Sunriver/Bend OR recommendations?

I’ll be going up to the Sunriver OR area with my family, and we could use recommendations for things to do, places to go, things to see, where to eat, etc. Since Bend is just up the
road, I assume we’ll make at least 1 or 2 drives up there as well. Many of us like to hike, so hiking recommendations are especially welcome.

Thanks!

Bruce

Smith Rock State Park, which is a few miles outside of Bend, is worth a visit for hiking.

If you’re up for it, floating or paddle boarding on the river in town is fun.

If you like beer, there is a plethora of really good breweries. I’d especially recommend Ale Apothecary (sour/mixed fermentation beers), Monkless (Belgian Trappist style ales), Boneyard (a bit of everything), Cruz Fermentation (a bit of everything & great outdoor area), Deschutes, and Boss Rambler (more hoppy beers & stouts, but also a solid coffee shop in the morning).

For a cool drive and then subsequent hike, NF-370, a forest road a few miles west of Mt. Bachelor, which intersects with the Cascade Lakes Highway.
You can access Todd Lake, and then if you continue, Broken Top and the South Sister.

For dinner, I find Ariana to be the best restaurant in town.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far!

Bruce

We had a family vacation and enjoyed some of the activities at Black Butte Ranch: http://www.blackbutteranch.com/ . Bike riding, horses, trails, pool, other activities. The golf is great, too, but I doubt that’s on your family’s to-do list. My favorite brewery in Bend is 10 Barrel. I love sours and they often have several, as well as top-notch beers of many other types.

Tons to do in that area. Hike-wise there are lots. There’s the Lava-Cast Forest, which is an easy and shortish hike through a pretty lava and forest area that also has signed spots where lava flowed around trees and left cast marks. It’s a bit of a drive down a gravel road if that’s ok. Depending on children’s ages, there are several lava tubes to explore, as well as Lava Butte (there’s a shuttle from Lava Lands Visitor Center to the top, great view). Newberry Crater is a neat spot and has two lakes in it along with an obsidian flow. Around the Three Sisters are numerous hikes including Green Lakes Basin, and lots of high lakes (Davis, Sparks, Hosmer, etc.) for swimming/boating/fishing/hiking.

Also the High Desert Museum is pretty cool and the kids will probably like it. If you are ambitious you can day trip to Crater Lake National Park (about 90 miles each way) and drive around the top; it’s stunning.

Golfing at Crosswater in Sunriver is fantastic and tough. The other courses are easier. There’s a decent spa at Sunriver as well.

Enjoy!

I will be in Bend in September (after my 24 hours spent in the Portland area posted in the Wine Talk forum) for the third time.

We always stay at Pronghorn and don’t venture off property too much but have seen a few places.

Really enjoyed Brown Owl for dinner. Good food and great beer selection. Second 10 Barrel.

If you have any interest in golf, Tetherow is a wild ride. Loved playing there. Pronghorn is great as well but Tetherow is more fun because of how unique it is.

I also had an amazing massage at Anjou Spa. They have a hot sand sauna and steam room. It was a great experience after being on the road for a few days.

Have to do the Lava tube caves! It’s fun.

I would second Boneyard Brewing. There new location is nice and I find their beers to be high quality.

I would add to the list seeing the Bend Elks, if you or your family like baseball. It is a wood bat league for college players or new grads. We stay in Black Butte and always make a trip in to Bend for games when in season.

I will second the Newberry Crater. The obsidian flow is huge and attracted Native Americans from over a thousand miles away. Fishing is great at both Paulina and East Lakes inside the crater.

Close to the Lava River Caves is the Lava Cast Forest - an area of the forest that was smothered in lava and left casts of the trees.

One activity that the kids love is the Paulina Plunge - a guided half+ day downhill mountain bike ride that follows Paulina Creek down from Newberry Crater, with numerous stops at places where the kids can slide along slick rocks, jump in pools, and generally get wet. They provide the bikes and a guide, you need to remember to bring water and maybe some snacks.

Also, if you have SHARQ passes, use them. This is the hot spot in Sunriver for the 8 to 16 set - two pools, water-slides, etc.

Adding Tumalo Falls for a nice hike.

And 900 Wall for decent food and well priced Walter Scott X-Novo.

The lava fields are well worth the visit, and once you are that far south, you should continue down to Crater Lake. That is a destination that should be on everyone’s “got to see at least once” list.

Rafting the Deschutes is a great family excursion.

Plenty of mountain biking opportunities.

My favorite hiking is up towards the Sisters.

Tratoria Sbandati.

Thanks again for all the suggestions. We DO have SHARQ passes, so I’m sure we’ll use those heavily as well.

We have a large enough group that we don’t all have to do the same activities at the same time–one group can go off and do one thing; another group can do something else.

Bruce

Just got back from my trip; thanks for all the suggestions! Lots of great outdoors activities, especially hiking along the Deschutes River Trail. It was also fun to take the summer chair lifts up
Mount Bachelor and hike around up there–great scenery. Also a day trip to Crater Lake (although a lot of driving that day). Didn’t really do much dining out; mostly cooked at the vacation house.

Bruce