Floating & Tubing the Deschutes River
Tubing and floating the Deschutes River is a must-do! In fact, there’s a law in Bend that says no one shall visit our fair city in the summer months without floating the Deschutes River at least once.
Okay, we may have made that up. But law or no law, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to enjoy one of the most scenic, unique, and enjoyable experiences you can have in Bend.
Wondering where to float and how it all works?
The easiest and most popular route is to put on at Riverbend Park with a take out at Drake Park. Give yourself about an hour to enjoy this lazy sun-drenched meandering float along the Deschutes. For a shorter float, you can also take out at McKay Park.
On your float, when you reach the Colorado Avenue Bridge, hop out and walk through the handy tunnel that takes you to another put-in spot to start the second phase of your journey. You can also stay in the river and continue through the state-of-the-art Bend Whitewater Park. The park offers a mildly-wild passageway (amusingly referred to as ‘da chute’ by a few locals) for floaters, plus a whitewater channel for experienced paddlers and a natural habitat channel designed to preserve Bend’s aquatic wildlife.
Once you reach Bend’s scenic Drake Park, hoof it back to your car if you decide to self-shuttle, it takes about 20 minutes. Or, Tumalo Creek offers shuttles for a small fee. We highly recommend making a reservation first.
Need rentals? Inner tube rentals are available at Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe and The Powder House. Both offer half or full-day single and double inner tube rentals starting in June. If you’re more interested in renting a standup paddleboard (SUP) or kayak, you can visit Tumalo Creek’s location in Riverbend Park or head to the Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe main Bend store location off Industrial Way, which rents SUPs, kayaks, canoes, and more.