Welcome to Bend, Oregon
A Wonderful Place for Hiking, Camping, and Other Fun Events

By Cheryl Morgen

Forget what you have heard about rainy Oregon – that only applies west of the Cascade Mountains.  Central Oregon, where sunshine is a common occurrence, is about a day’s drive from Sacramento and offers a wide variety of family-friendly activities.  The landscape includes mountains to the west and high desert to the east.  Bend, a city of approximately 75,000, is the central hub of all activity.  The city of Bend is perfectly situated to access hiking trails, lakes, and camping, yet big enough to offer excellent dining and lodging possibilities. 

One sunny day last August I planned a hike with friends at Todd Lake, which is located in the Deschutes National Forest less than 30 miles from Bend.  On the way up to the mountains, we stopped at the Village Baker where all the fixings for a wonderfully fresh picnic lunch can be found.  The Village Baker is locally-owned and located off 14th Street, which upon heading south becomes the Cascades Lakes Highway that leads up to Todd Lake and other scenic points. 

We headed up the Cascade Lakes Highway, passing many bicyclists making their way up.  As we progressed up the mountain, we made note of the Mt. Bachelor ski resort on the left.  During the winter, the road dead-ends here and only opens up to the lakes around Memorial Day.  Todd Lake is a few miles further on the right where there’s a short dirt road to the trailhead.  We left the required NW Forest Pass in our car and headed for the lake.

We specifically picked the Todd Lake loop hike for the entertainment of our young children.  A gentle trail goes around the lake with excellent views of Broken Top Mountain.  It’s around a two-mile hike around the entire lake.  About halfway around there is a meadow on the far side of the lake is not to be missed.  My three- and five-year-old daughters were enthralled with the hundreds of tiny frogs everywhere.  A happy and tired crew headed back down to Bend that afternoon.

If you happen to do this hike on a Sunday during the summer, a family can relax for the rest of the afternoon at a free concert.  The free summer Sunday concerts at the Les Schwab Amphitheater begin June 1 each year.  It’s a great family venue so be sure to bring a blanket or chairs, and a cooler.  The kids can run around or dance on the grass while you relax and enjoy the concert.  The concerts usually are between 2-4 pm, allowing time afterwards to stroll across the pedestrian bridge to the Old Mill District, the former site of a sawmill, to pick out a place to eat. 

A favorite place for us to eat with our children and visiting guests is at the Merenda Restaurant in downtown Bend.  The kids love the pizza, however, don’t be fooled, this is not an ordinary pizza place.  The menu changes often and visitors may have the opportunity to order appetizers like risotto fritters or oysters and feast on entrees that could include handmade pasta, grilled elk sausage, or steak.  Merenda is also well known for great desserts and their extensive wine list.  The restaurant is very popular with the locals and tourists alike so reservations are highly recommended.

Although Bend has a number of lodging places available, a fun close-in camping spot is at Tumalo State Park just four miles north of Bend.  The park makes for a relaxing afternoon at the Deschutes River as well.  We often pack a picnic lunch and then go to the farthest day spot.  There is a nice wading area for young kids and older kids can swim across the river to hang out on some rocks.  It is also possible to walk a little ways upstream and float down the river.  Although make sure to scout out the area and do not go beyond the park boundaries.  Many parts of the Deschutes River are not float-friendly.

If you have a few days, you can explore a few of the many camping sites available in the Deschutes National Forest.  The Cascade Lakes Highway beyond Todd Lake has a number of different campsites.  However, if you want to see a different part of the Deschutes National Forest, head north on Hwy 20 from Bend towards the town of Sisters.  The drive from Bend to Sisters is around twenty miles through mostly farmland that offers views of the Three Sisters Mountains.  Sisters, a town of 1,750, often has events going on like a rodeo or an outdoor quilt festival. 

From Sisters take Rd. 16 seventeen miles south to reach Three Creek Lake.  Be aware, portions of the road closer to the lake are gravel.  There are three campgrounds located in the area and a horse camp.  Several of the campgrounds do not open until July.  The lake has a small concession that has pedal boats to rent as motorized craft are not allowed.  A 5-mile round trip hike from the lake brings you to the top of Tam McArthur Rim with wonderful views of many mountains, including Mt. Bachelor and Broken Top.  We have not attempted this hike with our young children yet as it gradually climbs around 1200 feet. 

The High Desert Museum where you learn about the history of the region as well local wildlife, shouldn’t be missed during a family visit to Bend.  It is only a ten minute drive south of Bend on US-97 to reach the museum.  We like to visit the rescued lynx, named Snowshoe, and then continue through the Spirit of the West exhibit of human life over the years in this area.  As we head for the outside exhibits we take the time to look at the inside exhibits of small birds, reptiles, insects, and fish.  The path outdoors leads past an outside play area that includes a climbing net and a place to dig for fossils.  We always come back to the play area, but we first have visit the outside exhibits of the otters, fox, and porcupines, and then the working sawmill.  The Lazinka sawmill is actually operated a few select weekends during the summer.  The birds of prey outdoor exhibit always manages to awe our children with up close views of hawks, a bald eagle, and owls.  An entrance ticket is good for two days so you can always come back if you do not make it to all the exhibits.

There are also many in-town hiking and floating possibilities for a leisurely afternoon in Bend.  The Deschutes River Trail in Bend is easily accessible from many areas.  The Bend Metro Park and Recreation District is working on making this a 19-mile long trail stretching from Tumalo State Park to south of Bend.  One of our favorite access points is at Farewell Bend Park.  This area features a pedestrian bridge, colorful rock cliffs, and a three-mile loop with another footbridge upstream to allow the loop.  This park is located off a busy road, but within minutes on the trail, you feel like you’re isolated from any city noises.  This park is also a popular put-in spot for rafts and floats of all kinds.  You can float through town, except for one marked takeout spot before the Colorado bridge.  With young children, we prefer to start below the Colorado bridge and float the slow-moving water to Drake park.  At Drake park you can catch a bus for a small fee to take you back up to Farewell Bend park and continue the fun.

Visitors of all ages come to Bend for the scenery, recreation opportunities, great food, music events and just plain fun.  If you are thinking of a road trip this summer, but have not quite decided where to go, plan to head north and check out Bend and the wonderful scenery of Oregon.  It just might become one of your most enjoyable trips. 


LIST OF PLACES AND EVENTS
Bend Metro Park and Recreation District
       http://www.bendparksandrec.org/Parks__Trails
Bend Visitor and Convention Bureau, 917 NW Harriman, Bend, 541-382-8048
      http://www.visitbend.com
Deschutes National Forest, 541-383-5300
      http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/centraloregon
The High Desert Museum, 59800 South Hwy 97, Bend, 541-382-4754
      http://www.highdesertmuseum.org
Les Schwab Amphitheater, Shevlin-Hixon St., 541-312-8510
      http://www.bendconcerts.com
Merenda Restaurant, 900 NW Wall St., Bend, 541-330-2304
      http://www.merendarestaurant.com
The Old Mill District
      http://www.theoldmill.com
Sisters, OR,
      http://www.sisterschamber.com
Tumalo State Park, (541) 382-3586
      http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_45.php
The Village Baker, 1470 SW Knoll Ave, Ste 201, Bend, (541) 318-1054

Cheryl Morgen lives in Bend, OR with her husband and two young daughters.  They often enjoy these activities over the summer months, but not all in the same weekend. 

© 2008 Photos Courtesy of Cheryl Morgen:
* A view from a butte in the center of Bend.  In the background are the Three Sisters Mountains, Broken Top Mountain and Mt. Bachelor. 
* A floatable part of the Deschutes River near Drake Park in downtown Bend. 

 © 2008 Cheryl Morgen