it runs alongside or near Reed Market for a good ways and that means traffic noise.