Things To Do In Bend Oregon: Spring Edition

After living in Oregon the last decade, Bend Oregon has become a place that I visit multiple times a year. Especially living in the Willamette Valley, Bend tends to be full of sunshine when its grey and rainy in Eugene. Before planning your trip it is good to understand the weather in Bend, hotels in Bend, and how to properly plan ahead to make the best of your time there.

Each time I visit, I am trying a new restaurant, cocktail bar, or outdoor activity. Bend is truly a mecca for the outdoors, and a place that makes everybody feel welcome at whatever ability level they may have.

If you have never been before, there is something for everybody to enjoy in Bend. While it is the outdoor lovers dream from the mountains to the rivers, foodies, families, and dog lovers fit right in here too.

On this blog post you can find a list of my favorite restaurants, breweries, cocktail bars, and adventurous activities catered towards spring travel. Let’s get into it!

This blog post is sponsored by Visit Bend

Before I dive into what to do this spring in Bend, it is important to talk about Leave No Trace Ethics. Bend is working with the community and travelers to protect the deserts, forests, streams, rivers, mountains, and wildlife from human impact.

Bend’s seven principles of Leave No Trace: Know before you go, camp responsibly, pack it out, leave it as you found it, be fire informed, keep wildlife wild, stick to the trail and respect other users.

Being an outdoor Seward and leading by example will only have a better impact on our planet in the long run! Lead by example and leave nature better than you found it.

Depending on if you are flying or driving to Bend, there are quite a few options! For us, we’re lucky enough to live driving distance. If you are driving be mindful of winter driving conditions as the mountain passes can be dangerous to drive on during snow storms. Always know before you go!

Airport: Redmond Municipal Airport (RDM) is the closest airport to Bend

From Portland: 3 hours

From Seattle: 6 hours

Bend is a bike friendly city, so if you are flying in, find a hotel that includes bike rentals to explore! Lyft and Uber also operate in Bend making it simpler and safer for travelers.

Weather in Bend can be filled with sunshine when the western side of Oregon is getting rain. This is why I love to escape to Bend in the winter and spring months! Keep in mind that weather in downtown Bend drastically changes than the weather in the mountains, which is about 30 minutes from town.

Spring in Bend can average anywhere from 50-65 degrees with only 10 days of rain. Go mountain biking, horse back riding at Smith Rock State Park, climb, and everything in between.

Summer in Bend can average from 63 to 82 degrees with less than 10 days of rain. Enjoy Cascade Lakes area with hiking, paddle boarding, and camping!

Winter in Bend can average from 41 -45 degrees with 15 days of rain, and potentially snow in town. Ski Mount Bachelor, go cross country skiing, enjoy the incredible food and restaurants in town, and more!

Fall in Bend can average from 62-74 degrees with 5 days of rain. The air is crisp and you can catch Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway before it closes for the season.

While I won’t list every hotel to stay at in Bend, you can find the full comprehensive list here. Instead I will list hotels that I personally have had the pleasure of staying at: all dog friendly!

Bend is truly one of the best places in Oregon to visit with your dogs! If there is outside seating, your dog is allowed. For us, being able to drive to Bend and stay at a dog friendly hotel makes planning our trip that much easier!

Wall Street Suites: Located walking distance from downtown Bend, this hotel is dog friendly-even has its own little grassy area for dogs. We stayed in the Mt. Bachelor suite which had a full kitchen, king size bed, living room, and bathroom. So cozy we felt like we weren’t at a hotel!

Campfire Hotel: If your looking for a fun hotel to enjoy with your loved one or friends, Campfire is it! With a heated pool, and incredible bar it can be quite the party at times. Bring your dogs too!

Loge Camps: I’ve stayed at Loge properties around the west coast over the years and love my experience every time. If you plan to ski or snowboard, this hotel is at the edge of Bend making it easy to hop in your car to the mountain. If you mountain bike, this is a great hotel to be biking distance from multiple mountain bike trails. Plus, its dog friendly!

McMenamins St. Francis: If your visiting Bend for the first time, this is one of our favorite unique hotel stays in Bend. Once a school house in 1936, it teleports you right to Europe or a Harry Potter film.Plus, it’s dog friendly! On site there are five bars, one of which is hidden behind a secret door.

Every time I visit Bend, there is a new restaurant to try! It’s truly growing and evolving to feed the foodie. For my husband and I, we love trying new food each time we visit and often repeat some of the same spots. Without listing every single restaurant, lising my favorites is the best route. Plus, if you don’t find something you like below, visit their tourism website for a comprehensive list!

Pro Tip: Make a reservation if you can! Especially for dinner it is nice to know you won’t have to wait.

Breakfast: If your looking for something quick and healthy, Active Culture is great for that! For Brunch, The Lemon Tree is the spot. Keep in mind they don’t take reservations and have a wait daily.

Pizza: One of our favorite places to get pizza is Nome, a neighborhood restaurant with a casual atmosphere and wood fired oven. Rush’s Squares at On Tap Food trucks has incredible Detroit style pizza we always go back to!

Food Truck Pods: there are quite a few open air food truck pods which is a great option when in Bend! Most food cart areas have beers on tap as well. On Tap, The Podski Food Cart Lot , 9th Street Village, The Lot, Midtown Yacht Club

Dinner: We always like to try a new restaurant when we visit, but we also repeat sometimes! Wild Rose Northern Thai eats is a must for Thai food lovers! Jia Street Kitchen is another great place for Asian Food in Bend. Dear Irene is a casual vibe yet upscale food, great for a romantic evening after a day in the mountains. If you want a fun bar + tapas, Bar Rio located downtown is a great stop.

Breweries: If your looking for a casual environment and most likely an epic outdoor area for the dogs, choose one of the breweries in Bend. Our favorites for food and beer: Bend Brewing Company, Sunriver Brewing, 10 Barrel Brewing, Boneyard Pub, and Deschutes Brewery Bend Public House.

For the cocktail and beer drinkers, Bend is bustling with numerous options to enjoy. Being an Oregonian, every time I visit Bend there is a new place on my list, making it such a fun town to return to!

Bend is a craft beer lovers paradise! With over 25 micro-breweries and growing, it can be hard to choose which ones to visit. For the comprehensive list, check out this one here. Below are my personal favorites that involve beer and food! If you love craft beer I recommend checking out the Bend Ale Trail! It’s a fun interactive app and map system so you can collect stamps by visiting each spot on the trail.

1.Boneyard Brewing: My husband has been drinking Boneyard before we could buy it in cans. We love their newly opened Pub to enjoy their beer and food.

2. Cascade Lakes Brewpub: This is our favorite place to stop when returning from snowboarding at Mt. Bachelor or paddling on the lakes. With delicious food and beer to choose from, there is something for everybody to enjoy here.

3. Goodlife Brewery and Bierhall Tasting Room: Located on Bend’s westside of town, we love coming here for in-house smoked brisket and grilled cheese. Plus, its a great place to bring the dogs!

4. Bend Brewing Company: Great beer, good eats, and fun outdoor atmosphere. Located on the river, there is a grassy area outside that is pleasant to sit with your dogs and enjoy a cold beer on a sunny day.

5. 10 Barrel Brewing East Side Pub: We’ve been enjoying 10 Barrel in our family for the last decade. We loved the pizza and steak frites on the menu. Plus, the fireplaces outside are great in any season!

Below are a list of my favorite cocktail bars serving hand crafted cocktails. There are many other options around Bend but these are my favorite. For the cocktail connoisseurs, these are the spots for you!

1.San Simon: Located downtown in the alley, it is one of our favorite little hidden gems in town. Plus, there is outdoor seating so we could bring the dogs! Happy hour everyday from 4-6PM. In summer be sure to try their boozy slushy cocktails!

2. Velvet: If nightlife is your scene, we loved ending our night here for fun dance music and cocktails. Located in downtown Bend serving hand crafted cocktails. We love how it looked like a cute plant shop from the outside.

3. Dear Irene: Chef’s from San Fransisco opened up this vibey cocktail bar and restaurant. Outdoor seating for your dogs too in the warmer months.

4. Waypoint: Located in The Grove Market Hall, Waypoint has delicious craft cocktails with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating.

5. The Dogwood Cocktail Cabin: Located in downtown Bend, this is one of the first places we went to years ago. Fun atmosphere with delicious craft cocktails you won’t forget!

6. O’Kanes at McMenamins: If your not staying at McMenamin’s, this is a fun way to check out the property. O’Kanes is cigar and whiskey bar for those who enjoy that! The interior has a 1896 round oak stove, teleporting you back in time.

The entire Pacific Northwest is home to arguably some of the best coffee in the United States. Bend is no exception to numerous delicious coffee spots! Some of my personal favorites:

1.Thump: Located downtown with delicious pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and coffee.

2. Lone Pine Coffee: Two locations in Bend, both great spots to work remote or grab coffee for the road.

3. Still Vibrato: After doing pilates I stop at this place for incredible coffee. Everything is done with care here and a must if your in the neighborhood.

Bend Oregon is one of the most dog friendly cities in Oregon to visit! We never feel like we can’t bring our dogs with us into most establishments. Most bars and restaurants have outdoor seating and make dogs and their parents feel welcome.

When visiting Bend be sure to clean up after your dogs, and abide by leash laws. There are quite a few dog parks in town to visit: Riverbend Dog Park, Pine Nursery Dog Park, Big Sky Park Off-Leash dog area, Gooddog!, and Overturf Park are some of our favorites.

Spring is a great time to visit Bend as there are many things to do in lower elevation between seasons. If you want to spend time in the snow, you can! Go from snowboarding to rock climbing all in one day, thats the beauty of visiting in spring. In addition, scenic drives are some of my favorite ways to see Oregon and cross of multiple bucket list items in one day.

1.Visit the Painted Hills (John Day Fossil Beds): If your up for a scenic drive, 2 hours outside of Bend is the Painted Hills, one of the seven wonders of Oregon. It’s great for the entire family as many of the walks through the Painted Hills are flat.

2. Snowboard at Mt. Bachelor: Just because it’s spring, doesn’t mean snowboarding is over! Often times skiing at Mount Bachelor can go into May. Plus, bluebird days out at Bachelor in the spring are some of my favorite days on the mountain!

3. Sauna and Cold Plunge with Gather House: Rent it privately or do a community session at Riverbend Park. Sauna in the portable wood fired sauna, cold plunge in the Deschutes River, and rest and restore. We felt so incredibly relaxed ending our weekend with this!

4. Mountain Bike with Cog Wild: Mountain biking is fun for everybody to try at least once! Cog Wild was great at making us feel welcome as newbies to the sport. Bend has many trails around town that you can take yourself, or choose a guided tour with them.

5. Bend Ghost Tour: Learn about famous ghosts in Bend, tales from the past, and long buried secrets. Spooky! Bend Ghost Tours will take you through the paranormal history in Bend.

6. Hike Pilot Butte: This is a great in-town hike for the entire family. At 1.8 miles with 456 feet of elevation gain, we choose this hike if we want a quick way to exercise ourselves and our dogs!

7. Visit the High Desert Museum: Perfect for a rainy day or chilly morning! Families love visiting the High Desert Museum to learn about the local wildlife and natural habitats around Bend.

8. Visit the Oregon Badlands Wilderness: If you want to experience a unique part of Oregon, head to the badlands just 16 miles east of Bend. There are over 50 trails here, off-leash dog friendly areas, and arguably the best stargazing in the state. Plus, it’s a great place for early season wildflowers!

9. Horse Back Ride at Smith Rock State Park: Horse-back riding at Smith Rock is a beautiful way to see the park from a different side. Be sure to book in advance as the owners only do 1 ride a day with their horses. Truly an Oregon bucket list experience!

10. Go Kayaking: That’s right! Spring can bring warm days in Bend- considering the elevation here is 3,623 feet. If you don’t have your own, rent from Wanderlust Tours or even book a guided experience with them. Its beautiful seeing the wildflowers start to bloom against the snow covered Cascades!

It’s safe to say that Bend is an incredible place to visit in any season! But for me, spring before the summer rush is a personal favorite.