PLAN YOUR OUTDOOR FUN IN CENTRAL OREGON

Hiking is definitely a highlight. The dusty trails around Lake Billy Chinook are great for big vistas. Trails around the Crooked River never disappoint. Check out Scout Camp or Alder Springs trails to wander through a desert oasis with unique geological landscapes. We love the spring and early summer wildflowers along the Gray Butte trail. Our eyes never seem to get tired of the views around Smith Rock’s 12 hiking trails. There are plunging canyons lined with desert brush and a winding river below that attracts lots of wonderful wildlife. We also recommend Smith Rock for bike trails and rock climbing. In fact, some of its walls are considered perfect climbing stone.

Bike trails don’t stop at Smith Rock either. We love the trail choices around Cline Butte and Maston systems for 4,000 acres of high desert heaven. Ride past twisted Juniper and stop for a view of the Deschutes RIver. Redmond’s road riders find bliss on the Sisters to Smith Rock Scenic Bikeway. This route is part of the Oregon Scenic Bikeways and its mountain views against the mystic desert landscape are some of our favorites. 

Some of the best views in Central Oregon are from our pristine Redmond golf courses. Take your swing at a variety of fairways on Eagle Crest Resort’s three 18-hole courses. The golden walls of Smith Rock make a pretty great backdrop for your game. Challenge yourself on the award-winning 7,200 yard Juniper Golf Course as you soak up high desert landscape against lush greens. Drive past man-made lakes, canals, and numerous sand bunkers with mined white sand along The Green’s 18-holes. You can keep the game going with more than 30 courses along the Central Oregon Golf Trail, including three Golf Digest Top 100.

There is surprisingly no shortage of water in the high desert. We fish Lake Billy Chinook all year for trophy Bull Trout or the hard-to-catch Kokanee Salmon. This is also a great spot for boating, kayaking and a summer swim. We wade into the clear streams of the nearby Deschutes River for several varieties of trout and in certain areas, Steelhead. The Deschutes also gives us several stretches of awesome lazy river floating, swimming, and cliff jumping.

We play hard on the slopes of  Mt. Bachelor and HooDoo Ski Resort.

Only 38-miles away from Redmond, Mt. Bachelor is the largest ski resort in the entire Pacific Northwest. Mt. Bachelor has numerous terrain parks and half pipes as well as a ‘Fast Tracks’ lift lane so you can skip the line.

At HooDoo Ski Area, there is plenty of fresh downhill adventure on their 34 runs and five lifts, but it also features one of the largest snow tubing parks in the western U.S.

For more wintry fun, we wander all over Central Oregon for snowshoeing, snowmobiling, sledding, or even ice skating right in the heart of downtown.