check out bend Featured In

HGTV’s 30 Best Up and Coming Small Cities in America

Milken Institute’s 2025
Best-Performing Cities

Photos courtesy of VisitBend.com

Outdoor Magazine’s 25 Best Mountain Towns in the US

SmartAsset’s #1 Best
Job Market in 2025 Study
Two men stand and inspect a plant inside a plant store surrounded by lush green houseplants.
Two people in red life vests sit in a red canoe and paddle on a lake with a mountain and trees in the distance.
Two people are riding road bicycles up a hill. One cyclist is wearing a red jacket and white helmet and the other is wearing a green jacket and black helmet. In the background is fog, some trees and a snow-covered mountain in the background.
A person wearing green pants, a bright pink rock climbing harness, a purple sweatshirt and a white helmet is rock climbing at Smith Rock Park. There is another rock peak in the distance.
A large group of people attend a rock concert outdoors. They have their backs to the camera and are watching the performers on stage. A large screen shows the performers. A woman in a red shirt smiles at the person next to her.
A young girl with curly hair and a red tank top touches the glass of a High Desert Museum aquarium tank while a river otter swims by.
Two women are standing outdoors in a river wearing fly fishing waders. One woman is wearing a purple jacket and casting a yellow fly rod. The other woman is wearing a yellow jacket and a brown knit hat and she is reeling in her fishing line.

Photos courtesy of VisitBend.com

What’s it like in central oregon?

Photos by Cody Rheault, courtesy of Visit Central Oregon

In a word: fun

With more than 600 miles of trails, 5,600 acres of skiable terrain across three resorts, hundreds of miles of rivers, and world-class rock climbing, Central Oregon is an outdoor paradise. Locals love to claim we enjoy 300 days of sunshine a year. That number is usually closer to 225 days, which is still plenty of time to find fresh powder or paddle across a mountain lake.

In town, Bend offers farmer’s markets, cultural events, theatre, dining, museums, festivals, shopping, and an amphitheater with a full schedule running May through October.

Check out a Bend Elks baseball game, ice skate at the Pavilion, join a soccer league, fish a river, play some pickleball or explore one of Bend Park & Rec’s nine off-leash dog parks for your furry bestie.

Don’t just take our word for it, check out some of the region’s travel and recreation websites to make the most of your visit (or move) to Bend:

Visit Bend
Visit Central Oregon
Central Oregon Trail Alliance
Bend Parks and Recreation

A girls with dark curly hair wearing and orange shirt and a girl with blong braids wearing a purple winter coat are smiling and laughing as they sled down a steep snow-covered hill on a sunny day with trees in the background.
Aerial view of a lush green golf course surrounded by houses, water and canyon.