Things to Do in Central Oregon, OR - Central Oregon Attractions
Things to Do in Central Oregon
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Popular Cities in Central Oregon
State Parks
State park with challenging trails, dramatic rock formations, and diverse wildlife. Enjoy panoramic mountain views and observe rock climbers on the 3.6-mile loop.
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Waterfalls
Scenic trails lead to breathtaking waterfall views with multiple tranquil lookout points. Features easy, well-maintained paths through Happy Valley's serene landscape. Limited parking available.
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Caverns & Caves
Subterranean lava-formed cave presenting self-guided exploration up to a mile in. Features an easy walk, requires warm clothing, sturdy shoes, and strong lighting.
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What travelers are saying
- Jan L10 contributionsWe highly recommend this beautiful place. You will not be disappointed. We are going to come back and explore more of the area.Written March 23, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- BunkyVAKeswick, VA443 contributionsI recommend doing this fun trip counter-clockwise from Sisters. The road up to McKenzie pass has great views and the long string of switchbacks are going down the mountain after the Pass. The road is very good and it is absolutely safe with no scary spots. Certainly, stop at the Observatory. Unfortunately, on that section much of the pine forest has been destroyed by fire, but that’s nature. After the long series of switchbacks, the road all the way back around to Sisters is pretty, but less interesting, except several waterfalls which are worth walking into. The entire trip should take about 4 hours(with stops) and is well worth it. There are NO SERVICES anywhere on the trip, so gas-up and have food and water if needed.Written July 2, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Ki LEugene, OR4 contributionsBeen here in every season and it’s always beautiful! Great hike or great to stop and stretch your legs for a minute while traveling.Written April 11, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- DavidLos Angeles, CA5 contributionsDon’t be fooled by all the ads to rent a “heavy duty” tube for a float. The main float area of the river is super calm and doesn’t require a “heavy duty tube” as the rental companies like to advertise. You can easily buy a $5-10 pool tube or other float device (ideally an inflatable kayak so you can paddle back to your parking spot) instead of spending $25-30 per person to float the Deschutes. Plus, there is no time limit when you bring your own float device :)Written September 9, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Julie SPrineville, OR4 contributionsIt's always fun visiting the museum. Enjoy all the critters. Owls, eagles, hawks, turtles, newts, and Otters.
The revolving exhibit is new on each visit. This time it was an art exhibit of a collection of Andy Warhol pieces.Written February 29, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - GK360Seattle, WA180 contributionsSo much fun in the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. After visiting Paulina Falls, we drove further to the Big Obsidian Flow trailhead. We loved this hike. We made our way up to the 2nd park bench and got some great pictures. So amazing. And if you're a LOTR fan, you can pretend you're Frodo and Sam heading into Mordor. Ha! "One does not simply walk into Mordor." - unless you're here at the Big Obsidian Flow. :-)Written September 24, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Joseph RobbaCharlotte, NC2,256 contributionsTumalo Falls was an excellent experience for us. There are lots of gorgeous scenic view points to see the falls, and it's not a very long hike, although it is a little uphill to get to the top of the falls so be advised on that.
The parking lot here is incredibly small, and I ended up parking along the gravel road pretty far away from the parking area, so be prepared to drop your group off near the trailhead and then have to park and walk back to the trailhead, as it can get very crowded.
But, it's totally worth it, and make sure to bring your camera, it's an incredibly beautiful and impressive Waterfall.Written January 11, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Joseph RobbaCharlotte, NC2,256 contributionsThere's not much to it, we drove up and hung out for about 20 minutes before calling it a day, but there are great views of the nearby Cascades from up here. It does get crowded, but overall not a bad spot to check out.Written January 29, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- GK360Seattle, WA180 contributionsThis is a really nice visitor center with friendly staff. So much more than we thought it would be! Overall, this is an under-rated National Monument. So interesting! Make sure you make the drive down to the Paulina portion as well.Written September 24, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Kandis CTerrebonne, OR6 contributionsDefinitely worth checking out, so neat to see all the different colors and walk the trails. The drive is beautiful. 😍 trails are easy to walkWritten March 26, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Travelseeker1125Minneapolis106 contributionsPretty park to take a walk in and view the river. Trails connect for a longer walk if you want.
Clean, flush bathrooms are available.
Be aware of goose poop.Written September 3, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - sopacaCambridge, UK2,209 contributionsThis was a real highlight of our 16 day road trip in Washington and Oregon. We only learned of the cave as we drove north from Crater Lake to our next destination so booked a ticket that evening for 9am the next morning. Despite it being August 27th there were still quite a few tickets available which was lucky. It was only $2 (£1.60) so a real bargain. I think the booking is so they can mange the parking lot not being too full as well as not too many at a time in the lava tube.
We were also very fortunate as we were the first to enter the cave so the whole 1.1 mile walk to the end we were alone which was an amazing experience. When you turned the lanterns off it was VERY VERY dark! The cave was a lot bigger - width and height - than I'd expected and it was quite an easy walk. We're both in our 60s but had no trouble with the terrain although we did wear our hiking shoes.
The floor is mostly level and sandy but there are boulders to watch out for and occasional changes of height - both floor and ceiling. There are also useful info boards along the way to tell you about the features and geology of the cave. The path finishes after 1.1 miles although the cave doesn't! It was quite surreal to think you were 1.1 miles into the ground.
We were told it was 42F/5C in the cave so wore sweatshirts, down jackets, hats, gloves and scarves but actually it didn't feel that cold and much of the warmer clothes were discarded as we were walking the whole time and it didn't feel that cold at all. Do be sure to not wear anything that you've ever worn in a cave before in the USA as they are working hard not to transmit white-nose syndrome which kills bats and can transmit decades later from spores on clothing.
I can definitely recommend hiring their lanterns for $5 as they are very powerful and our experience of seeing the cave walls, ceiling and way to walk was a lot better that that of those people using their own torches/flashlights or even phone for illumination. We shone our lanterns on the ceiling for several people on the way back who only had dim lights and got 'gasps' as they saw what they were missing with their poor illumination devices. I’d also caution against using a headlamp as while it might illuminate your path you’ll miss the flexibility of seeing the ceiling and wall and also it shines directly into the eyes of those coming the other way!Written October 3, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions about Central Oregon
- The top attractions to visit in Central Oregon are:
- High Desert Museum
- Tumalo Falls
- Newberry National Volcanic Monument
- Sahalie and Koosah Falls
- Trail to Benham Falls
- The best outdoor activities in Central Oregon according to Tripadvisor travelers are:
- Smith Rock State Park
- Sahalie and Koosah Falls
- Deschutes River
- Newberry National Volcanic Monument
- Tumalo Falls
- The best day trips from Central Oregon according to Tripadvisor travelers are:
- Half-day Private Tour in Central Cascades with Photoshoot
- Explore Central Oregon
- Private Full-Day Photo Tours
- The most popular things to do in Central Oregon with kids according to Tripadvisor travelers are:
- Smith Rock State Park
- McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass loop
- Sahalie and Koosah Falls
- Deschutes River
- High Desert Museum
The above attraction descriptions were created by AI, using information and phrases commonly found in reviews users submitted to Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor did not create and is not responsible for any of the above attraction descriptions. Please read full traveler reviews for more details and information. If you believe something in one of these AI-generated descriptions is inaccurate, please share your feedback.
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