Bend, OR Summary

Located in the high desert area of central Oregon, and shielded by the Cascade Mountains, Bend receives only 12 inches of rainfall a year and its 51,000 inhabitants enjoy an abundance of recreational opportunities.

Although the timber industry and the production of wood-related products remain Bend’s primary industries, tourism is its second largest. Kayakers and rafters can shoot the triple waterfalls of the Deschutes River, and nearby Mt Bachelor, at more than 9,000 feet, offers skiers some 3,200 acres of slopes.

Visitors can get a panoramic view of Bend, and the volcanic peaks that surround it, from Pilot Butte, a 511-foot-high volcanic cinder cone. The view of nine snowcapped Cascade peaks includes the Three Sisters, Broken Top Mountain, and Mt Jefferson, at 10,495 feet.

Twenty miles south of Bend is the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, including 50,000 acres of lakes and lava flows. Here visitors find the 500-square-mile Newberry caldera (crater), which holds two sparkling alpine lakes full of trout and salmon. Its rim has a circumference of 21 miles and can be hiked on a wellestablished trail.

There are seven campgrounds that lie within the crater, and Paulina Lake Lodge is the only visitor service open year-round. Newberry National Volcanic Monument is a must-see destination when visiting Bend.

The Redmond-Roberts Airport is 20 miles north, in the town of Redmond. Trains and buses also service the area.