Top Things to do in Central Oregon
Top Hotels in Central Oregon
- 1. Best Western Plus Rama Inn
- 2. SCP Redmond Hotel
- 3. Best Western Premier Peppertree Inn at Bend
- 4. Hampton Inn & Suites Bend
- 5. The Oxford Hotel
- 6. Hilton Garden Inn Bend
- 7. Springhill Suites by Marriott Bend
- 8. Best Western Plus Bend North
- 9. Best Western Ponderosa Lodge
- 10. La Quinta Inn by Wyndham Bend
10 Budget-friendly Things to do in Central Oregon That You Shouldn't Miss
Discover the best top things to do in Central Oregon, United States including McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass loop, Deschutes National Forest, Deschutes River Trail, Hosmer Lake, Smith Rock State Park, Crooked River Scenic Drive, Sahalie and Koosah Falls, Oregon Observatory at Sunriver, South Sister, Erickson Aircraft Collection.
Restaurants in Central Oregon
1. McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass loop
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 240 reviews
Eighty-two-mile scenic byway offering the best foliage in the state.
Reviewed By aprilcD2559QJ - Yakima, United States
Great loop drive with lots of interesting things to stop and see along the way. Flowers, Dee Wright Observatory, Proxy Falls, Clear Lake, Salhalie/Koosah Falls, Camp Sherman, Head of the Metolius, Wizard Falls Hatchery, and more.
2. Deschutes National Forest
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 201 reviews
Encompassing more than 1.6 million acres of Central Oregon, this region extends for about 100 miles with a scenic backdrop of volcanic mountains of the Cascades.
Reviewed By pepevallejo
amazing place to visit with family or groups, nice views, good kids activity , clean and the gardeners work very hard to keep this area up to . at 100 %
3. Deschutes River Trail
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 58 reviews
A popular 10.5-mile mountain biking trail in Oregon's Deschutes National Forest.
Reviewed By CrankingChick - Tucson, United States
We stayed at a hotel adjacent to the trail and went out for a peaceful walk at sunset. The paved trail follows along the banks of the Deschutes River, so the scenery is great. It's suitable for wheelchairs and strollers and passes through Riverbend Park and Farewell Bend Park where there is a playground and some picnic shelters. We easily walked about 2 miles, crossing bridges over the river to go down both sides. There were a lot of people out walking or jogging and we saw people fishing, kayaking and paddle-boarding on the river. Waterfowl were abundant and didn't seem bothered by the company. The Mill District shopping area is right next to the trail; it would make a fun date night to have dinner at one of the restaurants there and then take a walk along the river.
4. Hosmer Lake
5. Smith Rock State Park
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,086 reviews
Reviewed By wonderland62 - Hillsboro, United States
I don't know what is more impressive - views of nature or watching rock climbers scale cliff walls! Bring water and you can have your pick of different trails (difficulty scale is accurate).
6. Crooked River Scenic Drive
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 74 reviews
Reviewed By Freedom29161356425 - Silverdale, United States
Beautiful drive, a few spots a big scary, since trucks over 60 ft should not use this road. We had a pickup with a very long trailer coming down the road, we stopped on before a corner to give him room otherwise we probably would have an issue. Its a slow traveling road with lots of campsites, evidently great fishing as there were lots of fisherpersons out. the damn is hard to see when on top. Its worth the drive, enjoy.
7. Sahalie and Koosah Falls
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 271 reviews
Reviewed By AnitaH489 - Lodi, United States
We have vacationed in the Sisters area a couple times over the recent years and included this hike on our itineraries. Our friends actually hired a limosine the first time we went there as we were all on bicycles and without cars. We went back this summer because it's close to Sisters, it's an easy hike for a rest day off the bike and the scenery and falls are beautiful.
8. Oregon Observatory at Sunriver
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 210 reviews
There’s no better place! The local elevation, pitch dark surrounding and crystal clear air make it perfect for star gazing. You won’t be lining up for one telescope. The Oregon Observatory is the largest astronomical viewing facility in the United States. Feast your eyes on far away galaxies. Recognize the rings of Saturn and the moons of Jupiter. Witness a meteor shower. Get a glimpse of globular clusters, nebula and deep space binary stars.
Reviewed By chrissieb433
This was such an interesting tour to do. The stars are amazing and being able to see different galaxies and the rings of Saturn were a highlight for me. The staff were so knowledgeable and quickly set up different telescopes so we could see various planets etc. This was a real highlight.
9. South Sister
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 87 reviews
Reviewed By 921adriank
I hiked to the top 7/18/20. It is a challenging hike. I recommend bringing hiking poles, lots of water, good hiking shoes, and sunscreen. I recommend starting early before it gets too hot. I arrived to the parking lot at 6:10 and it was almost full. This is very popular hike. It took me about 4.5 hours to get to the summit including few breaks that I took to have water and a snack. There are parts of the trail that has loose rocks. I noticed a lot of dogs. A lot of owners lacked trail etiquette. I could tell that too many poor dogs were struggling doing this trail but their owners did not care.
10. Erickson Aircraft Collection
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 66 reviews
Reviewed By buzzdaman56 - Chico, United States
:60 minutes north of Bend, a stunning collection of (primarily) 1940-1950's military and civilian aircraft. I do not recommend looking at their webpage, just because it takes away from the awe and joy of walking into this collection and being bowled over! All the aircraft are maintained in flying condition. I (65yrs) spent several hours walking around. Good information available to read with each plane. In 2019, I plan to go back for their big annual air show. I'm just going to share one picture to entice you into visiting!
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