In summer's warm temperature climate, the days are long and sunny and the nights are cool and star-filled. It doesn't get much better. Hiking, fishing, biking, strolling and a host of other "-ings" await you. Winter offers the same sunny day light but cooler temperatures. Many of the "free activities " can be done year-round.

Hikes Around Bend:

PILOT BUTTE STATE PARK

Head east on Highway 20 (Greenwood Avenue) to the Pilot Butte State Park. The new parking area and trailhead are just east of the Butte, and across from the Deschutes National Forest Headquarters. You may walk on either the nature trail or the paved road. The road is also available for vehicle traffic, weather permitting. It is a wonderful viewpoint for the entire Bend area.

SAWYER PARK

This lovely city park has numerous rock formations along the Deschutes River with picnic and BBQ pits available. Bikers, hikers, and runners alike use the trail along the river. Travel north on Highway 97 and turn left at the stop light at O B Riley Road. Travel north for about À mile, and turn left into the park. The parking area is closed seasonally, but the park can still be accessed using roadside parking along O B Riley. For more information on city parks contact Bend Metro Parks and Recreation at 389-7275.

North of Bend:

SMITH ROCK STATE PARK

Drive north on Highway 97 through Redmond to Terrebonne. Turn right (east) at the flashing light. Turn left on NE 1st Street and proceed 2 miles, turning left at the state park signs. The park is another 0.7 miles. The picnic area has beautiful views of the rock formations where people from all over the world come to climb. There are numerous hiking trails following the river down into the Crooked River Canyon. Limited camping facilities are available. A State Park Day-Use fee is required, and there is a fee station in the parking lot.

South of Bend:

BENHAM FALLS

Five miles downstream from Sunriver (the Deschutes River flows north), this trail provides a spectacular scene of untamed rapids. From Bend follow Highway 97 south 11 miles and turn right at the Lava Lands Visitor Center. Follow the road on your left for approximately 3 miles to the parking and picnic area. Walk across the footbridge. Benham Falls is an easy half-mile walk down the road along the river. This trail continues for many miles passing by Dillon Falls and Lava Island falls. It is also a mountain bike trail. Benham, Dillon, and Lava Island falls also have parking areas accessible via Forest Service Road 41, just past the Inn of the Seventh Mountain. All parking areas require a Northwest Forest Pass for parking.

West of Bend:

SHEVLIN PARK

From Highway 97 in Bend turn west on Greenwood, which changes to Newport Avenue in the downtown area of Bend. Follow Newport (which changes to Shevlin Park Road after the roundabout at Mt. Washington Drive) for about 3 miles. You will see parking areas on both sides of the road. Aspen Hall is on the right and the main part of the park is on the left. The paved road through the park leads to several different picnic areas as well as trails. The trail system is a combination biking and hiking area. It heads up the ridge through some of the burn area from the Awbrey Hall fire of August 4, 1990.

TUMALO FALLS

From Highway 97 in Bend, turn west on Franklin. Follow the Scenic Highway loop through downtown Bend along Drake Park. Turn right on Galveston at the west end of the park, and follow this road out for eleven miles. Turn right and drive over the bridge (or park at the trailhead and hike in about 3 miles.) The pavement ends but the road continues for an additional 3 miles to a parking area at the falls. There is a trail up to the falls, which connects to other trails beyond the falls.

MT. BACHELOR SUMMIT TRAIL

Drive west on Cascade Lakes Highway for approximately 18 miles to Mt. Bachelor's first entrance at Sunrise Lodge. The 2.5 mile trail to the top of Mt. Bachelor is accessible in Summer and Fall and starts just west of the Sunrise chairlift and winds around through the trees. The top portion of the trail above the top of Sunrise chair goes through the lava rock itself and has beautiful open views of Broken Top and the Three Sisters. From the top, at 9065 feet, you can see nearly all of the Cascade Range to the north, and the nearby lakes along the Cascade Lakes Highway Scenic Byway. Note the gate closes at 6pm, so you may want to park outside of the gate.

GREEN LAKES TRAIL

This beautiful trail has its own parking lot across from the Sparks Lake meadow with a wonderful view of the north side of Mt. Bachelor. The trail winds along Fall Creek through large pine trees and fields of lupine. You will see lots of small waterfalls. Follow the trail for 4.5 miles up to the Green Lakes, or cut off to the west after about 2 miles on the Moraine Lake trail, which is another couple of miles long. There is access to the South Sister Trail from the Green Lakes area. Please remember you are in a Wilderness Area and that special rules apply. There is no access in winter. Other trailheads in this area offer a variety of horse and foot trails for just about any length of trip you desire. Many of them are accessed via parking areas along the Cascade Lakes Highway, and require a Northwest Forest Pass.

Mountain Bike Trails:

THE DESCHUTES RIVER TRAIL

This nine-mile (one way) trail starts in town and winds its way up along the river, passing through Meadow Camp and the Inn of the Seventh Mountain, taking in a series of waterfalls including Lava Island, Big Eddy, Dillon and finally Benham Falls. If you want to stretch it out, ride to Benham Falls on the gravel access road and catch the Deschutes River Trail back into town. The degree of difficulty is low and the spectacular scenery earns the ride at least a sold four-star rating.

FLAG LINE

From the end of Bend's Skyliner Road, head up Tumalo Falls road and follow the North Fork Trail. At Trail's end, go left on road 370. About four miles down the road, look for the Flag Line trail sign on the left. Follow Flag Line to Swampy Lakes and then down the South Fork Trail back to Tumalo Falls. This consummate Central Oregon ride encompasses a variety of terrain, flora and fauna plus, on the North Fork Trail, spectacular waterfalls. It is 25 miles of moderate-to-advanced riding difficulty -- Central Oregon scenery at its best!  NOTE: Flagline trail does not open until August 15th for Elk calving.  The Forest Service monitors this.

PHIL'S, JIMMY'S, PAUL'S

This ride started with a game trail cleared for riding by a local named Phil. It grew into a series of linked trails as other locals marked and cleared new sections that bear their names. The rewards of this ride include lots of shade on hot summer days, and chance encounters with migrating deer and elk herds. Ride out and back, or connect with other trails for up to a 25-mile excursion. The degree of riding difficulty is generally low, but there are some hills to give your legs a challenge.