I’ve been on a 3-month solo RV trip across the United States starting in the Spring and including the Summer of 2024.  I have wanted to visit Bend, Oregon for several years but the timing was always off.  Either there was snow, or smoke from wildfires or it just seemed to far from the coast to make it practical from a timing perspective.  I finally arrived in Bend in late June and can attest it was worth the trip.  

On my way to Bend from Redding, California, I drove to Crater Lake National Park.  I have been to Crater Lake multiple times but, similar to the Grand Canyon or Yosemite, it is always, always worth the side trip to go to Crater Lake.  The beauty of the lake is incomprehensible. Any other lake this beautiful would have million-dollar homes on the rim or house boats floating in the middle. It’s a relatively harrowing drive up from the Park Headquarters to Rim Village.  Harrowing because of the hairpin turns, abundance of snow (in JUNE!) and the lack of guardrails as I drove my 25-foot, 5-ton RV up to the top. I embraced doing it scared.  Perhaps it was because my eyes were glued to the road but I didn’t see the lake until after I parked at Rim Village and took the short trail to the overlook.  It is the deepest blue I’ve ever seen (apparently in 1853 Isaac Skeeter indeed called it Deep Blue Lake).  It’s known for its water clarity and for being the deepest lake in the United States and third in the world for average depth.  When I was there in June and there were snowcapped peaks surrounding the pristine lake against that deep blue color on a clear day, it was just breath taking. I had hoped to hike some of the many trails but was not prepared for the amount of snow on the ground so I opted out of hiking. Regardless, if it’s not on your bucket list, please add it.

I camped in Bend, just a few hours from Crater Lake,  for several days to work and explore. My dear friend, Janine, had made some recommendation and I tried out several.  There are multiple trails along the Deschutes River all across central Oregon.  Many trails are in the city of Bend but I started on the Benham Falls trail from the Upper Deschutes River within the Deschutes National Forest and the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. It was an easy hike along the Upper Deschutes River to see a 25-foot-high cascade waterfall.  I was struck by how I could see the remainder of an enormous lava flow on the opposite side of the river.  This led me to my next hike at Lava Butte which is within the same national forest and monument.  

Lava Butte and its trails through the lava field are just a couple of miles from the trailhead for Benham Falls.  The cinder cone that remains from a volcanic eruption from 7,000 years ago.  It’s a fascinating hike on the paved trail through a large lava flow.  There are now wild flowers and some small trees that are starting to pop up through the lava tubes.  At the time of the volcanic eruption the lava flowed down to the Deschutes River and dammed the river to create Lake Benham.  The river eventually overflowed and eroded the dam which created the Benham Falls.  The lake is gone. There is a payoff to hiking up to the vista overlook on the Trail of Molten Land.  From the vista overlook Mount Bachelor and the Sisters with their snowcapped peaks are visible as well as the vastness of the lava field.

Walking around the Old Mill and Downtown areas of Bend are very nice.  I happened to be there on their farmer’s market on a Wednesday afternoon and all of these areas are next to the Deschutes River and the trail that runs next to it.  This is a walkers, paddlers and tubers haven.  I also was there on a warm, sunny day so it seemed the Chamber of Commerce had ordered it up for me. Great restaurants and shopping abound.

Finally, while heading to on my way to Portland, I stopped by Smith Rock State Park.  This is one of many state parks in my travels that could easily be a National Park.  The sheer cliffs and stone formations that line the canyon around the Crooked River are not to be missed.  I think almost everything is better if it’s experienced rather than just viewed.  Smith Rock can be easily view from some vantage points near the parking lots but actually hiking down into the canyon really gives a better perspective of the sheer size of the 600-foot cliffs and the beauty of the river beneath. There were several groups of rock climbers headed out the morning I was there, weighed down my carabiners and rope.  I did not venture up Misery Ridge but the hike along the river at the bottom was less traveled and tranquil next to the water.  Even if you don’t have time to hike, I highly recommend heading to Smith Rock State Park.

I feel so fortunate that the weather and conditions were so perfect during my trip to Centeral Oregon.  Perhaps I appreciate it more because there were several trips that were cancelled due to weather and fire conditions before. It’s truly an adventurer’s paradise between the skiing, rock climbing, caving and kayaking.  I hope to return in the future.