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Tourism

Central Oregon has become a year-round destination resort for visitors and tourists worldwide offering premiere skiing, golfing, fishing, hiking, museums, biking, kayaking, festivals and world-class destination resorts. Most new residents and business owners experienced the region’s outstanding tourism attractions and then quickly decide it's a place they would like to call home. 

Destination Resorts

There’s good reason that Central Oregon is known as the “Destination Resort Capital of the Pacific Northwest,” – the list below only represents the larger scale developments.  Numerous other more “rustic” options exist as well!

Golf Courses   Back To Top

Still dreaming of the big-hole-in-one?  Central Oregon offers you 405 chances without repeating a hole on some of the highest ranked courses in the country!

“The big challenge to golfers here is not so much in picking a world-class course, but rather in squeezing in visits to as many as possible.”

-  THE INSIDER”S GUIDE TO BEND

They include:

Ski Resorts  Back To Top

Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort

Oregon’s premier ski resort and consistently ranked among the Top 10 in the country, Mt. Bachelor offers it all to the winter recreationalist. Amenities abound: variety (triple black diamond to green), groomed runs (71), lodges (6), skiable acreage (3,683), lifts (10 including 7 express quads) and a nice vertical drop of 3,365.  The resort also offers a Nordic Center with 56 kilometers of cross-country trails. Snow conditions are also a huge factor in the resort’s popularity with average annual snowfall of 350 inches.  Mt. Bachelor’s high-speed, detachable lift system was ranked “Best in North America” for the second consecutive year by Ski magazine. 

Hoodoo Ski Bowl

Twenty miles outside the town of Sisters at 5,703 feet, Hoodoo is a favorite winter retreat for generations of families and friends from the Willamette Valley and Central Oregon alike.  Situated at the top of the Santiam Pass, the resort is flanked by the Three Sisters Wilderness Area to the south and Mt. Jefferson and Three Fingered Jack to the north, offering stunning mountain views.  The majority of Hoodoo's 800 skiable acres rest on the northern slope, which provides dry powder in midwinter and fantastic spring corn snow. Snowboarding at Hoodoo is exceptional due to the slopes consistent pitch and north facing runs. Nordic skiers can get away from it all on nearly 10 miles of cross-country trails.  The resort also offers night skiing and two family-friendly day lodges. 

Willamette Pass

Less than a two-hour drive from Bend lies Willamette Pass, a favorite of Southern Oregonians and Northern Californians. The resort offers a variety of terrain, including a record-breaking speed skiing track.

Bandit Springs Nordic Ski Area

This area offers challenges to both expert and novice cross-country enthusiasts, and is located east of Prineville in the beautiful Ochoco National Forest. 

Outdoor Recreation  Back To Top

Fishing

Angling in Central Oregon can be art or pure recreation depending on the individual. We have several world-class fly-fishing streams including the pristine Metolius River and several sections of the Deschutes River. To give you an idea of the type and size of fish to be caught here, here’s a sampling of Oregon’s state records set in the region:

Steelhead is another popular species here, though record catches here have not been able to match those of the massive Columbia River two hours north. We have found one of the best resources for fishing spots, techniques and regs to be the Fishing Central Oregon book (Third Edition) by Sun Publishing (www.sun-pub.com).

Rock Climbing

Opportunities exist for sport and free climbing throughout the vast recreation areas in and around the region, but a few are standouts. The most famous and popular is Smith Rocks, with its ultra-challenging routes and excellent variety.  Climbing is also found near Tumalo Falls outside of Bend, in the Crooked River Gorge, and the cliffs around Prineville.

Hiking & Camping

All that can be said of both hiking and camping is that the options are far too many to mention!  Pick an area of the region and then check out the websites of the Oregon Parks & Recreation District, Oregon State Park, or US Forest Service for more information about hiking destinations, trailheads and camping.

Cycling/Mountain Biking

Central Oregon’s climate is quickly being recognized as a year-round destination for professional and amateur bikers. Several national competitions are held here each year, including the Cascade Cycling Classic that draws world-class competitors such as Greg Lamond and Lance Armstrong. Don’t worry, for those just looking to recreate there are too many choices to list.  Ask any of the numerous bike shops in the area about places to explore.

Horseback Riding

For many Central Oregonians, there is a unique affection for equine. A greater proportion of residents in the region are horse owners than in other parts of the country, which has supported impressive equestrian facilities, classes, guided backcountry tours, veterinary care, and related enterprises. Certainly there remains a strong connection with horses and the agricultural community, but people from all professions and income levels are actively involved in stables, ropings, rodeos, equestrian competitions, breeding, and just plain riding.  

Special Events & Festivals  Back To Top

There is a lot going on in Central Oregon.  To find out more about what events and festivals are happening in the region, check out the following sites: 

• Bend Chamber of Commerce

• Bend Visitor and Convention Bureau

• Crooked River Ranch Chamber of Commerce

• La Pine Chamber of Commerce

• Redmond Chamber of Commerce

• Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce

• Sunriver Chamber of Commerce

• Central Oregon Visitors Association

• Madras-Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce

If you're interested in learning more about the tourism industry and employment trends, we invite you to review the employment and primary industries sections of our website.