Best Hiking Trails in Bend
Bend, Oregon — updated August 22, 2026
Seven Bend-area trailheads ranked by how well they hold up, from a state park with nearly 8,000 reviews to a river path with almost no ratings yet.
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Hiking around Bend splits into two categories: the destinations people drive out of town for, and the trails locals reach in ten minutes on a weeknight. Both are represented here, ordered by how convincingly the ratings hold up rather than by distance from downtown. Where a place has only a handful of reviews behind its score, that is stated outright.
1. Smith Rock State Park
The most thoroughly reviewed hiking destination in the region, and the highest rated: 4.9 across 7,967 reviews. A score that stays that high after nearly eight thousand ratings is not a fluke of a good season or a small sample, which is why it leads this list. The park sits northeast of Bend along the Crooked River, outside the city rather than in it, so plan the drive as part of the outing. Oregon State Parks maintains a profile page for the park with current visitor information, worth checking before you go since conditions and access can change.
2. Newberry National Volcanic Monument
A 4.8 rating from 1,000 reviews, managed by the Deschutes National Forest rather than the state, which means a different set of rules and seasonal access than the state parks nearby. The volume of reviews puts it on firm ground: this is a settled score, not a provisional one. Its Bend address is misleading in the useful way that most of the monument lies well south of town, so treat it as a half-day commitment. The Forest Service page for the monument is the place to confirm what is open before driving out.
3. Shevlin Park
The best-reviewed option that is actually inside Bend city limits, at 4.8 from 885 reviews. It sits on NW Shevlin Park Road on the west side, close enough that it works for an after-work walk rather than a planned expedition. With nearly nine hundred ratings behind that 4.8, the consistency is well established. Categorized as a park and nature area rather than a single trailhead, so expect to choose a route once you arrive rather than following one obvious path.
4. Pilot Butte State Scenic Viewpoint
Rated 4.8 from 740 reviews, and the shortest drive on this list: the entrance is on NE Highway 20, inside town. That combination of a strong score and a central address makes it the default choice when there is an hour to spare rather than an afternoon. Being a scenic viewpoint, the appeal is the climb and what you see from the top. Oregon State Parks runs the site and posts access details on its park page, useful in winter when seasonal closures affect state properties.
5. Tumalo Falls
Also 4.8, but from 438 reviews, a smaller sample than the entries above it. The score is promising rather than proven at that volume, though 438 ratings is still a real body of evidence. Listed as an attraction rather than a trail system, which is a fair description: the falls are the destination and the walking is built around them. The address is simply Tumalo Falls, west of Bend, and access is seasonal in the way most forest roads in the Cascades are, so check conditions before committing to the drive.
6. Tumalo State Park
The lowest rating here at 4.7, but backed by 1,018 reviews, more than any entry except Smith Rock. That is a proven number rather than a hopeful one, and the small gap between 4.7 and 4.8 matters less than the sample size behind it. A park and nature area northwest of Bend along the Deschutes, so walking here comes with river access rather than elevation. A reasonable pick when the higher trails are still under snow.
7. Deschutes River Trail
A perfect 5.0, but from only 11 reviews, which is thin evidence by any measure. One or two ratings either way would move that number, so treat it as untested rather than exceptional. It earns a place on the list because it is a genuine trail rather than a park with trails in it, and because it follows the Deschutes through Bend itself. Go with the expectation of a river walk and let the rating prove itself over time.
What we left off
Pine Nursery Dog Park appeared in the previous version of this guide. It rates well, 4.8 from 544 reviews, but it is a dog park on Yeoman Road rather than a hiking trail, so it does not fit the premise of this list.