Great place for a peaceful walk…read more We love Riley for getting some exercise in a serene setting. There are a couple of loops running the upper perimeter of the ranch...flat and easy for anyone. Then there's the gorgeous canyon loop below, through the trees and along the river. Both are great, but canyon loop is my favorite, just a beautiful space...large boulders, sweet trees, and the constant sound of rushing Deschutes. Apparently you can take the canyon trail to Tumalo State Park, although we haven't done that yet. Love having this space for nature and animals. Although we saw deer on the way in, we didn't see any while inside, but we did spot lots of tracks...as well as lots of birds. Great preserve!

Riley Ranch is a wonderful nature area operated by Bend Parks & Rec that probably many Bendites…read moredon't know about yet. It hasn't been open long. - Scenic views of the Deschutes, where the river runs fairly fast and has carved a canyon through the lava. Above the canyon wall on the east side lies Gopher Gulch air field (private property). - Lots of riparian areas here. People are instructed to only approach the river at designated access points. There are several, so that isn't too much of a restriction. - Junipers and ponderosas abound. - Trails are easy walking on mostly level terrain in the higher elevation areas (Juniper and Sage Loops). Robin's Run is a short segment which drops down somewhat steeply but there are rock steps installed to make it easier. The Canyon Loop trails along the river are much like you'd encounter along the Deschutes River Trail south of Bend. - This is a well-marked hiking area. Directional signs at key intersections, a very good overall map at both entrances (and mini-versions on some intersection markers), river access points identified. - If you keep going north past the Canyon Loop, the trail will take you out of Riley Ranch and towards Tumalo State Park. Along the way is the confluence of Tumalo Creek and the Deschutes River, which is pretty cool. - There are a couple of old (~1900) cabins fenced off along the Canyon Loop trail (one is actually a short distance down the trail towards Tumalo SP). - A Bend Parks & Rec person was stationed at the parking lot on a Sunday to remind people not to bring their dogs. - Medium-sized parking lot. As Rick J suggests, maybe its not larger on purpose. There's certainly room for a bigger lot. Bend has a surplus of great in-town and nearby casual walking trails. Riley Ranch is one.

Shevlin park is somewhere we would visit every summer growing up when visiting family in the area…read more They have great trails, fishing, picnicking, and even slow spots where you can get in the water. Shevlin park has a teepee that you can check out and go inside of, they have more than one trail, good for bike riding, dog walking, fishing. I remember having picnics here as a kid and I still come back as an adult when in the area. They trails are low impact and fairly flat.

My mom friend and I were visiting from out of town. As we were visiting Dudley's bookshop, the book…read moreshop seller shared that we had to try hiking here. We absolutely love nature, and knew we had to try it. At first upon arriving, I feared there would be no parking at 11:00 a.m. However, the lot was only halfway full which was nice. The trails were laid out on the trail map a little ways past the shelter on the left, but there was a discrepancy between what the trail map said and the websites listed in terms of trail names and trail lengths. So, we decided to forge our own path. We took the main loop around. The conifer trees and contrast with the desert landscape were beautiful, and the creek shots were stunning.

One of my favorite short hikes that my family and I have enjoyed for decades. Stunning views, safe…read moretrails, lots of hikers and cyclists, I feel safe here. One can make this a long hike, but I limit my hikes to an hour round trip--Benham Falls is the perfect weekend hike.

Beautiful falls and area to hike and bike. Porta potties at parking sight. Was not very busy. Road…read moreis bumpy and dusty. Trail to falls was nice, clean and easy to walk. Map of area located in the parking area. Had picnic tables on area and wonderful sound of the falls in the background. Recommend SUV or 4x4 due to pot holes. Would love to return.

This park is such a great place. It's part of the Deschutes River Trail. It covers over 15 miles…read morealong the Deschutes River, that pass through numerous parks along the river. And it also serves as the launching area for people SUP and tubing down the river itself.

Riverbend Park is beautiful and right next to the Old Mill District. You can float the Deschutes…read moreRiver here in the summer (season ends on Labor Day), and the views are gorgeous year-round. The walking path has signs that share cool history about Bend, which makes it fun to explore. There's also a dog park and a spot nearby to rent all kinds of bikes, so it's easy to make a full day of it. Sometimes you can even hear live music from Hayden Homes Amphitheater in the evenings. Such a great park to hang out, relax, and enjoy Bend.

One of the more accessible hikes into the Sisters wilderness, the trails to Moraine Lake take you…read moreto an area of superb and varied scenery. From the lake, the views of South Sister and Broken Top are fabulous, as is the lake itself. There are a couple ways to get to Moraine Lake - via the South Sister climbers trail from Devils Lake, or via the Green Lakes trail. We did the climbers route, which is about 6 miles round trip including walking the circumference of the lake. It's not a particularly difficult hike but the initial climb up to the lake elevation through heavily forested terrain (about 1.8 miles, 1200 ft el. gain) is steep. The trail is in good shape though. After that, it flattens out and you even have to descend a bit (you're going to a lake, after all). Along with considerably less huffing and puffing, you'll enjoy a radical change in terrain - more open, less cover, longer distance views (including South Sister, which dominates). The lake is cool, a great spot to chill. There's nothing there except what nature provides (it's a wilderness). If you're camping, you must do so in designated spots of which there about twenty. A bucket list hike if you spend any time in Bend.

This is a great paved path that takes you out of town. This path travels along the Deschutes River…read moreand parallels Colorado Drive for the first part of the trail. As you start to leave the urban areas out of town, this trail will take you out to Forest Service land where you can link up to the Phil's trail Complex via the COD trail. The path itself starts on the top of an old canyon allowing for some great views of the Deschutes River and the Old Mill District. I always take this path when I am heading to school from the Old Mill. There are a couple side trails along this path once you get to the bend in the Deschutes River that are definitely worth stopping and checking out. The view at these trails is unique and perfect for a panorama shot. The view is on top of some interesting rock faces and can be a great way to scout how busy the river is in the summer. If you happen to be staying in the Old Mill District, this path is a great way to kill some time with some great views of Bend.

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.

Tam McArthur Rim appears on many 'must do' lists for Central Oregon hiking trails. Rightfully so…read more It's spectacular and accessible. Clocking in at about 6 miles round trip from the trailhead to the rim overlook, the trail gains some 1300 feet in elevation, so it's not easy. More like moderate. The trail can be negotiated with pretty much any athletic shoes. There is a steep section near the beginning and also somewhat near the end. Although it's fairly well marked and apparent, the trail does split in two during the second half and it's not apparent which path is the 'officail' one. It doesn't matter we took the rim-side path going up and the other one coming down. I suspect one may be designated the horse trail (a horse trail joins TMR along the way). From the rim you'll get great views of the Three Lakes area below as well as the Cascade Range volcanoes. When we hiked, the fires in the region caused limited visibility but Broken Top and the Three Sisters were nicely in view, as well as Bachelor looking the other way. Being super popular, I expected a lot of traffic on the trail even on a weekday. Not so much. we saw maybe six other groups/singles and had the overlook to ourselves for a good half hour. The trail continues on to Broken Top but even if you're not doing that, do hike a bit further along the rim (a few hundred yards) - there's a loop that comes back around to the trail to Three Lakes. This is a lightly shaded trail. You'll be among the trees for a good bit but more often you'll be exposed to full sun. As always with area hikes, check out Chris C's review too.

This is a must go trails if you are looking for a view of the mountains without actually climbing…read moreany of the actual mountains. Things to note, depending on the time of year you go, the parking may be snowed in, there might be a lot of mosquitoes, and you may get fairly sunburned if you do not wear sunscreen. This trail starts out of three creeks lake parking lot. It is a pretty steep incline to start out as you approach the actual rim. Once you reach the rim you can start to ge t a good view of the lakes in the area to the east. Then the trails gets fairly flat and you start to follow a cliff that has a massively steep drop off so be careful. As you walk along this cliff you are treated to one of the most breathtaking views of the three sisters mountains in central Oregon. Depending on the time of year you are hiking you will encounter many snowfields that are quite a sit themselves. If you are a photographer looking for shots, be sure to wake up and leave early as the sun approaches this area fairly quick. This is one of my favorite hikes in central Oregon and I'm always back for more! Here is a link to the land management agency that monitors this area https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/deschutes/recarea/?recid=71841 Here is a good website with navigation and distance for the hike http://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/oregon/tam-mcarthur-rim-trail