Things to See and Do in Sunriver, Oregon

sunriver, oregon, nancy d. brown, travel,
Take in a sunset at Sunriver, Oregon

Are you headed to Sunriver, Oregon? Sunriver Resort is where our son learned to walk. This family-friendly resort holds a special place in our heart. In fact, when I recommend other places to vacation, the family insists on returning to Sunriver. There are so many things to see and do in Sunriver, Oregon that you’ll want to come back for a second, or third visit.

The first place I take a visitor from out of town is to the top of Lava Butte.

If you are traveling with kids, or you simply like home made ice cream, you’ll want to visit Goody’s at the Sunriver Resort Village Mall.

Once you’ve had your sugar fix, head out to the Deschutes National Forest on a mountain bike or take a horseback ride.

For complete quiet, take a float on a canoe or kayak down the Deschutes River or Cascade Lakes.

If you come to Sunriver, get your picture taken next to Benham Falls. This is a flat, fairly easy bike ride with kids.

If you have to order one thing off the menu at the Grille at Crosswater, get the salmon.

Sunriver is my one stop shop for outdoor recreation.

Take a downhill mountain bike ride to Paulina Plunge outside of Sunriver, Oregon
Take a downhill mountain bike ride to Paulina Plunge outside of Sunriver, Oregon

Not a lot of money to spend on restaurant dining, head to the farmers’ market in Bend.

For a huge splurge, I go to the Grille at Crosswater.

Photo ops in Sunriver could be on a horse next to the Deschutes River, in a Glider soaring over the Cascade Mountains, or on the 12thhole at Crosswater.

The best vantage points are taken by walking to the top of Lava Butte or on horseback at Ramsey Ridge.

The most random thing about Sunriver Resort is the Wings and Wheels Antique Car and Airplane Festival.

In Sunriver, an active day outdoors involves biking, horseback riding, kayaking, rafting, paddle-boarding, hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, caving. The recreational opportunities are wide open.

My favorite walking route is the Benham Falls trail.

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Sunriver’s best museum is the High Desert Museum.

For a night of dancing, go to your back porch and dance under the stars. Otherwise, you’ll have to head into Bend for live music with nightlife.

To find out what’s going on a night or on weekends, read the Sunriver Scene.

Nancy D. Brown, horseback riding, Ramsey Ridge, Sunriver, Oregon
The best Sunriver views are reached on horseback from Ramsey Ridge

You can tell a lot about Central Oregon from visiting Sisters and watching the Sisters rodeo.

In the spring you should go skiing and snowboarding at Mt. Bachelor. Usually Bachelor has the best late season snow in the country.

In the summer you should take a white water rafting trip on the Deschutes.

In the fall you should hike the Deschutes river trail when the aspens are on fire.

In the winter you should go to Mt. Bachelor for dog sledding rides.

A hidden gem in Central Oregon is Fall River.

For a great breakfast treat or espresso, go to the Bellatzza.

Just outside of Sunriver Resort you can visit Sparks lake and have a picnic.

The best way to see Sunriver is to ride bikes.

If you have kids, you won’t want to miss Ft. Funnigan.

Sunriver kayaks, stand up paddle boarding, deschutes river, nancy d. brown
Go standup paddle boarding or kayaking on Sunriver’s Deschutes River

What are your favorite things to do in Sunriver, Oregon?

Thanks to Sunriver Resort for assistance with this post.

Photos and YouTube video by Nancy D. Brown

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7 thoughts on “Things to See and Do in Sunriver, Oregon”

  1. Love Sunriver!
    If your readers haven’t checked it out, it’s certainly worth visiting. We’ve enjoyed it in summer + winter + would go back any time.

  2. @John
    I’m glad you enjoyed my post on “Things to See and Do in Sunriver, Oregon. If you are a hiker, read my post on http://www.Writinghorseback.com about the Peter Skene Ogden Trail in La Pine, Oregon. It is located a short distance south of Sunriver and is a scenic hike along Paulina Creek.

  3. Hey Nancy-
    Nice post, glad to see someone raising awareness of this truly unique area in the High Desert of Central Oregon. I’ve vacationed in Sunriver with my family growing up and have now lived in the area for a little over 5 years. Your activity suggestions capture a lot of what makes Sunriver so special to me.

    Kyle J. Hoak
    Prudential Northwest Properties-Sunriver

  4. @Kyle
    My husband and I have enjoyed our annual family vacations to Sunriver. He’s a native Oregonian and would like to retire to the High Desert of Central Oregon. I, on the other hand, am a third generation Californian and would not forward to shoveling snow in my 80’s.

  5. I LOVE, love, love this post! Thank you so much! We are planning a summer vacation and I have moved to looking for things to do in Sunriver and this post NAILED it! Thank you!

  6. @Sara
    I love, love, love readers like you who leave nice comments about my blog. Glad I could be of assistance. You’ll love your summer vacation to Sunriver.

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