Bend, Oregon

Bend is the heart of one of America’s finest year-round recreation wonderlands. Downtown’s showcase attraction, Mirror Pond, suggests the tranquility and grandeur of this area. Nearby, majestic glacier-clad peaks of the central Cascade Range tower over an evergreen forest. A seemingly endless assortment of crystal-clear lakes and streams graces the sylvan landscape. Symmetrical cinder cones, lava tubes and flows, and other bizarre remnants of recent volcanism also punctuate the unspoiled countryside. Coupled with these dramatic surroundings is a surprisingly pleasant four season climate perfectly geared to year-round recreation. Winters, while relatively mild in town, provide heavy snowfall on nearby Mt. Bachelor with legendary downhill and cross-country skiing. Summer is the area’s busiest season, when warm, sunny weather contributes to the fun of an unsurpassed diversity of outdoor recreation.

Bend was founded in 1900. A railroad arrived in 1911 and lumber milling became the dominant industry. As roads and recreation equipment improved, Bend was the logical locale for development of major resort complexes to take advantage of the skiing and outdoor recreation potential of this favored site.

Today, the center of town has a wealth of distinctive specialty shops and galleries, restaurants, lounges, and theaters in a strollable district with notable public improvements including one of America’s most lavish town parks. Abundant lodgings in and around town, including several famous resorts, serve visitors enjoying Bend’s world-class recreation facilities and leisure pursuits.

For more information, go to Bend Chamber of Commerce.