Ember Coast
A smooth paved path along a calm river with mountains beyond

Mobility-friendly

Dramatic Bend, on smooth ground.

The region's grandest scenery, planned to minimize rough terrain and long transfers.

Design This Trip

Sunriver pairs well for accessible stays: a single sprawling resort with accessible lodging, level paved bike paths, pools, and dining all on property, which minimizes transfers. The paved Deschutes River Trail through the Old Mill offers a flat, scenic walk or roll right in town.

Big views without rough trails

For smooth-terrain sightseeing, the drive-up summit of Pilot Butte, the paved overlooks at Tumalo Falls, and the indoor-and-paved exhibits of the High Desert Museum deliver dramatic scenery without rough trails. The Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway puts alpine lakes and volcano views right from the car.

We confirm room and bathroom layouts in advance, arrange equipment, and choose the routes and experiences that keep the trip grand and the ground smooth.

What’s inside

  • A single resort base to limit transfers
  • The paved Deschutes River Trail in town
  • Drive-up Pilot Butte and Tumalo Falls overlooks
  • The indoor-and-paved High Desert Museum
  • Room layouts and equipment confirmed in advance

A sample rhythm

  1. 01

    One base

    A single accessible resort with level grounds and dining on property.

  2. 02

    Smooth scenery

    Drive-up summits, paved overlooks, and the scenic byway by car.

  3. 03

    Gentle paths

    The flat Deschutes River Trail and the High Desert Museum.

  4. 04

    Restore

    Resort spa grounds and an easy dinner to close.

The Bendwe’d build in

The pieces that fit this trip.

Where to stay

Resorts and ranches under the Cascades.

From a golf-and-spa resort on the edge of town to a high-desert guest ranch and a downtown landmark hotel, these are the stays a Bend trip is built around.

Iconic

Bend

Tetherow Resort

A modern lodge and luxury rental homes wrapped around a links-style course on the southwest edge of town, with mountain views, a pool, and easy access to Mount Bachelor.

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Best for families

Powell Butte

Brasada Ranch

A high-desert guest ranch of cabins and homes on sweeping ranchland, with a spa, pools, golf, horseback riding, and big Cascade views east of Bend.

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Best for families

Sunriver

Sunriver Resort

A sprawling year-round resort south of Bend with lodges and homes, multiple pools, the Cove aquatic park, golf, and miles of paved bike paths along the Deschutes.

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Top rated

Bend

Pronghorn Resort

An upscale high-desert golf resort northeast of town with Nicklaus and Fazio courses, a spa, and suites and homes set among juniper and lava-rock landscapes.

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Boutique

Downtown Bend

Oxford Hotel Bend

Bend's polished downtown boutique hotel, walkable to the Old Mill and the brewery district, with spacious eco-minded rooms and a well-regarded restaurant.

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Villas

Bend

Tetherow Luxury Rental Homes

Multi-bedroom designer homes within the Tetherow community, full kitchens and mountain views, ideal for groups who want resort amenities with private space.

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The big views

A byway, a butte, and a high-desert garden.

Bend's scenery is reachable by car: an alpine scenic highway, a cinder cone in the middle of town, and one of the finest botanic high-desert experiences anywhere.

The Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway is typically snow-closed in its high stretches from late fall into early summer.

Iconic

Bend

Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway

A sixty-six-mile loop past Mount Bachelor and a string of alpine lakes beneath the Cascade volcanoes, one of the great drives in the Northwest.

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Top rated

Bend

Pilot Butte State Scenic Viewpoint

A cinder cone rising from the middle of town with a drive-up or hike-up summit and a 360-degree panorama of the Cascade peaks.

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Award-winning

Bend

High Desert Museum

An acclaimed indoor-outdoor museum of high-desert wildlife, culture, and history south of town, with live raptor and otter exhibits.

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Iconic

Bend

Tumalo Falls

A ninety-seven-foot waterfall a short forest drive west of town, with overlooks steps from the lot and a trail to a chain of upper falls.

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Geology

Bend

Lava Lands & Lava Butte

Part of Newberry monument, a paved road or shuttle climbs a cinder cone for sweeping views over black lava flows and the Cascade skyline.

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Scenic

McKenzie Pass

Sahalie and Koosah Falls

Two thunderous waterfalls on the McKenzie River within an easy loop walk, a worthwhile day trip over the pass from Bend.

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Restore

High-desert spas and hot-spring soaks.

Bend is built for the slow restore after a big day outside: resort spas, a downtown sanctuary, and natural hot springs in the surrounding national forest.

Iconic

Powell Butte

The Spa at Brasada Ranch

A serene ranch spa with treatments drawing on high-desert botanicals, soaking pools, and wide views over open country east of Bend.

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Top rated

Sunriver

Sage Springs Spa at Sunriver

Sunriver's full-service spa and fitness center, a long treatment menu, hot tubs, and a saline pool for a family-friendly recovery day.

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Resort spa

Bend

Tetherow Spa Services

In-room and on-property treatments at the Tetherow resort, an easy wind-down after golf or a day on Mount Bachelor.

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Boutique

Downtown Bend

Jinsei Spa

A downtown wellness sanctuary known for massage, facials, and a calm urban retreat steps from the Old Mill and Drake Park.

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Natural soak

Newberry Monument

Paulina Lake Hot Springs

Primitive hot-spring pools along the shore of Paulina Lake inside the Newberry caldera, reached by an easy lakeshore walk.

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Natural soak

Willamette Pass

McCredie Hot Springs

Rustic riverside hot pools in the Willamette National Forest southwest of Bend, a scenic soak on the way over the pass.

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The table

Wood fire, Cajun soul, and chef-driven plates.

Bend's dining runs from a longtime fine-dining flagship to a beloved Cajun kitchen and a wood-fired downtown standout. We hold the hard reservations.

Iconic

Bend

Ariana Restaurant

Bend's longtime fine-dining flagship in a converted craftsman bungalow, a seasonal multi-course tasting menu built on Northwest ingredients.

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Award-winning

Downtown Bend

Zydeco Kitchen & Cocktails

A Bend institution serving Cajun-influenced Northwest cuisine, all-natural meats and seafood, and one of the best cocktail and bar scenes in town.

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Top rated

Downtown Bend

900 Wall

A lively downtown bistro in a historic building, seasonal Pacific Northwest plates and an award-winning wine list at the corner of Wall Street.

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Top rated

Bend

Spork

A globally inspired street-food favorite that grew from a food cart, bold flavors from Latin America to Southeast Asia in a casual sit-down setting.

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Iconic

Downtown Bend

Deschutes Brewery & Public House

The original 1988 brewpub that helped define Bend beer, house ales poured beside elevated pub fare in the heart of downtown.

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Steakhouse

Downtown Bend

Bos Taurus

A modern downtown steakhouse for prime cuts and a deep wine and whiskey program, the go-to for a celebratory dinner in Bend.

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Golden sunset light shimmering on the sea

Accessible luxury

Let’s design it around you.

Share what you can already picture. A concierge fills in everything still open and sends back a plan, not a quote.

Design This Trip