Deschutes River Trail
This river trail allows nearly uninterrupted access to the beautiful waterway that is the heart of the community. The Bend Metro Park & Recreation District is at work building a fully connected river trail between Tumalo State Park and Meadow Camp. Once complete, the trail system will encompass nineteen miles of trails. The current trail system is divided into five "reaches", defined by landscape characteristics:
Awbrey Reach
Visitors can access the River Trail at its northernmost point
at Kirkaldy Court off of Putnam Rd. Along the middle stretch of
this reach, the river drops into a deep canyon but the trail
stays high on the canyon wall. A steep climb up the Archie
Briggs Canyon Trail connects to Mt. Washington Dr.
River Run Reach
This section, favored by many locals, is wide and
relatively flat. The trail passes through River's Edge golf
course and adjacent neighborhoods. There are several wetlands
in this reach, inhabited by songbirds, swans, otter and beaver.
Pioneer Reach
This part of the trail goes through the downtown area
and isn't always right on the river. It passes through
beautiful Drake Park on Mirror Pond and ends in McKay Park.
There are several footbridges along the way offering
opportunities to cross the river.
Old Mill Reach
This reach is a mix of river parks, the Shops at the Old Mill,
and areas yet to be developed. Three footbridges connect trail
legs on either side of the river, providing convenient walking
loops. On the east side, the trails are hard surface from the
Old Mill District to the Bill Healy bridge. Farewell Bend Park
provides two developed boat landings for paddlers using the
Deschutes River water trail.
South Canyon Reach
This reach has trail legs on both sides of the river, connected
by a new footbridge 1.5 miles upstream from Farewell Bend Park
bridge. West side: This side is known as the
Mt. Bachelor Village Trail. It is open to pedestrians, but
cyclists are not allowed. An alternative cycling route connects
from the Bill Healy Bridge to the Haul Road Trail along Century
Drive.
East side: This side is narrow and rocky in
places. The southern end is a gravel road which runs above the
river next to the Central Oregon Irrigation District pipe.
There are connections on the trail to nearby neighborhoods
along the way.
