Bend



Bend is the county seat of Deschutes County in Central Oregon.

Understand
The city of Bend, which is nestled between the Cascade Range and the Maury Mountains, is a vacation destination in both summer and winter, known for its year-round offering of outdoor activities.

By plane

 * American Airlines : (Los Angeles and Phoenix)
 * Avelo : (Burbank, Santa Rosa)
 * Alaska Airlines/Horizon: (Portland, Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle, San Francisco)
 * Delta Connection: (Salt Lake City by Skywest and Seattle by Compass Airlines)
 * United Express: (Los Angeles & San Francisco by Skywest and Denver by GoJet)
 * United Express: (Los Angeles & San Francisco by Skywest and Denver by GoJet)

CoBreeze Bus and other bus companies serving the area also serve the airport in addition to Hawthorne Station in Bend and the Redmond Transit Hub (see below under 'By bus'). The next nearest airport for commercial flights with additional airlines from more places is at Portland International Airport northwest of town, which is also served by Cobreeze bus.

In town, there's a city-owned  for public general aviation use. The airport is northeast of the city center at NE Butler Market Rd & Powell Butte Hwy.

By car
Bend is served by U.S. Routes 20 and 97. From the west, U.S. 20 carries traffic from Santiam Pass and the Willamette Valley, and from Burns and southeastern Oregon. U.S. 97 passes north-south through the city, carrying traffic from Klamath Falls to the south and the Columbia River Gorge and Yakima to the north.

To get to Bend from Portland, you can take U.S. 26 east from Gresham over Mount Hood to Madras where it meets up with U.S. 97 south, and follow U.S. 97 south through Redmond to Bend. Or you can take I-5 south to Albany, then U.S. 20 east through Santiam Pass and Sisters. Either way will take about three hours, not counting rest stops. Both routes cross the Cascade Range and may receive heavy snow during the winter.

By bus
The main bus station for local public transportation and intercity buses is at the on NE 4th & Hawthorne (334 NE Hawthorne). Bus stops for Cascades East Transit are lined up along NE Hawthorne and along NE 4th while the intercity buses pick up at stops 'D' & 'E' along NE 4th, north of Hawthorne towards the alley:
 * Eastern Point goes across eastern Oregon to Ontario via Brothers, Hamptons, Riley, Buchanan, Burns, Drewser Jct, Harper, Vale, etc. Passengers can connect to Greyhound Lines (Portland-Boise-Salt Lake City route) in Ontario. Picks up at the Hawthorne Station ONLY.
 * Eastern Point goes across eastern Oregon to Ontario via Brothers, Hamptons, Riley, Buchanan, Burns, Drewser Jct, Harper, Vale, etc. Passengers can connect to Greyhound Lines (Portland-Boise-Salt Lake City route) in Ontario. Picks up at the Hawthorne Station ONLY.
 * Eastern Point goes across eastern Oregon to Ontario via Brothers, Hamptons, Riley, Buchanan, Burns, Drewser Jct, Harper, Vale, etc. Passengers can connect to Greyhound Lines (Portland-Boise-Salt Lake City route) in Ontario. Picks up at the Hawthorne Station ONLY.
 * Eastern Point goes across eastern Oregon to Ontario via Brothers, Hamptons, Riley, Buchanan, Burns, Drewser Jct, Harper, Vale, etc. Passengers can connect to Greyhound Lines (Portland-Boise-Salt Lake City route) in Ontario. Picks up at the Hawthorne Station ONLY.
 * Eastern Point goes across eastern Oregon to Ontario via Brothers, Hamptons, Riley, Buchanan, Burns, Drewser Jct, Harper, Vale, etc. Passengers can connect to Greyhound Lines (Portland-Boise-Salt Lake City route) in Ontario. Picks up at the Hawthorne Station ONLY.
 * Eastern Point goes across eastern Oregon to Ontario via Brothers, Hamptons, Riley, Buchanan, Burns, Drewser Jct, Harper, Vale, etc. Passengers can connect to Greyhound Lines (Portland-Boise-Salt Lake City route) in Ontario. Picks up at the Hawthorne Station ONLY.



Get around
To fully enjoy the city of Bend, your best mode of transportation is the bicycle. Bend has extensive bike paths and lanes and walking paths. When visiting downtown Bend, you can park for free for the first two hours during business hours and unlimited hours after 5PM. Downtown is best explored by foot. Parking can be difficult at times but a spacious parking garage is located at the corner of Bond and Oregon Streets.

Outside of Bend, a car is necessary.

Parks and Natural Attractions

 * Lavabutte3.jpg
 * Lavabutte3.jpg

Whitewater Rafting

 * Whitewater rafting Bend offers some great Whitewater rafting on the Deschutes River.

Mountain Biking

 * Mountain Bike Bend and Central Oregon have hundreds of miles of singletrack perfect for riders of all levels. There are trails for families and beginners and trails for serious mountain bikers wanting to get their ride in. Most of the trails in the Bend area are in the cross country category - great for front and full suspension bikes. The trails are pretty buff with some roots and rocks. There are some steep climbs, but mainly the trails climb for days from town more than 20 miles (32 km) to Mt. Bachelor and beyond. This means there are great routes for downhill and shuttling. Popular trails include Whoops, Funner, Phil's Canyon, Flagline and Mrazek. Progressive, downhill and freeride styles of trail have been built in Bend including the Lair and ODP (Old Dirty Pirate). The Central Oregon Trail Alliance (COTA) maintain the trails and build new ones. Several bike shops in town rent bikes (Hutchs, Pine Mountain Sports, Webcyclery & Sunnyside Sports). Cog Wild Mountain Bike tours also offers tours and shuttles for riders of all levels. Adventure Maps sells great maps of the trails of the Bend area. You can find their maps online or at each bike shop in Bend.

Fishing

 * Go fishing Bend is in the heart of the Cascades, and due to this location Bend is surrounded by numerous Cascade lakes and the well known Deschutes River. Some of the Cascade lakes hold monster trout exceeding 10 lbs, Crane Prairie is one of these lakes, and it is south of Bend near Sun River. The avid fisherman can experience almost everything when fishing around Bend. The lakes hold a variety of species of fish from Trout, Kokanee, Atlantic Salmon, Bass and other fish. While the famous Deshcutes holds an abundance of fish. The Deschutes flows right through the city of Bend. Some of the better fishing can actually be right in front of the Riverhouse right on the Deschutes off of 3rd St. If getting away from the crowds is what you like the Deschutes offers miles and miles of peaceful fishing spots.

Golf

 * Golf There are golf courses in Bend for both high and low handicappers. Bend offers several great golf courses that share amazing scenery. At 3600 feet, the ball always travels higher and longer in Bend!

Buy
There are numerous shopping opportunities in Bend. Downtown Bend has all different kinds of shops from outdoor gear to clothes.



Eat
Bend has a great selection of restaurants located all over town. Downtown has dozens of restaurants on its own to suit anyone's taste, and a short drive, bike, or walk across the river or down to the Old Mill District will turn up even more options. Most of the brewery pubs and tasting rooms offer quality food as well, so check the section for more details.

Drink
Bend is home to some of Oregon's most widely known breweries, including Deschutes, Worthy, and 10Barrel. Each have their own taprooms in the city, but there are certainly options beyond just these.

Breweries
All of the large breweries based in Bend have their own tasting rooms open. Beer lovers are certainly encouraged to have a "flight a night" at each location during their stay in Bend to taste what everyone has to offer.

Resorts
Resorts with onsite activities and amenities are found in and around Bend.



Go next

 * Crater Lake National Park - home of the deepest lake in the United States. 2 hours south by car.
 * In the John Day area about 2.5 hours north east, you can find the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, and the picturesque Painted Hills.
 * Bend is the gateway to the Oregon Outback in the southeastern portion of the state. See Eastern Oregon for more info.