Where To Hike, Bike, Fish And Drink In Central Oregon

By Joseph Friedrichs, 6-06-08

With the weather forecast finally offering something reasonable, now is the time to get outdoors and take advantage of the variety of recreation opportunities Central Oregon has to offer.  The following is the NewWest.Net/Bend guide to getting out of the house and exploring the earth. No excuses. Step outside and do something. Please enjoy.

Hiking

Because it’s still early in the summer that feels more like early spring, start with an easy stroll to loosen the legs. We suggest traveling a few miles outside of town to Shevlin Park. Here there are more than 650 acres of hiking trails to explore. Most of the trails follow Tumalo Creek and are spread across fairly-level ground. A mixture of Aspen and Ponderosa trees are host to numerous wildlife species, including deer and bear.

And if moving outside of city limits is beyond your realm of ambition, check out Bend’s in-town state park, Pilot Butte. Situated on the east side of the city, three easy-to-navigate trails lead to the top of the cinder cone. And although none of the trails are more than a mile long, stunning views of the Cascades and the high-desert wait at the top.

Other popular area hikes within an easy drive of Bend include heading south to Sunriver to check out the stunning flows at Benham Falls, or over to the Newberry Crater Volcanic National Monument for a hike around Paulina Lake. Additional trails often heralded as topnotch near Bend include Broken Top, the Deschutes River Trail, Green Lakes and Chimney Rock, amongst many others. And although its more renowned for its rock climbing, check out the available trail system at Smith Rock State Park.

Biking

There are hundreds, if not thousands of miles of accessible bike riding roads and trails currently open near Bend. Click here for a list of some of the best the area has to offer on two wheels.

Our top pick is hopping on South Century Drive outside of Sisters and trekking to Little Lava Lake. This is an all-day adventure, covering nearly 80 miles of pristine wilderness. If the sound of such an excursion sounds too daunting, drive South Century to the Cascade Lakes Highway junction and do a round-trip loop to Little Lava, covering about 45 miles total.

If mountain biking is more up your alley, head west of Bend to Jim’s trail and Phil’s trail. This popular 10.5-mile loop is a perfect spot to ride through giant-ponderosa stands and embark on what Central Oregon is all about, that being pine forests and solitude.  To access Phil’s/Jim’s, take Skyliners Road west of Bend for 2.5 miles. Turn left on Forest Service Road 220. The trailhead is located at the junction of 220 and Forest Service Road 4606.

Fishing

Nearly all the accessible waters in Central Oregon are open to fishing now, although it never hurts to check the regulations before taking a cast. The fishing guidelines can be obtained at almost any hunting, fishing or outdoor store in the state.

All stretches of the Deschutes River opened during Memorial Day Weekend, and fishing reports have been positive coming from sections of the upper river. However, be prepared to deal with lots of company on the Upper Deschutes, as many of fisherfolk have been anxious to get out during the long winter. Stretches of the Deschutes near La Pine State Park are flowing low for this time of year, and not much action is taking place near there.

Both Little Lava and Lava Lake are ice free and open to fish as well. And while the fishing may be decent right now, as goes the word around the campfire, be prepared again to deal with massive amounts of people at the lakes. The same can be said of both Wickiup and Crane Prairie reservoirs.

Essentially, the word on fishing in Central Oregon right now is that you’d better enjoy the company of other people, because they are going to be there.

Drinking

Because the writing staff here at NewWest.Net/Bend are never in denial about the possibility a weekend-weather forecast being wrong, it’s never a bad idea to scratch out a backup plan. If the skies remain dark this weekend, we recommend holing up at some of Bend’s finest bars, pubs and taverns.

Make sure to stop at the M & J Tavern, Silver Moon Brewery, Bend Brewing Company, McMenamins Whiskey Room and perhaps even the lounge at Greg’s Grill.

If that sounds like too much, just saddle up at the D & D and accept both the failures and glories of your day-to-day life.