Bend/Sun River Preserve
Have Fun on the River at Bend/Sunriver Preserve!
By Meredith Walker

Row your boat, paddle your kayak, float on a tube or paddle your canoe gently down the river, the Little Deschutes River that is.  The Little Deschutes borders the Bend/Sunriver Preserve and it’s easy to launch your own canoe, kayak or tube right from the Preserve property. If you didn’t bring your own, you can rent one from Bend/Sunriver for about $30 and they’ll gladly arrange for a pick-up point if you’d rather not paddle back up the river after your leisurely float down.  This is not a place to launch a motorboat; only human powered vehicles (hpv) can be accommodated.

The Little Deschutes River supports unique wetlands and provides important habitat for wildlife that is not found in other parts of the Deschutes Basin. The River drains a scenic rural area of the High Desert on the east side of the Cascade Range south of Bend.  As you make your way down the river, keep your eye out to see what you can spot. There are several bridges that cross the river.  As you go through them be sure to look up.  You may see a colony of gourd-shaped mud nests made by cliff swallows.  Take a picture if you brought your cell phone or camera; then, match it with information posted near the Recreation Office to identify the flora or fauna you captured.  Just remember to take extra precautions to protect your electronic equipment; cameras and cell phones don’t work so well when they get wet.

The Little Deschutes joins the Deschutes River about 20 miles south of Bend and then flows through downtown Bend and beyond.  There are good fishing holes downstream and upstream from Bend.

For extra river fun, join in the River Madness, and River Rats Rally Theme Weekends when you’ll get to race the river on air mattresses, inner tubes, rafts, or whatever else can keep you afloat.  Then, you can buy a beach ball, decorate it and toss it into the river to see if it makes it to the finish line. Not only is it lots of fun but your fees will support the Christmas for Kids fund.

Bend/Sunriver is mainly a summer park with most organized activities scheduled between Memorial and Labor Days.  However, if you enjoy outdoor winter fun, Bend/Sunriver is great place to be.

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