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 (midway along the river trail) connects to
Mt. Washington Dr.
River Run Reach
This section, favored by many locals, is wide and
generally flat with two short steeper grades. The trail passes
through River's Edge golf course, Sawyer Park 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 follows local streets and sidewalks. 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, private trails at 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 through 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 flume.
There are connections on the trail to nearby neighborhoods
along the way.
River Trail Ramble
This Park &
Recreation Foundation annual river trail run/walk raises
funds to support the acquisition and development of the river
trail.
Trail Map
To download a pdf of the trail map click
here.
Deschutes River Trail Action Plan -To download a copy of the Deschutes River Trail Action Plan, click here (3MB file). The action plan provides a "greenprint" for the completion of the trail.
