The notebook of Bend and Central Oregon
Follow the natural curves of the trip.
Outdoor city, river and volcanic landscapes east of the Cascades.
At your own pace
Identity summary
3 to 7 days
Spring · Summer · Autumn · Winter
Recommended car
City · River · Volcano · Nature
Good accessibility
Sweet rhythm
General presentation
Bend and Central Oregon
Outdoor city, river and volcanic landscapes east of the Cascades.
To understand what Bend and Central Oregon are, you need to look at Newberry National Volcanic Monument, Deschutes River Trail and High Desert Museum. These places give us a view of a territory marked by urban life, riverscapes, volcanic landscapes and natural spaces and allow us to move from emblematic sites to more intimate stages.
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For a stay of 3 to 7 days, a quiet rhythm works well. Also to be anticipated: conditions to be checked according to the season. A car is usually the easiest way to connect the different sectors. The main sites are generally easy to access.
Strengths and constraints
Strengths
- Newberry National Volcanic Monument
- Deschutes River Trail
- High Desert Museum
Before you choose
- Car often useful
- Conditions to be checked by season
Places worth visiting
A selection to start dreaming and organizing the stay — not an exhaustive list of everything there is to see.
Place indismissible
Newberry National Volcanic Monument
Newberry National Volcanic Monument gathers flows of obsidian, cones, crater lakes and lava caves around a vast volcano in the centre of Oregon. The visit makes the volcanoism very concrete: you walk on black glass, you walk along lava fields and you see how the forest takes place.
Nature and panorama
Deschutes River Trail
The Deschutes River Trail follows the water as close as possible, between ponderosa pines, basalt cliffs and rapids that pass through Bend Depending on the chosen stretch, the walk becomes an urban walk, a running out or a quieter walk towards the dry gorges of the centre of Oregon.
Culture and heritage
High Desert Museum
The High Desert Museum tells the high desert of Oregon by living animals, exhibitions on indigenous peoples, the history of pioneers and natural environments. Outdoor spaces, raptors and re-enactments make the visit particularly useful before you go through dry landscapes around Bend.
Nature and panorama
Pilot Butte
Pilot Butte is an ancient volcanic cone placed in the heart of Bend, which gives a natural lookout on the city and the Cascades. The climb is made on foot or according to the season by road, with at the top a circular panorama towards the Three Sisters, Broken Top and the central desert.
Practical tips
This information helps know if the destination matches the planned trip before starting a fuller search.
To go further
More activities
Restaurants, walks, culture, leisure and outings to search without leaving the destination card.
The nearest destinations
The closest ideas on the map, to extend your trip.
Escaped to discover
John Day and the Painted Hills
Oregon, 🇺🇸 United States of America
Discover this idea
Similar destinations
Same landscapes and the same pace of travel, elsewhere in the world.
