Pilot Butte

Pilot Butte is a 500-foot extinct volcano located within the city. Formed around 188,000 years ago, it offers panoramic views of Bend and the Cascade Mountains.

This area is a popular hiking destination with three trails of seven miles total.

Pilot Butte State View Point

Bend Escape Room

If you’re looking for more brain stimulation than brain freeze then a great attraction for the whole family is the Bend Escape Room; a giant interactive puzzle to scratch your head over which requires teamwork and skills to try and locate and solve its hidden objects and clues.

High Desert Museum

For those interested in discovering specific information about where the town comes from and how it has grown there are a number of museums including the much-loved winner of Trip Adviser’s number one attraction in Bend, the High Desert Museum, which is set across a staggering 135 acres and features a wonderful surprise with its huge selection wild animals including bobcats, otters, snakes, and birds of prey.

Cascade Lakes

The Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway begins in Bend and stretches about 70 miles through the eastern slopes of the Cascade Range. The route passes Mount Bachelor and leads to numerous alpine lakes popular for hiking, boating, fishing, and swimming.

Along the way, you can explore some of the best Cascade Lakes in Oregon.

Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway: Where Mountains Meet Lakes

Lava River Cave

Formed by the volcanic activity about 80,000 years ago, Lava River Cave is the longest known lava tube in Oregon stretching approximately 1.5 miles from the entrance through Echo Halls, Low Bridge Lane, Two Tube Tunnel to Sand Gardens.

Numerous artifacts have been found in the area.

Lava River Cave - Exploring Oregon's Underground Wonder

Lava Cast Forest

Lava Cast Forest is part of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument and was formed by volcanic activity from Newberry Volcano, with the most recent eruption occurring about 7,000 years ago.

The Lava Cast Forest Interpretive Trail is a one-mile self-guided loop that starts at the parking area, where visitors can walk and explore the unique volcanic landscape.

Lava Cast Forest - Hiking Through Ancient Lava Flows

Newberry Caldera & Paulina Lake

Paulina Lake is one of two deep crater lakes inside the Newberry Caldera, within the boundaries of Newberry National Volcanic Monument.

The largest and the deepest in the caldera, the lake is a great destination for swimming, boating, kayaking, paddle boarding, water skiing, and even hot spring bathing.

Paulina Lake and Newberry Caldera: Volcano Lakes in Central Oregon

Paulina Creek Falls

Located in Newberry National Volcanic Monument, the double plunge 80-foot Paulina Creek Falls on Paulina Creek drains from Paulina Lake.

There is an accessible trail to picnic sites and a viewpoint.

Also, you can hike 0.25-mle down to the waterfall base for the best view and stunning photos.

Bend – Outdoor Playground of the West

Bend, Oregon, is known for a lot of things – “the outdoor playground of the West”, one of the four US cities, which have an actual volcano within the city limits.

Bend- Outdoor Playground of the West

Bend History

Before the first pioneers arrived at the beginning of 19th century, the territory along the Deschutes River was home to Native Americans, their hunting and fishing place for almost 12,000 years.

Bend History, Oregon: From Native Lands to Modern City