Discover the best Bend mountain biking trails and routes in this complete guide. Also learn where to eat, sleep, and more!
After living in Colorado for 20+ years and 10 years traveling full-time to the best mountain bike locations we picked Bend as a home base. One of the reason was the mountain biking in Bend. You can ride right from town, catch a shuttle and ride back to town, access a bike park in 20 minutes, and ride all winter. Bend is a world class town for mountain biking and worth a stop.
Bend also has a lot of activities, breweries, concerts, and places to eat. Use this guide to plan your adventures in Bend.
Interested in other mountain bike locations? Check out our destinations page.
What to Know about Mountain Biking in Bend
E-bike Restrictions
E-bikes are not allowed on most trails in Bend or Mt. Bachelor. They do seem to be allowed or at least tolerated at Horse Ridge and Cline Butte.
Shuttles
Starting at the end of May you can shuttle from Wanoga, Skyliner, Swampy Lakes, and Dutchman Sno-Parks back to Bend. Shuttling is a great idea to cover a lot of trails around Bend but you’ll still be doing some pedaling. Shuttles are perfect for those that want some downhill but also a workout and flow.
Cog Wild operates a shuttle services 7 days a week 3 times a day out of the Loge hotel west of town. We love using them and even purchased a season pass because it’s just so convenient to catch a ride and enjoy so many routes back to town.
Riding Direction
There are some trails that are one-way and they are signed well. These include parts of Phil’s Trail and North Fork. Then there are other trails that are bi-directional but tend to have a popular direction. One such trail is Southfork as it’s used as a downhill shuttle run. Review Trailforks for the popular direction stats to keep everyone happy.
Dust and Hero Dirt
Bend is known for moon dust when conditions are dry and it’s no joke. On the other hand, you can ride the trails in Bend almost immediately after it rains with no shortage of hero dirt. Think about a mountain biking trip to Bend in April, May, and October for the best dirt. Summer will be dusty but you can also enjoy the river and lakes which is a nice trade off.
Logging Closures
The trails around Bend are seeing a lot of logging activity. Trailforks stays up to date on the closures or you can check Bend Trails or the USFS directly. If you see a red area over the trails in Trailforks it’s a logging closure. Unfortunately, the USFS is not very forthcoming about timing or plans.
Lava Rock
Siting very close to the Three Sisters (all active volcanos) it’s no surprise that there is a lot of lava rock in and around Bend. If you’re not planning on going up to Mt Bachelor or riding fast downhill you should be fine. I recommend putting 5 to 10 more psi in your tires just in case. If you’re planning on going up to Bachelor, then I would recommend running Cushcore even on flow trails like Red Line there are still a good amount of lava rock in some of the slower sections.
Mountain Bike Trail Systems in Bend
Here’s a list of 8 areas to ride in and around Bend. We listed them from the closest to Downtown Bend. We’ll cover an overview of each area and a recommended route. Yes, Bend has a lot of trails!
- Phil’s Trailhead
- Welcome Center Trailhead
- Tyler’s Trailhead
- Green Gates/Wanoga
- Swampy Lakes/Dutchman
- Skyliners/Tumalo Falls
- Mt Bachelor Bike Park
- Bonus: Horse Ridge and Cline Butte
Phil’s Trailhead
Phil’s trails is the most recognized and used trail system in Bend. It’s fun and flowy and there are dozen’s of routes to choose from. But don’t worry, the trails are signed and you can make your route as short or long as you need.
»Kid Friendly: If this route is too long there are several options and cutoffs. A popular kid route is Ben’s > KGB > Kent’s because there’s a “bear” cave to check out and other fun stops.
»Go Big: If you want more tech swap out Lower Whoops for Phil’s (Black Diamond aka Heli Pad) and/or this 18 mile route.
Cascade Lakes Welcome Center Trailhead
The welcome center is a large parking lot West of town off the Cascade Lakes Highway and on the edge of the Phil’s Trail system. It’s a great place to park and ride if you have kids yet also has one of the most technical trails in Bend (COD).
»Kid Friendly: Ticket to Ride >Ticket to Ride (north) > Ticket to Ride (south). E.L.V is also a favorite for kids because it’s mellow and has gnomes hidden all along the trail.
»Go Big: Instead of doing Ticket to Ride, take COD at the start of this route. COD has a lot of slow uphill rock gardens and is a good challenge for intermediate to advanced riders.
Tyler’s Trailhead
Tyler’s is a favorite trail for many because it’s just FUN! It combines some technical rocks up high, a few jumps, and lots of flow. You can also connect to the Royal Flush trail from Tyler’s via Duodenum. Royal Flush is a professionally built jump line.
»Kid Friendly: Since you climb the road Tyler’s is a perfect trail for the Towhee. The road also parallels and crosses the trail frequently so you can turn those wheels downhill at any time.
»Go Big: Check out Lone Wolf for some serious tech. There’s a mandatory drop at the beginning to test you.
Green Gates/Wanoga
Green gates is a local’s term for the parking area at the bottom of the Funner trail. It’s a good place to park if you ride Funner as an out and back. Wanoga is a Sno-Park where Funner and Tiddlywinks start. You can also access Tyler’s from Wanoga via Larson’s or Kiwa Butte so it’s a great place to shuttle from.
»Kid Friendly: The start of Tiddlywinks does have some technical climbing but otherwise this is a fun route for kids with jumps.
»Go Big: There are many options to extend and add on to Tiddlywinks. You could connect over to Tyler’s, or cross the highway and take Storm King to the Phil’s Trailhead.
Swampy Lakes/Dutchman
The Dutchman Trailhead is mostly used to ride Flagline back to town and that trail doesn’t open until mid-August. If you’re around in the Fall this is a Bend bucket list mountain bike ride. Swampy Lakes can be used all summer as a shuttle drop off to access the Southfork. You can also ride mellow loops around the Swampy parking area.
»Kid Friendly: If you start at Swampys and leave a car at Skyliners this is a a great option for kids.
»Go Big: You could add in North Fork to Farewell for an extra 10 miles.
Skyliners/Tumalo Falls
Parking at the Skyliners Sno-Park gives you access to Southfork as a loop. Ride up Tumalo Ridge to Swede Ridge to Southfork. Although Southfork is technically a 2-way trail I recommend only riding down it. One of the most scenic rides in Bend is the Northfork trail. Northfork takes you past half a dozen waterfalls before you get to Happy Valley and the Metolious-Windigo (Met-Win) trail. Northfork is a very popular hiking trail and is uphill only for bikes so time your ride around less popular times. After Met-Win you’ll take a right on Mrazek and another right on Farewell. Farewell is fast and fun when the dirt is right (i.e no moon dust).
»Kid Friendly: This loop has some tech riding, steep climbs and feels backcountry. Best for older kids.
»Go Big: Add this to your Southfork ride or skip Farewell and ride back to town via Mrazek.
Mt Bachelor Bike Park
Mt Bachelor is 20 minutes away for Bend and has most of the good downhill trails in the Bend area. Good beginner trails are FTL (First Timer Line), Lava Flow, and Cone Run. Some good intermediate trails are Lava Flow top to bottom, Hanger, Blade Runner, and the lower half of Rattlesnake. Last Chance is an Enduro trail, lots of tech and steeps but no major drops or jumps.
»Kid Friendly: Start on the Little Pine lift and do Lava Flow (lower). If that goes well try Blade Runner.
»Go Big: If you like Tech check out Rockfall. Rockfall is trail is steep, rocky, and very challenging. If you like jumps, hit Redline.
Bonus Trails
If you’re around Bend in the off-season check out Horse Ridge and Cline Butte. Both offer a bit of technical riding and hold up well through most of Winter and Spring. Horse Ridge is 20 miles east of Bend while Cline Butte in 20 min Northeast.
Bend Bike Shops and Rentals
Bend has no shortage of bike shops and they are all top notch. Here’s three we recommend.
Bend Camping
To be honest, Bend has an issue with camping. There’s zero official campgrounds and a lot of dispersed camping gets overtaken by long term campers. The RV parks here are also not great or ideally located for mountain biking. For your safety and convenience I recommend these areas:
The lower parking lot at the Phil’s Trail: For now this area is open to overnight camping and it’s right on the trails. Do not park at the upper lot as that area does not allow camping. Cell service can be spotting but open skies for Starlink. No facilities so be self-contained and keep a low profile. 44.0407492, -121.3871056
NF-4610: This road is near Ben’s trail off Skyliners Road. Right where the road begins are some of the largest sites and right off Ben’s trail. These spots are often taken so have a backup plan. You can continue up the road but frequent logging in the area changes the road conditions daily. Spotty cell service dense forest for Starlink. 44.038352, -121.419245
Sno-Parks: Technically you can overnight in all the Sno-Parks execpt Dutchman. This has become an issue with people overstaying and blocking access at times so stay a night or two and leave no trace. Most Sno-Parks have spotty cell service.
Mt. Bachelor Bike Park: Mt Bachelor has RV spots with electricity and dry camping spots. In the summer this is a nice place to camp for access to trails and to stay cool as it’s often 20 degrees cooler up there. You can reserve on their website. Cell reception is great up there and it’s wide open to Starlink.
Bend Lodging
Bend does have some great options for lodging. Two of the best for access to trails are the LOGE and Tetherow.
The LOGE: This is where you catch the COG Wild shuttle and they also rent bikes. For kids there’s a fun loop and skills park surrounding the hotel. They also frequently have food trucks and events on site.
Tetherow Hotel: Tetherow backs up to the Phil’s trail system and is also across the street from the COG Wild shuttle. They have a great pool and restaurant.
Best Western Premier: Located in town but within riding distance to trails. Also within walking distance to the river.
Bend Non-Bike Activities
There are so many activities in Bend besides biking. We like to focus on the water when not on the bike. Float the Deschutes River, SUP one of the Cascade Lakes, fly fish, or enjoy a waterfall. There’s also tours into volcanoes that are family friendly. Here are two of our favorite spots:
Float the Deschutes River: Bring tubes or a SUP and put in at Riverbend Park and take out at Drake Park. There is a shuttle that will take you back for $6.00.
Enjoy Elk Lake: Parking can be difficult during busy times but a trip to Elk Lake for a SUP or swim and then a drink, dinner, and/or ice cream is a great way to cool off after a ride.
Bend Breweries and Restaurants
Bend has a lot of breweries, food trucks and restaurants. The volume is almost overwhelming. Here are a few places worth your time.
Sparrow Bakery: I love the banana bread, breakfast sandwich, and double chocolate cookie.. They are famous for their ocean rolls.
10 Barrel Brewing (West Side): This location is close to the trails and has a great vibe. The service is always very friendly, food good, and beers cold.
Spork: Unique Asian/Mexican dishes, fun cocktails, nice atmosphere.
Podski Food Truck Lot: There’s no shortage of food trucks in Bend so you have to stop at one. Podski has great trucks like smash burgers at Americana, plus a full bar.
Crux Brewery: Great place to meet friends or take the kids. They have a large yard with food trucks and their own menu. A must visit.
The Grove: A modern food hall with a variety of counter service restaurants plus ice cream, a fish market, and full bar. Great place to end your ride after Phil’s Trails.
Best Gear for Bend
Here are a few items to take with you when mountain biking in Bend:
And here are some items for the bike park. Since almost all of Mt. Bachelor bike park is over volcanic rock you’ll want to be covered and protected head to tow. This is not the bike park for exposed skin. Flat tires are also very common.
Other Bend Resources
Want to do more research about Bend? Here are a few other sites to check out.
Visit Bend: The official tourism site for Bend.
Bend Trails: Popular with locals. Good for checking latest conditions and logging closures.
Have you been to Bend? What’s your favorite trail?
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