Free Activities in Bend, Oregon: Explore the High Desert

Whether you’re fresh off the Pacific Crest Trail with very few pennies to your name or you’re passing through on a shoestring budget, there is so much to explore for free in Bend.

For a no-cost day out in the high desert, throw on a day pack filled with a fold-up river floatie, a swimsuit, a headlamp and helmet, a puffy jacket, a case of cliff bars, and a utility water canteen. Then, endeavor to cross off everything on this list.

Search for Secret Rooms at McMenamins

Although the Pacific Northwest boasts many microbreweries, it only has one widely celebrated regional craft beer chain, McMenamins. In Bend, McMenamins Old Saint Francis School’s unique decor, soaking pool, on-property hotel rooms, delicious pub fare served at three separate bars, and event spaces have been wowing visitors for decades. One of their most recent hijinks was put in play when they built two hotel buildings in place of old houses. During the project, a secret bar and four secret rooms were carved out in the hallways of the two buildings. Each secret space has a theme and ambiance all its own. Wandering the hallways of each building and looking for the secret rooms is a fun, exciting and no-cost way to kill a couple of hours. Consequently, dig through the couch cushions and nooks in the car for change first, that way you can grab a beer too.

Ski Free in the Side Country

Lift tickets for little ones 5-and-under are free at Mount Bachelor. Moreover, kids aged 6 to 12 years old can also ski free with the advance online purchase of an adult/parent 3-day pass and on Saturday and Sunday. The Carrousel beginner lift at Sunrise Lodge is also free to the public. Other ways to ski or snowboard for free include taking advantage of the easily accessed side country options surrounding Mount Bachelor. Hiking up the cone on the flank of Mount Bachelor, accessible through the parking lot, or skinning up to the summit via a split board or backcountry skis are excellent options. Be sure to follow the uphill traffic regulations laid out by Powdr.

Go Underground and Try Spelunking

Extensive networks of lava tubes exist underfoot in the high desert. Though many have yet to be found or charted, some intersect the surface of the Earth and can be explored on a half or whole day trip. At the Redmond Caves Recreation Site, you can explore five caves formed from cooled molten lava. Open year-round, these caves have been in the custodianship of Native Americans for over 6,000 years and are home to wildlife as well as stellar examples of igneous geology. Other options nearer to Bend include Boyd Cave and Lava River Cave.

Get Wet at the Whitewater Park

Another can’t-miss free activity on a hot day is hanging out at the Bend Whitewater Park. Whether you unearth your stowed floatie from your pack, throw on your suit, and try your hand at running the fish ladders whitewater pour over gauntlets, or just sit and watch others, the park is a spectacle to behold. Other options include swimming, sunbathing, or enjoying the beach at McKay Park. The footbridge hanging over the park is an especially nice vantage point to observe the action. Advanced whitewater enthusiasts bring surfboards, boogie boards, paddleboards, kayaks, and even rafts to surf in the waves. Consequently, travelers and locals easily spend entire weekends enjoying the action.

Hike Deschutes National Forest with Fee-Free Admission

Every year, Deschutes National Forest, where many outdoor attractions entice travelers to Bend, has a fee-free days, including four national public holidays and National Public Lands Day on September 24th. Oregon State Parks hosts three fee-free days per year, including State Parks Day on the first Saturday in June. The Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife offers three weeks a year where visitors can fish at no charge. Additionally, the High Desert Museum, beloved in Central Oregon, also offers a fee-free day to the public. Call ahead for inquiries.

Enjoy Self-Guided Tours

For an enlightening and entertaining day out, embark on any number of self-guided tours in Bend. The Bend Ale Trail will guide travelers from brewery to brewery with a passport or stampable map. Often, breweries provide free samples of their beer for ale trail patrons.

The Tin Pan Alley public art and Roundabout Art Route are easily navigated using pamphlets available from local resources.

The Old Mill District also provides a map and pamphlet with a checklist for bird watchers and nature walkers. Finally, the Deschutes County Historical Society offers a smartphone app that guides travelers through sites as they explore the region.

Take Advantage of Free Transportation

The good news about getting around Bend, within a certain radius and during specific hours of operation, is there’s a free service called Ride Bend that can get you where you want to go. Available through a smartphone app, Ride Bend offers an on-demand, app-driven transit service to the public.