Things to do in Bend

THE 15 BEST Things to Do in Bend

Things to Do in Bend


Book these experiences for a close-up look at Bend.

Top Attractions in Bend

These rankings are informed by traveller reviews—we consider the quality, quantity, recency, consistency of reviews, and the number of page views over time.

What travellers are saying

  • Julie S
    Prineville, OR4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    It's always fun visiting the museum. Enjoy all the critters. Owls, eagles, hawks, turtles, newts, and Otters.
    The revolving exhibit is new on each visit. This time it was an art exhibit of a collection of Andy Warhol pieces.
    Written February 29, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • GK360
    Seattle, WA180 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    So much fun in the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. After visiting Paulina Falls, we drove further to the Big Obsidian Flow trailhead. We loved this hike. We made our way up to the 2nd park bench and got some great pictures. So amazing. And if you're a LOTR fan, you can pretend you're Frodo and Sam heading into Mordor. Ha! "One does not simply walk into Mordor." - unless you're here at the Big Obsidian Flow. :-)
    Written September 24, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Joseph Robba
    Charlotte, NC2,256 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Tumalo Falls was an excellent experience for us. There are lots of gorgeous scenic view points to see the falls, and it's not a very long hike, although it is a little uphill to get to the top of the falls so be advised on that.
    The parking lot here is incredibly small, and I ended up parking along the gravel road pretty far away from the parking area, so be prepared to drop your group off near the trailhead and then have to park and walk back to the trailhead, as it can get very crowded.
    But, it's totally worth it, and make sure to bring your camera, it's an incredibly beautiful and impressive Waterfall.
    Written January 11, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • GK360
    Seattle, WA180 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This is a really nice visitor center with friendly staff. So much more than we thought it would be! Overall, this is an under-rated National Monument. So interesting! Make sure you make the drive down to the Paulina portion as well.
    Written September 24, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • hermandree
    Hickory, NC381 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Check in and lift ticket buying supplies and rentals is very easy and friendly service. There is a wonderful app that you can use and can even track your friends and get statistics if you would like on your skiing.
    Written March 5, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Rebecca M
    5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Did Sparks Lake with a kayak company and it was glorious. Word to the Wise: the access road is HORRIBLE - like the surface of the moon - and has been for many years. I took it upon myself to contact the US Forest Service this time. Their terse response? We've got more important things to do and have no plans to address this problem. 'kay thanks
    Written October 11, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Joseph Robba
    Charlotte, NC2,256 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    There's not much to it, we drove up and hung out for about 20 minutes before calling it a day, but there are great views of the nearby Cascades from up here. It does get crowded, but overall not a bad spot to check out.
    Written January 29, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • sopaca
    Cambridge, UK2,209 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This was a real highlight of our 16 day road trip in Washington and Oregon. We only learned of the cave as we drove north from Crater Lake to our next destination so booked a ticket that evening for 9am the next morning. Despite it being August 27th there were still quite a few tickets available which was lucky. It was only $2 (£1.60) so a real bargain. I think the booking is so they can mange the parking lot not being too full as well as not too many at a time in the lava tube.

    We were also very fortunate as we were the first to enter the cave so the whole 1.1 mile walk to the end we were alone which was an amazing experience. When you turned the lanterns off it was VERY VERY dark! The cave was a lot bigger - width and height - than I'd expected and it was quite an easy walk. We're both in our 60s but had no trouble with the terrain although we did wear our hiking shoes.

    The floor is mostly level and sandy but there are boulders to watch out for and occasional changes of height - both floor and ceiling. There are also useful info boards along the way to tell you about the features and geology of the cave. The path finishes after 1.1 miles although the cave doesn't! It was quite surreal to think you were 1.1 miles into the ground.

    We were told it was 42F/5C in the cave so wore sweatshirts, down jackets, hats, gloves and scarves but actually it didn't feel that cold and much of the warmer clothes were discarded as we were walking the whole time and it didn't feel that cold at all. Do be sure to not wear anything that you've ever worn in a cave before in the USA as they are working hard not to transmit white-nose syndrome which kills bats and can transmit decades later from spores on clothing.

    I can definitely recommend hiring their lanterns for $5 as they are very powerful and our experience of seeing the cave walls, ceiling and way to walk was a lot better that that of those people using their own torches/flashlights or even phone for illumination. We shone our lanterns on the ceiling for several people on the way back who only had dim lights and got 'gasps' as they saw what they were missing with their poor illumination devices. I’d also caution against using a headlamp as while it might illuminate your path you’ll miss the flexibility of seeing the ceiling and wall and also it shines directly into the eyes of those coming the other way!
    Written October 3, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Sam
    Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia12,111 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful forest to drive by on the way to Bend. Lot of green all around. Saw a Ranger Station nearby for safety. Worth spending a few hours
    Written January 1, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Terrie C
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This was an amazing educational and historical story on making beer and the beginnings of Bend being Beer Capital of the USA. Kaden our guide was brilliant and shared the story of making beer and the history of the Deschutes Brewery incredibly interesting. Thank you from our UK family for a wonderful tour and afternoon.
    Written December 7, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • David
    Los Angeles, CA5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Don’t be fooled by all the ads to rent a “heavy duty” tube for a float. The main float area of the river is super calm and doesn’t require a “heavy duty tube” as the rental companies like to advertise. You can easily buy a $5-10 pool tube or other float device (ideally an inflatable kayak so you can paddle back to your parking spot) instead of spending $25-30 per person to float the Deschutes. Plus, there is no time limit when you bring your own float device :)
    Written September 9, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Steve H
    Katy, TX62 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wanderlust Tours took our group on an evening/sunset canoe trip on this lake. Can't recommend it enough! It's awesome. If you have the means to get on the water here, it is beautiful. Not sure about the hiking.
    Written August 1, 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bend