Tumalo Falls, one of many scenic spots you can explore with tips from Cascade Hiking Adventures.
In 2012, 53% of Bend visitors went hiking.
As far as activities go, that’s second only to dining at 70%, and maybe nose-picking (which, to be fair, we didn’t actually survey people on because ew.)
Suffice it to say, hiking is one of Bend’s most popular activities. Visit Bend’s hiking page is consistently in our top ten for page views, which is a pretty good indication you guys are searching for tips and ideas.
Want more? Even if you’re already well-versed on local hiking hotspots, Cascade Hiking Adventures has something for hikers of all interests and experience levels. Created in 2013 by Bend resident Matt Landry, Cascade Hiking Adventures is a treasure trove of great Central Oregon hiking info. What’s so great about it?
It’s easy to browse
There are tons of ways to find the perfect hike when you use this site. Scroll through all the pages, reading details and checking out photos to find something that piques your interest. You can also reference their A-Z trail list to choose by the name of the hike or scroll for a specific area. Another option is to use their handy-dandy trail map to get an idea which Central Oregon landscape you might like to explore. You can even search by specific interests like family hikes or dog-friendly hikes or even overnight backpacking hikes.
So much good info, your head might explode
When you’re scouting for a good hike, it’s nice to have info like location, mileage, and difficulty. Cascade Hiking Adventures goes way beyond that, offering useful details like difficulty rating, best time of year to visit, suggested wilderness experience, required permits, and even the location of the closest restrooms. You can click through to download a free topo trail map, or pony up $3 to purchase GPS files for each hike. Best of all, the listing for each hike offers a photo album packed with great pictures of what you can hope to see.
Green Lakes Trail, another beautiful hike suggested by Cascade Hiking Adventures.
Free is a very good price
I should have mentioned this sooner, huh? One of the best things about Cascade Hiking Adventures is that it doesn’t cost you anything to use it. You’ll pay a small fee if you want to download GPS files for a specific hike, but other than that, you’re not paying a dime for some of the best hiking info you could ask for.
Great hikes for all skill levels
Scoping out the wildflowers on the Cone & Iron Mountain loop.
The reason hiking is one of the most popular in Bend is that it’s fun for everyone from couch potatoes to expert climbers. The trick is to pick hikes that work for your skill level, and Cascade Hiking Adventures makes that super-simple. Hardcore hikers will appreciate learning the nitty-gritty details of hikes like South Sister and Lucky Lake Loop, while more mellow recreationists will enjoy learning about easier in-town hikes like Deschutes River Trail or Shevlin Park Loop Trail. The website makes it easy to find what you’re looking for in terms of length, difficulty, or suggested experience level.
My personal testimonial
Hiking Black Butte with my better half last summer.
I’ve lived in Bend almost 16 years, but I’ve been hiking in the area much longer than that as a fourth-generation Oregonian who grew up exploring Central Oregon. I’ve test-driven several of the hikes listed at Cascade Hiking Adventures, so I know firsthand how fab the info is.
I hiked Black Butte for the first time last summer, without the benefit of info from Cascade Hiking Adventures. While the hike went great, there’s oodles of info on the website that would have made things much smoother. Cascade Hiking Adventures offers great tips on how much water to bring (a lot!) and sections of the trail where there’s no shade (which means you probably shouldn’t hit that spot during the hottest part of the day). It also offers blow-by-blow details on what you can expect to see at different parts of the hike.
Since Cascade Hiking Adventures lists a number of cool hikes I’ve never tried, I set out a couple weeks ago to sample one of them. The Cone and Iron Mountain hike is a moderate 6.6 mile loop boasting oodles of wildflowers and great mountain views. While wildflowers were a little scarce in the heat of August, this was still an incredible hike in an area of Central Oregon I hadn’t explored before. (Sidenote: because I’m a moron who doesn’t follow directions I have an acute sense of adventure, we ended up climbing Cone Mountain instead of Iron Mountain, which I do not recommend, since Iron Mountain has much clearer trails and a super cool viewing platform at the top). Overall, the directions were excellent, and I loved scoping out new hiking trails with a handy guide to point the way.
Another scene from the Cone & Iron Mountain hike a few weeks ago.
One tip: In addition to reading directions on the website before you set out, it’s a good idea to take a printout of the downloadable trail map for your chosen hike. Many of the most recent postes even have downloadable trail guides, offering a PDF version of the hike description. Plenty of wilderness areas won’t offer you a cell signal, so a printed version can come in handy. Downloading the GPS directions for your chosen hike would also be a smart idea for just $3.
It’s also worth noting that new hikes are added constantly, and there’s a form on the right side of the webpage where you can sign up to get an email each time a new one goes up.
Overall, Cascade Hiking Adventures offers one of the best resources I’ve found for planning a hike in or around Bend. Take a gander, and then come back to share details on YOUR favorite Central Oregon hike!