Accessible Trails - The Bend Area

Ray Atkeson Viewpoint

Directions:

It is located at the end of FS Road 400 (Sparks Lake) off the Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway 4 miles east of Mt. Bachelor. From Bend, drive 26.2 miles west on Cascade Lakes Highway (46), then south on F.S. Rd. 4600 400 for 1 mile.

Features:

A 0.5 mile paved, wheelchair accessible trail winds through a thick lodgepole pine forest, past lava fields, and along the shore of Sparks Lake. Along the way, several benches are available to stop and admire the views including a spectacular view of South Sister and Broken Top reflected in Sparks Lake.

Other:

This trail is named for the famed nature photographer Ray Atkeson.

Tour the entire 90 mile Cascade Lakes Scenic Highway (a.k.a. Century Drive) consisting mostly of SR 46 west and south of Bend. This drive is a US Forest Service National Scenic Byway. Cascade Lakes Hwy is closed beyond Mt. Bachelor during Winter, so you'll need to plan this tour for Summer or Fall.

High Desert Museum

Directions:

The is just off US 97 about 3½ miles south of Bend.

Features:

The High Desert Museum is part zoo, part museum and part nature trail. A wide variety of indoor and outdoor exhibits are dedicated to the history, culture and nature of the High Desert. Wheelchairs are available.

Outdoors a paved path winds through the exhibits. The outdoor museum has a few gently sloping areas, but its wheelchair-friendly and easy to walk. There are many large scenes recreating various stages of the region's history. There's a fully-functional old-fashioned sawmill, which they occasionally demonstrate. There are several pieces of antique heavy machinery used to develop the High Desert region. There are also a few outdoor wildlife exhibits, most notably a birds of prey demonstration, a porcupine exhibit and a very nice otter exhibit. Several colorful chickens roam the forested grounds. A clear stream filled with trout crosses the outdoor area.

Indoors there are dioramas of nature and history scenes, American Indian exhibits, an art gallery and some hands-on exhibits. The indoor "Desertarium" has exhibits of some unusual and seldom seen creatures like kangaroo rats, bats, burrowing owls and other small animals.

Other:

Plan at least three hours to fully take in all of the museum. See the High Desert Museum Website. They are open daily from 9-5 year round. Food is available. There's an expensive gift shop with some nice and unusual items.

The Deschutes River Trail - City of Bend

The Deschutes River Trail will ultimately run 19 miles from Tumalo State Park north of Bend to the Meadow Day Use area. Although not labeled as accessible (and not verified), folks can explore the trail starting in downtown Bend in Drake Park or in the Old Mill District, from either Farewell Bend Park on the east side of the river (on Reed Market Road) or from the Les Schwab Amphitheater on the west. The trail is intermittent paved and unpaved surfaces on this section.

Drake Park - With majestic ponderosa pine and deciduous hardwoods throughout, it fronts the Deschutes River at Mirror Pond and is adjacent to downtown shops. The 13 acre Drake Park is located on Mirror Pond in downtown Bend. It includes nearly one half mile of riverfront, acres of open lawn, an outdoor stage, restrooms and small picnic tables. Scheduled summer events are many and diverse, so weekdays and early morning are usually best for finding "wild" wildlife.

Farewell Bend Park - Located along the Deschutes River near the base of the Bill Healy Memorial Bridge, the park features a canoe launch and natural marsh areas. A new 390-foot-long boardwalk in 2008 immerses the park visitor in the riparian habitat. The boardwalk provides “eddy” points at strategic locations along the walk for interpretive stations and opportunities for visitors to sit and view wildlife. The Deschutes River Trail runs the length of the park and connects the park to the Old Mill District to the northeast, to Riverbend Park across the river and to the new South Canyon Trail Bridge to the south. There are two viewing shelters, a picnic shelter, a restroom, benches, doggie rest stops, interpretive signage, bike racks and a playground.

See Bend's Parks and Recreation Website where you can get more information and access an excellent map of Bend's Deschutes River Trail system.

At the trail's southern terminus, if you want to keep exploring, drive onto Century Drive and head past the golf course and the Seventh Mountain Resort to the turnoff for Dillon Falls. This road will quickly reconnect you with riverside hiking and mountain biking trails that go all the way to Benham Falls. The outlying, less urban section of the trail runs 9.1 miles (one-way) through riverside pine forests and lava flows, and is actually a set of three parallel trails-one each dedicated to hikers, bikes, and horseback riders-beginning about seven miles southwest of Bend. See Accessible Trails Newberry National Volcanic Monument page.

The Urban Trail System - City of Bend

Features:

Trails in the system traverse many different landscapes, including established parks, natural forested areas, and urban areas both sparsely and densely developed. The Urban Trails System currently includes approximately 51 developed miles. See Bend's Parks and Recreation Website where you can get more information and access a map of Bend's Urban Trail system.

Accessiblity is unknown (and apparently undocumented - at least on the internet). A rather lame attempt to address accessibility is included in a section of Bend's Urban Trail Map/Brochure, "It is the goal of the Bend Metro Park and Recreation District to provide trail facilities that meet the U.S. Access Board recommendations for accessibility for Outdoor Developed Areas. However, not all existing trail segments have been evaluated nor are all trails intended to be fully accessible routes. The trails on this map may present obstacles, running slopes, cross slopes, narrow tread widths, and surfaces which are not firm and stable and which will make them inaccessible for some users. Updated information about the condition and accessibility or trails is available by calling 541-389-7275. Ultimately, it is the trail user’s responsibility to determine if trail difficulty is appropriate for his/her skill level".

Note: AccessibleTrails.com did not get a response from the Bend Parks and Recreation department regarding more information on accessibility. If you know of accessible sections of the trail system, please email me.

Shevlin Park - City of Bend

Directions:

18920 Shevlin Park Road in Bend.

Features:

Shevlin Park is Bend’s largest park encompassing 647 acres in a natural setting. The park offers many different types of trails and provides for a variety of recreational experiences. Tumalo Creek flows through the middle of the park and the most diverse old growth forest at this elevation in the Central Oregon region.

It includes the self-guided interpretive trail at Fremont Meadows.

The Shevlin Commons parking lot accesses an asphalt path that allows those with physical challenges to view the park and the Cascade mountain range from the east rim of Tumalo Creek canyon. No mention of how long of a path or whether there are ADA restrooms.

Accessibility is not addressed in the park's documentation. "The road running through the middle of Shevlin Park is paved and can accommodate most ability levels. The trail system covers a variety of unimproved surfaces".

See Bend's Parks and Recreation Website where you can get more information and access a brochure/map of the Shevlin Park Trail system.