Surrounding by beautiful natural locations and landmarks like the Deschutes National Forest, the Mt Bachelor ski area, and the hiking paradise of Pilot Butte, Bend is one of the very best cities in all of Oregon for outdoor enthusiasts, active people, and nature lovers to spend some time. Regardless of your age, background, or even physical fitness level, if you like spending time outside and admiring the beauty of nature, you’ll find a lot to love in Bend, Oregon. CDC information for travelers. Hours/availability may have changed.
1.Parks in Bend, Oregon
Located in the center of the state in Deschutes County, Bend is a relatively small city that covers just 33 square miles of land and is home to less than 100,000 people in total. It's a city dominated by greenery and magnificent views, with outstanding natural beauty all around. Right on the edge of the Cascade Range, Bend was built on the banks of the Deschutes River and is regarded as one of the best cities in all of America for all kinds of outdoor action like climbing, fishing, mountain biking, hiking, skiing, camping, and more.
The city has been ranked as one of the best places to live in America and there's a long list of things to see and do all around Bend. If you're planning a road trip around Oregon, Bend needs to be one of the top stops you make, and it's a great city to visit in an RV, with plenty of highly rated RV parks all around Bend. Read on for details and contact information for the best RV parks in and around Bend, Oregon.
2.Crown Villa RV Resort
Online reviews all consistently rate Crown Villa RV Resort as one of the top RV parks in Bend, Oregon, and it's easy to see why. Constructed in a prime location and run by professional, friendly staff, this RV park has it all. This is a pet-friendly RV park with more than a hundred full hook-up sites and ten additional partial hook-up sites featuring basic utilities of water and electric. All of the full sites come with free Wi-Fi access and cable TV too.
No matter whether you're traveling as a family, a couple, or a group of friends, you'll find a lot to love about this RV park with a long list of on-site amenities including picnic tables, gas fire pits, a dog park, a tennis court, a pool table, restrooms, showers, lounges, laundry facilities, a hot tub, steam rooms, a communal kitchen space, and so much more. If you can think of it, there’s a good chance that Crown Villa RV Resort will have it.
60801 Brosterhous Road, Bend, OR 97702, Phone: 541-388-1131
3.Scandia RV Park
As soon as you drive onto the property at Scandia RV Park in Bend, Oregon, you'll fall in love with this location. Surrounded by trees, greenery, and outstanding views of the local landscapes, this RV park provides a tranquil oasis in the center of the city and easy access to most of Bend's top landmarks and locations like the Old Town, the Deschutes River, and the Old Mill.
This is a family owned RV park with a really comfortable and homely feel and more than 60 hook-up sites with electric, sewer, water, and internet, along with at least 70 cable TV channels too. This is a relatively no-frills RV park, but it does come with some nice amenities like showers, restrooms, green spaces, a laundromat, and a nice outdoor fireplace to hang out by in the evenings.
61415 S Hwy 97 # 59, Bend, OR 97702, Phone: 541-382-6206
, OH4.Scandia Village
One of the newest RV parks in the city of Bend, OR, Scandia Village only opened up in Spring of 2016 but has swiftly established itself as one of the best spots in the area to base yourself for RV adventures in Oregon. This RV park offers modern services and contemporary sites to cope with even the biggest RVs. Some of the sites measure up to 4,000 square feet in length and feature full hook-ups including water, sewer, electric, and cable TV.
Most sites also feature a lawn area for BBQs and games, and this is a monthly RV park only, which helps to ensure that the atmosphere is calm and quiet most of the time, with a nice community vibe all through the year. On-site amenities at this Bend RV park are relatively simple, but adequate to suit most visitors. The amenities here include a laundry area, restrooms, showers, and a storage shed for all RVs. The RV park is also fully fenced off for added security and peace of mind.
725 NE Ross Rd, Bend, OR 97701, Phone: 541-382-6206
3 Best RV Parks in Bend, Oregon
- Parks in Bend, Oregon, Photo: Andrey Armyagov/stock.adobe.com
- Crown Villa RV Resort, Photo: tadeas/stock.adobe.com
- Scandia RV Park, Photo: mapo/stock.adobe.com
- Scandia Village , Photo: Bogdan/stock.adobe.com
- Cover Photo: itsallgood/stock.adobe.com
More Ideas: High Desert Museum
Located in Bend, Oregon, the High Desert Museum is a premier facility that preserves and promotes the understanding of wildlife, art, natural resources, and culture.
The High Desert Museum originated from an idea from biology student Donald M. Kerr. Kerr grew up in Portland, Oregon, and began the High Desert Museum to resemble his love and passion for animals and natural history. Kerr’s passion for animals began in high school when he nurtured a baby wolf.
Under the principle that experience and education are necessary to make good and thoughtful choices in life, Kerr founded the Western Natural History Institute in 1974. This Institute became the Oregon High Desert Museum in 1982. A few years later, the Museum changed its name to simple the High Desert Museum to give the Museum a more regional aspect.
There are two sections to the permanent attractions at the High Desert Museum: indoor exhibits and outdoor exhibits. The indoor permanent attractions consist of:
Spirit of the West is a blast from the past. This exhibit takes visitors into the world of what the Wild West was like throughout history.
By Hand Through Memory explores the history of the West and Indians through the journey of the Indian nations that resided within the Columbia River Plateau.
Wild Cats is a display of a variety of wild cats, such as the bobcat.
Desertarium is an indoor display of animals that live and prosper within a desert climate. Visitors can expect to see tortoises, scorpions, and lizards among other animals.
Whose Home is an interactive exhibit designed for children. Children can climb, explore, and play within this house exhibit.
DeMoss Stagecoach is known as one of the historical icons of the West. You can view this authentic icon and learn about its history and significance.
Porcupines allows you to get up close and personal with porcupines.
The permanent outdoor exhibits include:
Miller Family Ranch is a replica of the 1904 Miller Family Ranch. In this exhibit, visitors can interact with characters, do chores, listen to stories, and even play games that are relevant to the Miller family and what life was like back then.
Donald M. Kerr Birds of Prey Center gives visitors an exclusive look into various birds, such as owls and falcons.
Autzen Otter Exhibit is an up close and personal look at the playful nature of otters.
Lazinka Sawmill allows visitors to explore what life was like as a sawyer almost 100 years ago.
Ranger Station gives visitors a general history of the High Desert Museum and allows them to interact with one of the Museum’s rangers.
Dig, Crawl, Climb is an interactive outdoor playground that allows visitors, mostly children, to pretend they are an animal that digs, crawls, or climbs.
Nature Walk is a half mile trail along the various scenery offered by the High Desert Museum.
Changing Forest allows visitors to learn about ecosystems, forests, logging, and other things. Each of things discussed at Changing Forest shows visitors how ecosystems and forests are forever changing and evolving.
Earth, Wind, and Fire Interpretive Trail takes visitors through the Pondersoa Forest and shows the effects of various weather elements, such as a forest fire.
The High Desert Museum regularly hosts many special attractions throughout the year. For an updated list of the special attractions at the High Desert Museum, visit the Museum’s official website.
Since the High Desert Museum was founded on a principle that stressed the importance of education, it’s no surprise the Museum has a variety of educational opportunities. The educational programs at the High Desert Museum include camps, classes, specialized tours, and field trips.
Back to: Things to Do in Bend, Oregon
59800 S Highway 97, Bend, OR 97702, , Phone: 541-382-4754
More Ideas: Deschutes Historical Museum
Located in Bend, Oregon, the Deschutes Historical Museum preserves and promotes the education of historical events and items related to Central Oregon. The Deschutes Historical Museum has a variety of permanent attractions that showcase the history and significance of Central Oregon.
On August 4, 1975, the Deschutes Historical Society was founded with the intent to gather, preserve, and promote anything related to Central Oregon’s history. One of the leading reasons why the Deschutes Historical Society was created was to honor Central Oregon’s history every day, and not just on the National Bicentennial Celebration that occurred in 1975.
After the Deschutes Historical Society was founded, people began donated artifacts to the Society. Quickly, it became apparent the Society needed to have an official location where they could display these artifacts. In the next few years, the Reid School (founded in 1914) stopped educating students and closed. The Deschutes Historical Society thought the Reid School building would be the perfect location to display their collection, but there was a debate within the community of whether the Reid School should be used as a place for the Deschutes Historical Society, or if it should solely be preserved. After debating and negotiating, the Deschutes Historical Society was given the Reid School and took control of the grounds in spring of 1979.
Together, the Society’s Board of Directors and Leroy Smith did much of the needed renovations to the Reid School. With the help of the Office of Historic Preservation and volunteers, the Deschutes Historical Society combined with the Deschutes County Pioneer Association and moved into the Reid School during the summer of 1980, thus creating the Deschutes Historical Museum.
Ms. Reid’s Classroom honors the building that the Deschutes Historical Museum resides in. Most people know that the building of the Deschutes Historical Museum used to be the Reid School. This exhibit explores what life was like when the Reid School was founded, and what school was like during that time. There even is an interactive section where visitors can take a diploma questionnaire to see if they would be able to graduate school in the early 1990s.
The Forests of Central Oregon showcases the significance and strong roll that the forests in Central Oregon have played throughout history. This display specifically focuses on the various lumber mills throughout Central Oregon, such as Brooks-Scanlon.
Pioneer Life displays typical objects that could be found in the homes of pioneers within Bend, Oregon, and other parts of Central Oregon. One of the highlighted objects in this exhibit is the wood cook stove that came from the historical Vandevert Ranch.
Native American Tribes and Exploration displays a variety of artifacts that are relevant to the history of the Native American tribes that lived within Central Oregon, as well objects that were left from explorers who visited Central Oregon.
Early Bend Days features a variety of transportation services throughout Bend’s history. One of the highlighted objects in this exhibit is a preserved Holsman Car from 1907. Throughout this exhibit, visitors are allowed to get up close and personal to most of the objects on display.
The Deschutes Historical Museum regularly hosts special attractions throughout the year. Since it is still the beginning of the year, the Deschutes Historical Museum only has one special attraction on display. For more information about the special attractions at the Deschutes Historical Museum, check out the Museum’s website.
Since most of the educational opportunities are within the combination of permanent and special attractions at the Deschutes Historical Museum, the Museum offers a limited selection of educational opportunities. The two main educational opportunities at the Deschutes Historical Museum are school field trips and research programs.
Schools can visit the Deschutes Historical Museum through their field trip program. During a typical field trip, students guide themselves around the Museum. Although school field trips are free, the Museum recommends that the school donates $1 per person on the field trip. Also, it’s important to note that pre-registration is required for school field trips.
As for the research opportunities, teachers, students, and the public are allowed to utilize the Deschutes Historical Museum’s research library completely free of charge. If you’re interested in participating in one of these educational programs, check out the Museum’s website, or visit the Museum during their hours of operation.
Back to: Best Things to Do in Bend, OR
29 NW Idaho Ave, Bend, OR 97703, Phone: 541-389-1813
