Photo Courtesy: Richard Bacon
Winter in Bend
Central Oregon’s arts and recreation playground
Standing at Brooks Plaza overlooking Bend’s Mirror Pond, it’s easy to imagine what city founder Alexander M. Drake saw when he first arrived near the same spot in 1900. The ponderosas of Drake Park may be taller, but the view of Mount Bachelor and the Cascade Range remains. Originally named Farewell Bend for the curvature of the Deschutes River south of today’s city center, Bend was shaped by logging, ranching and the railroad. Today, it’s a four-season destination with a reputed 300 days of sunshine each year. During summer, the river provides a geographical waypoint for wildlife views and recreation—from fly fishing to hearing summer concerts near the Old Mill District, site of the former lumber mills. In winter, snow on the nearby mountain is complemented by the city’s historic center that comes alive with arts, culture and tours for the taste buds.
Photo Courtesy: Adam Mckibben/mighty creature co.
Snow Days
Bend is framed by pine forests to the west and sagebrush high desert to the east, but a centerpiece of the winter season is at Mt. Bachelor. Just 22 miles from downtown, the mountain began operating as a ski resort in 1958, transforming it from an isolated volcanic cone into the seventh-largest ski area in North America. Today, 12 lifts and more than 100 runs serve 4,323 skiable acres of terrain, with a summit at 9,068 feet that offers panoramic views of the Cascade Range—including Broken Top, the Three Sisters and Newberry National Volcanic Monument.
For newcomers to snow sports, the resort’s “Ski or Board in 4” program remains one of the most approachable ways to enter the sport of skiing or snowboarding. The package includes four lessons, equipment rentals and lift access, with a focus on developing basic skills. From the same parking lot, the Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center maintains more than 50 kilometers of groomed trails, a training oval, climbs and descents used by both recreational skiers and Olympic-caliber athletes. Eight miles closer to town, Virginia Meissner Sno-Park is a volunteer-maintained, donation-supported network of Nordic trails. Snowshoers and cross-country skiers alike can enjoy a traverse to Meissner’s snow shelter, a gathering place heated by a wood stove at its center.
Sign up with the U.S. Forest Service naturalists or guides from award-winning Wanderlust Tours who lead snowshoe tours to explore the volcanic and ecological history of the mountains. Interpretive walks highlight how glaciation and eruptions formed the region’s dramatic topography, as well as how wildlife—from pine martens to Clark’s nutcrackers—adapts to high-elevation winters.
Photo Courtesy: Mockingbird Gallery
Art & Culture
When the weather outside is chilly, Bend’s arts and cultural venues heat up the imagination. The High Desert Museum, located 7 miles south of downtown, connects visitors to the human and natural narrative of the region. Opened in 1982, the museum’s 135-acre campus includes indoor exhibits, live animal enclosures—a trio of river otters and a menagerie of raptors—plus preserved historic buildings. Permanent displays trace the ecology of the high desert, Indigenous cultures and the area’s early settlers. See temporary exhibitions, including photography by acclaimed artist David Paul Bayles, whose “Hollow and Still” shows through February 15, 2026, giving a glimpse of post-wildfire landscapes.
The downtown art scene is a creative hub, with galleries and artists reflecting the city’s connection to nature, its past and the future. Jim and Nathalie Peterson curated a pair of collections, first at Peterson Contemporary Art, showcasing works by both regional and national artists. Nearby, their Mockingbird Gallery focuses on fine art of the American West, including sculpture and landscape painting rooted in the high desert. Walking through downtown, watch for public art—murals and installations—that turn Bend’s nooks and crannies into art walks. Step down Tin Pan Alley to see a foreign or first-run movie at the 36-capacity Tin Pan Theater operated by BendFilm, a nonprofit that hosts Bend Film Festival each October, and supports independent film all year.
For live entertainment, the restored Tower Theatre anchors Bend’s performing arts calendar. Built in 1940 and renovated in the early 2000s, the 460-seat venue hosts concerts, films and touring performances year-round. A few blocks away, find Cascade Theatrical Company or Greenhouse Cabaret, a small stage within a plant shop, for intimate settings featuring local performers with big talent.
Photo Courtesy: Tina Paymaster
Eats, Drinks and Sweets
If food were a sport, Bend is a multisport athlete. Palates can sample cuisines from around the world. Take an international taste tour, from nasi goreng and shakshuka to Monte Cristo and Eggs Benedict, with liveaboard-yacht chefs-turned-owners of Lemon Tree. Breweries reign supreme, but also find wine-tasting rooms, distilleries and nonalcoholic offerings. Deschutes Brewery began Bend’s craft-brew craze in 1988 and its menu pairs IPAs with beer-centric bites (think Black Butte Porter stoneground mustard). Newcomer to the scene, brewer UPP Liquids took home five medals at the 2025 Great American Beer Festival, including Brewery of the Year for its size. For a small city, Bend offers flavor fusions from around the world, from Japanese-Peruvian Kusshi to Latin-Asian Spork, or regional tastes of Northern Thai at Wild Rose and Southern India at Spiceland. A trip to Goody’s downtown is a tradition: Pull up a seat at the old-school soda fountain, share a milkshake made with its locally made ice cream or choose from a selection of handmade chocolates, like its famous Mint Cindy Velvet, a melty mint dipped in milk or dark chocolate.
Photo Courtesy: Arian Stevens
Stay After Play
Bend’s accommodations give credence to its identity as both an energetic alpine basecamp and a refined high desert retreat. With a nod to the great outdoors, Campfire Hotel has a mountain spirit in close proximity to downtown. Weekly live music around a fire, the heated outdoor pool and hot tub, plus its scouting-inspired Canteen Bar make it easy to meet fellow travelers swapping stories of daytime explorations.
Downtown, the Oxford Hotel is a AAA Four-Diamond boutique hotel offering urban energy, eco-chic decor and welcoming hospitality. With its adjacent ROAM Restaurant and a central location, it provides easy access to downtown shopping and activities.
Opening in early 2026, The Westman at Bend’s historic post office downtown was named for Minnie Westman, the first female mail carrier west of the Mississippi, and has 23 suites, a soaking pool and Minnie’s, offering cocktails and small plates in a restored Art Deco parlor setting.
Just 15 minutes south of town, Sunriver Resort covers 3,300 acres along the upper Deschutes River. Guests can dine at Lodge Kitchen or nearby Lake House at Caldera Springs, which emphasizes regional ingredients and Oregon wines. Sunriver features lodge rooms, vacation rentals and winter activities such as cross-country skiing and sleigh rides, plus seasonal concerts in the Great Hall, an event space that treats visitors to the warmth of a fireside hearth after days of enjoying Central Oregon’s frosty playground.
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