Quite a stunning waterfall!…read more We wandered through much of Newberry Monument this weekend. It was a great time, as although some things aren't opened yet, most areas were and we were nearly alone at each stop. Paulina Falls is fabulous...it has height and a unique split stream that falls from separate sides. The surrounding forest is serene, and there's a decent amount of parking and a handful of picnic tables. There's a great trail back and forth to the lake, and a short zig zag trail down to the bottom for another great perspective. We really enjoyed the monument, and Paulina Falls was definitely a highlight!

Paulina falls is one of the best waterfalls in the Bend area. Also one of the easiest waterfalls to…read morewalk to. When in Newbury Volcanic National Forest., you definitely want to check this one out. From the parking lot, the upper falls viewing area is only .25 miles away. Of course you can continue walking upstream or downstream to see more! In mid May the stream of water coming down was impressive: so beautiful! Just be careful in winter time as there will be most likely snow, and even in springtime!

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.

This is one of those places where it's pretty much impossible to describe how amazing it is. You…read morejust have to go. But I'll do my best! We visited here during a summer trip to Bend. Even though it had been described to me many times, I couldn't quite imagine what it was like until we got there. It's basically this huge mountain of glass! (Well, it looks like glass - it's obsidian.) Left after a massive eruption not that long ago geologically-speaking, at some point they decided to put in some stairs and make a loop trail to explore this geological landmark. It's definitely worth the drive from town to check it out; or there's plenty of camping nearby if you want to check out other sites in the area. We were there on a pretty warm day, but it's high enough in elevation that it wasn't too terribly unbearable on the flow. My biggest piece of advice is to bring STURDY shoes. I was wearing plain old tennies and wish I'd worn something with thicker soles!

I love this hike. It's short, less than a mile, but challenging because the footing is very rough…read moreand it's poorly marked (there are at least two places where the trail seems to dead-end, but if you backtrack a little you can find it again). But spectacular views. And spectacular rocks.

The oath is well cleared so the walk is easy. It's about 100 paces from the parking lot to seeing…read morethe falls. And if you want to walk more it's a little less than half a mile to Paulina lake. Then you can go across the bridge and hike down the otherwise to see the falls from the other side. I don't think it actually loops all the way around unless you go even further.

Loved this spot! The falls were easy to get to. The upper view was an easy walk from the parking…read morelot. The lower view point required a little bit of hiking, but nothing strenuous. I would recommend some sneakers or hiking boots for the lower view.

Nice view of the river and falls. Not very high but still beautiful. Would not recommend to lower…read morecars. I took a midsized car and encountered several locations that we bottomed out, muddy and or dusty area. Had porta potty at parking area. Near is addtional walking areas. Wear appropriate shoes since can be slippery. Area also looked like a tent camping place. No tents were in area. Possibly off season. Would like to return.

This is part of the Deschutes River System / Deschutes River Trail, which has its own listing…read more However, Dillon falls really deserves its own listing because there's parking nearby and you can treat it as a stand-alone destination. It's also listed on Google Maps as its own destination. The falls are glorious. This is a real gem of a spot. There's a couple of small parking lots nearby. It doesn't take long at all to walk to the falls - they are only a couple hundred feet away from the parking. There's also a bathroom that is maintained incredibly well. It's super clean. Check out the beautiful Ponderosa Pines on this land while you are on your way to the falls! The Deschutes River is incredibly beautiful. This spot is magical because above the falls it's quiet and serene. The falls themselves are loud and boisterous, a high energy feeling. Barely saw any people here. The few that I did see were walking dogs, fishing, etc. If you're looking for beautiful waterfalls to check out in the area, while Dillon isn't the biggest you've ever seen it's really pretty and worth the very short walk it takes to get there from the parking lot. Only downside... and it's non-negligible... the roads going in are amusingly atrocious. Like really really bad. I've never seen so many potholes in my whole life. I'm not docking any stars though, because it's still just so beautiful I don't care. Worth it anyway.

What a great experience. The 7.5 mile loop hiking around this pristine lake is like no other! We…read morewent counter clockwise starting at the parking lot across the visitor center. No elevation change for the first 45-60 minutes. Then some elevation changes across the way near the "hot springs" to get over high grounds and cliff like walls near the lake. But what amazed us was the beautiful scenery 360 degrees around the lake, and the vast changes of the topography. We walk or hiked over grass, mulch, soft pathways, sand, soft beach like sands, small gravel, small rocks, hard and awkward pathways full of sharp little rocks buried in the way which could be a little trip hazards if you didn't pay attention, clay like dirt, and so on and so forth. We loved everything. We did explore the hot springs and it was busy, see the pictures, but was not so inviting for is really to take long break. Just dipped our feet and hands in them to get a feel for it. The drive up to the lake from Route 97 was 14 miles of easy black top paved path with moderate elevation. To top off our great hike around the lake, we drove our car up the decent gravel narrow windy road to an elevation of 7984 ft Paulina Peak an explored the beautiful views o both lakes - Paulina and East Lame. And in the distance you could also see Mt Bachelor, and the Sisters towering the western horizon. Highly recommend this place and plan to cone back to visit and climb up the crater hiking route!!!!

We visited loop 55 and it was absolutely breathtaking!!! In Mid august it's beautiful skies but a…read morebit windy which makes it chilly but over all love it and would love to come back in a RV and hike and not here. Plenty of campgrounds and very clean area.

Easy to find, plenty of paved parking, clean bathrooms, greenery & friendly peeps on trail- what…read moremore could u ask for?'! Also- not too far from Bend

Don't forget bug spray. We made that rookie mistake and ended up miserable and turned around about…read more1.5 miles into our journey. Dozens of mosquito bites aside, those 3 miles out and back were quite fabulous and I imagine a complete journey is even more spectacular. Honestly, even the drive here is worth it, with incredible views of Mt. Bachelor, still snow-topped in summer. We will certainly return for a lengthier hike to the actual lakes and will be more prepared for the onslaught of bugs. Bring cash for the DIY payment process. There is a place to submit your payment in a envelope, as well as another spot right by the start of the trail where you fill out the day permit that they require one person in your group to carry.

This cave is not only unique in its geology but rich in central Oregon history. It is located in…read morecentral Oregon and that's all I am wiling to say in this review. If you want to check it out you will have to search for it. The cave has been filled with a wall of ice for many years. The town of Bend used to get their ice from it before refrigerators were invented. The pioneers built an ax cut stair case and platform that they used to get the ice out. Once the pioneers left the cave, the ice filled back up and for years all you would see is a staircase that is encased into an ice wall. Up until recently the ice began to melt and now people can get down into the cave. This is not recommended at the staircase has now been destroyed and it is fairly treacherous hike down into the cavern. Luckily I was able to get a few awesome pics of the staircase before the vandals could destroy it. The cavern that you are in when entering is about 30 yards or so wide. There are other channels to this cave, but that is not recommended as there are tons of rocks laid out from collapsing walls. I did reach one of these caverns a while back but don't think it is open any more. There are now massive rock blocking its path, though once again I was lucky enough to get photos before this happened. This is a great stop if you are a fan of geology. There are other caves along the trail that start here and one of them has collapsed creating a massive half pipe with towering Ponderosa pines rising for the bottom. If you are looking to explore these caves be sure to read the regulations on the link below and bring durable hiking footwear and proper lighting. Here is the link to the land management agency that monitors this area. https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/deschutes/recreation/ohv/recarea/?recid=39274&actid=24 And watch out for the endangered bats that are in some of these caves https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/deschutes/alerts-notices/?cid=stelprdb5252867&width=full