Bend Oregon is one of the most underrated cities in the U.S. Bend has it all: snowboarding, Smith Rock, breweries and it is close to Crater Lake. Below, I’ve listed a few of the top things to do in Bend Oregon.
- Snowboard at Mt. Bachelor
- Hike to Sahalie Falls
- Marvel at Koosah Falls
- Climb Smith Rock
- Drink at Bend Breweries
- See the Wild West in Sisters Oregon
- Float the Deschutes River
If you visit Bend in the winter, you will find that it’s a snowboarder’s paradise. Located about 30 minutes from Mt. Bachelor, great snow and those incredible Bend breweries make for a memorable vacation.
However, my personal favorite time to visit Bend is in the summer. There are countless things to do in Bend Oregon, and on our recent 3-day trip, we fit 72 hours of incredible fun in while exploring the city and its surrounding areas.
Why Millennials Love Bend Oregon
It is literally an outdoorsman’s paradise. While in Bend you can climb Smith Rock, hike in the Sisters Mountains, visit Crater Lake, explore waterfalls and visit natural hot springs.
It also is a town that feels young and often has live events, like music in the park. Bend’s breweries make it a beer-lover’s paradise, and there are several local wineries as well. If you’re looking for short trip from Portland or simply want the perfect summer getaway, you’ve found the right place.
Day 1: Driving to Bend Oregon
If you fly into Portland, Oregon, you will need to drive to Bend. The drive takes around 3.5 hours, during which you pass several incredible sites.
We chose to take about a 30 minute detour from the path and visit two incredible waterfalls: Sahalie Falls and Koosah Falls.
Both of these waterfalls are very easy to access, with a well-kept trail and easy walking areas. The two falls are located on the same path, which starts from an easy-to-find parking lot.
Sahalie Falls
Located about a one minute walk from the parking lot, Sahalie Falls is both stunning and unexpected. The fall is incredibly strong and puts forth a strong spray, which drenches you if you get to close. The fall runs into a river, which has a very fast current and would not be appropriate for swimming. We took about 20 minutes exploring the area around Sahalie Falls by heading down from the lookout area to the ground closer to the falls.
Another cool thing about Sahalie Falls: you can walk incredibly close to the falls, making for some great pictures (if you’re willing to get wet!).
Koosah Falls
Koosah Falls is located just a few minutes walk from Sahalie Falls, and there is a path leading from one to the other. Koosah Falls also features a nice lookout point, where you can take beautiful pictures of the waterfall.
For those of you who aren’t big into hiking, this trail is really easy and short. It took us a long time because we were stopping to take photos every 2 seconds, but the walk itself is seriously a walk, not a hike.
Insider Tip: Even on hot days, there are many trees that provide a lot of shade on the trail and at the lookout points. We went on a 90-degree day, and we ended up wearing sweatshirts while walking along the trail and seeing the waterfalls. If you get close to the falls, especially Sahalie Falls, be aware that there is a lot of spray and you will likely be pretty wet.
After we finished at Sahalie Falls and Koosah Falls, we continued our drive to Bend, Oregon. It only takes about an additional 30 minutes to get to Bend, but plan to allow more if you stop in Sisters. We chose to stop in Sisters on the way back since we were dirty from the hike, so keep reading for more on that during day 3.
Bend Oregon
Bend is a city of almost 100,000 people, but it still has a small-town feel – if that small town features endless outdoor activities and some of the best breweries in Oregon. Its closeness to Mt. Bachelor makes it an ideal winter destination for snowboarding and skiing, while the Deschutes River offers incredible summertime activities (more on that below!).
Hotels in Bend Oregon
I’m just going to be honest – absolutely everyone I know that has gone to Bend Oregon stayed in the same hotel. Literally, everyone. I’m sure there are other Bend hotels, but we have been to Riverhouse on the Deschutes several times, and we keep going back each time we are in Bend.
In my opinion, it is hands down the best place to stay in Bend Oregon, for a few different reasons. First, the hotel is on the Deschutes (I bet you couldn’t guess that from the name) and it has a great restaurant with a river view. The restaurant, called Currents at the Riverhouse, has great food and a stunning view, and I think it is one of the most well-known Bend restaurants for those reasons.
The restaurant area is also connected to a hotel bar where you can grab a drink while playing pool and shuffleboard. Each time we have stayed there, we ended up spending at least one night in the bar area playing pool and making friends with random strangers, and it seemed like most people who stayed at the hotel did the same.
Day 2: Things to Do in Bend Oregon
While there are countless outdoor activities in the Bend area, the most well-known one is probably Smith Rock, located in Smith Rock State Park. The rock formation is stunning, and the Smith Rock hike will both kill and amaze you.
On our first full day in Bend Oregon, we chose to hike Smith Rock in the morning. We arrived at Smith Rock State Park around 10am and finished the hike around 1pm. Although the entire hike (if you do the full loop) is only around 4 miles, it is steep and not for the faint of heart or those afraid of heights.
I saw several websites listing the Smith Rock hike as an advanced hike, which I took to mean it was the equivalent of a double black diamond snowboarding run, aka stay away unless you’re a professional. To be honest, that wasn’t the case. My husband and I did the hike with two friends, and we are all in moderately good shape but not in extreme hiking shape, and we were fine. We also saw several individuals that appeared to be in their 50s or 60s doing the hike, so I do think it’s possible for groups of many ages.
For those who don’t want to sweat or don’t feel like climbing up the side of a mini mountain, there is also the second half of the trail, which runs along the river and doesn’t have hardly any incline. Basically the Smith Rock hiking trail is a loop, so you can just skip Misery Ridge (seriously that’s the trail name) and walk along the river instead. You miss out on some of the great views, but it is much less physically demanding.
I also saw reviews on the internet saying that the Smith Rock hike was very crowded in the late morning and early afternoon, but we did not find that to be the case. There were definitely other people hiking Smith Rock while we were, but it was in no way what I would consider crowded. For reference, we did the Smith Rock hike at about 10am on a Monday, in August.
What to Bring for the Smith Rock Hike:
Water Bottles
When we entered Smith Rock State Park, we saw a sign advising hikers to bring 16oz of water for each hour they would be hiking. We brought a bit less than that, but if you stick with the recommended amount that’s at least two water bottles per person for the duration of the hike. I personally love hydroflask water bottles, because they keep your water cold the entire time and are reusable.
Camera
Smith Rock is seriously stunning, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll want to take a few photos. We did try using our iphones just out of convenience, but we ended up pulling out our camera – a Nikon D5500 – once we got to the top. I know phones have come a long way, but the pictures on my iphone are awful compared to the ones on the camera. If you’re looking for a fairly affordable camera option that will give you bank for your buck, this is a great one.
Shoes With Traction
I know I spent most of this time talking about how steep it is to climb up the Smith Rock hike, but let’s not forget that what goes up, must come down. The way back down has equally impressive views, but it is really easy to slide on the trail if you aren’t wearing proper shoes. I always wear my nike running shoes when we hike, and they did great on this trail.
Sunscreen
While doing the Smith Rock hike, you definitely need to wear sunscreen. Smith Rock (and Bend) are located in the High Desert, and it’s called a desert for a reason. While the hike was still doable during midday in August, it was very hot and the sun was blazing. There is also very little shade, and you are exposed to the sun during the entire hike. In short, wear sunscreen. Major Bonus: the sunscreen listed below is eco friendly!
In short: be prepared for warm weather, steep climbs and gorgeous views to take photos of.
Floating the Deschutes River
After we finished the Smith Rock hike, we headed back to town for one of the most famous things to do in Bend: floating the Deschutes River.
Basically, the Deschutes River runs through Bend. It is not a very fast-moving river, and it is also not very deep. In the summer, hundreds of people float on inter tubes down the Deschutes River and enjoy the sun and scenery.
We chose to do this with the Bend Park and Float, where you pay $20 per person to rent a tube and ride a bus to and from the river. This comes in handy, since it saves you from buying a tube and also means someone is picking you up at the end of the river, since you obviously don’t end up where you started.
For reference, we did see people who did not rent through Park and Float that rode the bus back to the launching point, and the bus driver told them it was $3 per person for the bus ride (as of August 2019).
While you float, you also go through Bend Whitewater Park, which are small, controlled whitewater rapids that spice up the ride and are a ton of fun. We did see many children doing this, and they all seemed to be enjoying it.
Bend Restaurants
After floating the Deschutes River, we were starving and wanted to eat at one of the many Bend restaurants that we saw while floating down the river. We ended up going to Greg’s Grill, which was lovely and near a shopping center, for those who want to shop as well. It also has a riverfront view and an outdoor seating area, which is what we chose to do since we were still dirty from the hike and wet from floating the river.
Bend Breweries
By the time we finished the Smith Rock hike and floating the Deschutes River, we were exhausted. We headed back to our hotel to rest and shower, before heading out again to try one of the most well known things to do in Bend: beer tastings at one of Bend’s incredible breweries.
During this visit, we chose to try 10 Barrel Brewing, which has a wide selection of beer (duh) and a full food menu. We ate dinner there, which was typical tasty American food and tried several of their namesake beers.
If you do go to 10 Barrel or another one of the Bend breweries, I recommend trying a tasting flight so you can sample multiple beers and really get a taste of the brewery’s style. 10 Barrel and Deschutes Brewery are two of the best breweries in Bend, and they are well known throughout Oregon for their wide varieties of beer.
We chose to go to 10 Barrel because it was open later, and we wanted to end the night with food and drinks at one of the best breweries in Bend. We were definitely not disappointed, and we also thought the food was good and the price was reasonable.
Restaurants in Bend Oregon
Don’t feel like drinking beer at a Bend brewery? Never fear, there are many other great restaurants in Bend. We ate at several restaurants in Bend Oregon during our visit, and I would highly recommend all of them. They are listed below, and I did include 10 Barrel since it also had a large food menu, not just beer.
Breakfast:
Mother’s Juice Cafe (healthy breakfast food) https://mothersjuicecafe.com
Lunch:
Greg’s Grill (American food)
Dinner:
Joolz (Mediterranean food)
Currents at the Riverhouse (American food)
Day 3: Sisters Oregon and Boating at Detroit Lake
On our last day in Bend, we chose to head out around 11am and visit Sisters Oregon, which is only about 30 minutes from Bend on the way back to Portland.
Sisters Oregon is a very small, very quaint town with a heavy Western theme. There is one main street with numerous stores, where you can find souvenirs and gifts, along with ice cream and antiques. We spent under an hour in Sisters, but we loved its wild West feel and the city decor. Unless you are staying in Sister Oregon for the night, you probably do not need more than an hour or two to explore.
About 2 hours into the drive back to Portland, you will pass Detroit Lake, which is known for its popular camping areas and numerous water activities. We chose to stop at Detroit Lake and rent a fishing boat, which basically fits around 6 people and lets you float around the lake and swim. The boat cost around $80 for two hours, and it was money well-spent. If you want a bigger boat for tubing or wake boarding, you should plan to pay around $200 for two hours. Boat rentals are accessible from the marina, and you purchase the rental inside the small convenience store.
And that wraps it up for our 3-day trip to Bend Oregon! If you are heading to Portland, check out my list of the top things to do in Portland Oregon.
Have you been to Bend, or is it on your travel bucket list? Comment and let me know!
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