Located in central Oregon, Bend is a unique Pacific Northwest destination with tons of things to do. Bend was situated along the Oregon Trail. It is one of only three continental U.S. cities with an extinct volcano. And it is home to the last lone Blockbuster video store, which might be Bend’s most popular claim to fame but certainly not it’s best.
While Bend is a city, central Oregon’s largest, nature and the environment fully encapsulate this city. The outdoors surrounds the city limits, but the city also fully embraces and welcomes nature within its city limits. You don’t have to chose, in Bend. You can have both a city and outdoor vibe all within the same destination.
From the sky to literally underground, there is such a unique variety of outdoor things to do in Bend. No matter your comfort level, there’s something for everyone. From gazing at the stars in the sky while enjoying a craft beer to climbing over boulders in underground lava tubes, the things to do in Bend do not disappoint. You can go hiking, chase waterfalls or sit your bum in a tube and float down the river.
The outdoors await in Bend, Oregon.
Lave Tube Cave Tour with Wanderlust Tours in Bend, Oregon; Courtesy of Courtney Elko
1. Wander Underground Caves
Wanderlust Tours in Bend features several outdoor, guided tour options throughout the year. The small group tours are led by experienced guides who assist in your adventure but also provide plenty of knowledge and history along the way. A few of the Wanderlust Tours include hiking a volcano, canoeing or kayaking, brewery tours, snowshoeing and winter bonfires in the snow, and underground cave tours, which is what I got to experience while in Bend.
The two-hour underground tour explores the lava tube caves under Bend. A lava tube is exactly as it sounds. Slow flowing lava from a volcano developed a hard crust that formed a roof above the flowing lava stream. The hardened surface eventually creates a tube as the lava empties and leaves behind a lava tube.
As you climb down the stairs from the surface of the Earth to start the tour underground. It’s hard to imagine what to expect below ground. Equipped with a helmet, close-toed shoes, warm layers (it’s cold underground) and a headlamp, I can honestly say I had no idea what lay below in the lava tube caves. It’s intensely quiet in the caves. The cave roofs are high and wide at certain portions but also very narrow and filled with boulders at other portions.
My guide was fantastic. He not only helped our group climb over large boulders and squeeze through narrow spaces on our knees or stomaches, but he also imparted so much knowledge about the geology, and the natural and cultural history while we moved deeper into the caves. He had us turn off our headlamps for a minute and quietly sit in the darkness, and I literally could not see my hand in front of my face it was so dark.
I would highly recommend the lava tube cave tour with Wanderlust as an excellent and unique thing to do in Bend. They are the only company permitted to take visitors down to this delicate ecosystem. But be prepared for uneven rocky surfaces throughout the two-hour tour. You can walk normally for much of the tour, but there are also many portions wear you will need to navigate large boulders, and extremely narrow spaces. You will need to crawl on your hands and knees at portions, too. But if you ever fill uncomfortable or reach your limit, you are welcome to sit tight and wait. The group has to return the same way in order to exit the cave.
Sunrise at Pilot Butte in Bend, Oregon; Courtesy of Courtney Elko
2. Hike Pilot Butte
The Pilot Butte dome can be seen from most parts of Bend, and is one of the things I love most about Bend. The fact that the city is immediately surrounded by nature, and nature can be found in the heart of the city is something I’ve found to be unique about the Pacific Northwest.
Located right in the center of Bend, Pilot Butte is a lava dome from an extinct volcano, and offers a less than two mile (up and back) circular trail. The main hiking trail is circular, and in my opinion is the best part of this hike. As you ascend up the trail you are walking around the dome to the summit. So you have an entirely different view of Bend below, and the surrounding Cascade mountains, as you walk on.
There are three different hiking trails, with various degrees of difficult, up to the same summit. The main, paved trail is the easiest and is also drivable from April through October. So if you really don’t want to hike but want to see the views, there is a driving option.
I hiked Pilot Butte at sunrise and it was a fantastic experience to see the pink sky slowly waking up Bend. But any time of day and any hiking skill level allows for Pilot Butte to be a perfect outdoor thing to do in Bend.
Related: Life Lessons Learned While Hiking at Sunrise in Bend, Oregon
Tumalo Waterfalls in Bend, Oregon; Courtesy of Courtney Elko
3. Explore Waterfalls
Exploring waterfalls in and around Bend is a fun outdoor thing to do. There are waterfall viewpoints, and hikes to waterfalls. The hardest decision with chasing waterfalls in Bend is that there are so many different ones from which to choose.
I visited Tumalo Falls and the Paulina Creek Falls, both located within Deschutes National Forest but on opposite sides of Bend and 90 minutes away from each other. Tumalo, a 97-foot waterfall, and Paulina, a double 80-foot set of side-by-side waterfalls, both offer viewpoints that allow visitors to witness the falls without hiking, but both also have hiking trails that surround the areas as well and offer even better views of the waterfalls.
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Deschutes River at the Old Mill District in Bend, Oregon; Courtesy of Courtney Elko
4. Float Deschutes River
In the summer months, the thing to do in Bend is float down the Deschutes River, which helped to give Bend its name, too. “Farewell Bend” along the Deschutes River, which was once a major obstacle on the Oregon Trail, is where early pioneers crossed the river to head further west. Eventually the town name was shortened to just Bend.
Now, the Deschutes River runs through the center of town and offers so much outdoor adventure. Whether you float in a tube, kayak, paddle board, fish, or canoe, the cool Deschutes waters are welcoming to all who go for a dip. There is even some whitewater for the experienced rafters who are looking for a thrill, but they are easily avoided for those who aren’t. And if you’d prefer to enjoy the river from dry land, visit the Old Mill District. This entertainment district is situated along the river banks and offers tons of restaurants with outdoor seating and river views. Plus, there are plenty of shopping opportunities, an amphitheater for concerts and festivals, art exhibits, and walking trails around the Deschutes as well.
5. Star Gaze at a Brewery
The Hopservatory at the Worthy Brewing Company might be the most unique thing to do in Bend, while drinking craft beer. Enjoy a beer and burger at the pub and then head inside the two-story, 16-foot dome that houses a 16-inch, research-grade telescope. It’s an impressive piece of equipment that you don’t get to see every day (unless you work for NASA, I guess).
A sliding door at the top of the dome opens and allows for visitors to see planets, galaxies, stars, the moon and sun and much more through the telescope. Visitors climb a small ladder to an elevated platform in order to look through the telescope’s eyepiece and see the universe beyond.
The telescope can automatically find and track almost any object in the night sky. However, what you can view through the telescope depends on the time of year, time of day and the weather conditions. Open house viewing (donations welcome) and private tours (at cost) are available. Dress for the elements as well because once the dome roof is open, the temperature is the same as outside.
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