I first visited Hosmer Lake, just off the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway, on a moonlight canoe trip. We paddled under the stars thanks to our friends at Wanderlust Tours and Visit Bend. Even in the dark, this lake made me fall even deeper in love with Central Oregon.

If you’re planning a trip to the Bend, OR area, read on. If you’re not, I’m sorry. But you’ll want to continue anyway. The photos of mountains, still lake water and Central Oregon high desert are worth the scroll.

Below, find all the details you need to visit Hosmer Lake along the Cascade Lakes Highway. You’ll find how to get there, what to do when you arrive, and camping details.

Buckle up your life jacket. Let’s go.

Cascades scenery: Hosmer Lake

Hosmer is one of many alpine lakes on Mt. Bachelor near Bend, OR. On your drive up, up, up the mountain you’ll pass plenty of other lakes: Devils Lake, Sparks Lake and Elk Lake, to name a handful.

Hosmer Lake was renamed in the 1960s after naturalist Paul Hosmer, who lived in nearby Bend. (It has a much nicer ring than its former name, Mud Lake.)

The lake’s most distinctive characteristic: all the bulrush wands and other vegetation that grows along the shore. In fact, these aquatic plants grow in the water and make the lake just a little bit smaller every year.

This plant habitat and its shallowness also make it an incredible place to spot wildlife. Stay still and keep your eyes open. You may be rewarded with a sighting of ducks, eagles, osprey, crawdads and even otter!

(I spotted an otter playing and diving in the reeds on my most recent stand up paddle boarding trip to Hosmer. Pretty sure I squee-ed out loud.)

This is a moderately popular spot, especially for fishing. (More on that later.) That’s partly because this lake is just 45 minutes from Bend, OR and 40 minutes from Sunriver.

When I recently paddled here on a summer weekday, I had no problem finding a parking spot. And once I got on the water, I had plenty of space. Much of my time on the lake was spent with no one else in sight.

Paddling Hosmer Lake, Oregon

Only electric powered boats (i.e. no gas engines) are allowed on Hosmer Lake. But really, just about everyone paddles their own watercraft.

Do like we Oregonians do and go by canoe, kayak, rowboat, fishing catamaran or—my favorite—stand up paddle board. (Mine is similar to this SUP setup—affiliate link.) As long as you’re powering it with your own muscles, it’s ideal for Hosmer.

Oftentimes Hosmer Lake feels more like a river than a lake. The rushes that grow thick at the edge of the shore make it seem even more narrow than the fingers of the lake are.

(I couldn’t help but think of that scene in the 1951 movie African Queen, when Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart get stuck in the maze-like reeds!)

Hosmer Lake isn’t big, which is part of its appeal. You can explore every turn, inlet and channel in one outing.

The other day, I paddled my stand up paddle board from the boat ramp to the opposite end of the lake in about 40 minutes. With such a winding perimeter and little areas to discover, you can easily spend most of a day here.

Fishing at Hosmer Lake

Roughly half of the people I saw at this lake near Bend, OR were fishing. Fish love the buffet of water bugs, damsel flies and other insects that make Hosmer their home.

The result: Big, fat fish.

I saw rainbow fish longer than my forearm swim beneath my SUP. Hosmer Lake is also good fishing for brook trout.

You won’t be able to grill ’em, though. This popular fishing spot is catch-and-release on all fish species. You’re also required to use barbless hooks.

This is the kind of fishing my kids prefer anyway. Maxine and Edie are fascinated by the idea of fishing, but poor little Max freaks out when you even hint at eating one. (“I’m a friend to all animals,” she tells us resolutely.)

Swimming with a view of Mt. Bachelor

Swimming in the shadow of Cascade peaks? Sounds dreamy. Hosmer Lake isn’t the best place for swimming, though there are a few exceptions.

Firstly, know that Hosmer Lake is shallow. With an average depth of just three feet, it’s paradise for aquatic plants. It probably won’t surprise you, then, that much of the lake bed grows underwater plants.

I personally don’t love the feeling of an underwater plant wrapping around my ankle. It reminds me too much of the Creature from the Black Lagoon movies I used to watch as a kid. (And yes, I grew up on black and white movies. Ha!)

That said, I did find a little spot tucked away at the far end of Hosmer Lake that was great for swimming. This little beach was rock—no sinking in mud with every step.

(I did my best to approximate the location of this little cove. I think this star will at least get you very close to a good swimming spot!)

Here, the water was so clear that I spent about 20 minutes watching nature’s soap opera unfold. Water bugs glided, butterflies were chased off by dragonflies, and a crawdad hunted critters too small for me to see.

Hosmer Lake Campground

There are technically two Hosmer Lake Campgrounds, but they’re practically in the same spot.

South Lake Campground is directly next to the day use area and boat launch. Mallard Marsh Campground is a bit farther away, which could be inconvenient if you just want to launch your kayak but preferable if you want more privacy.

Folks who want to stay at this cascade lake can reserve camp sites here. A handful of walk-up sites are also available, though you can stay only one night. Camp sites average $16 per night.

Expect Hosmer Lake camping to be pretty standard: The sites are medium-sized and every spot has a picnic table and fire pit. Vault toilets (i.e. not flushing) were well maintained and clean when I visited. These campgrounds do not have potable water, though, so bring your own.

Must-know details to visit Hosmer Lake

Day use

Even if you’re staying at the Hosmer Lake campground, you’ll need to pay the day use fee if you park next to the boat ramp. The fee is $5.

Make sure to bring cash and exact change. This day use area doesn’t have a machine to process credit cards. Don’t forget to leave the proof of payment stub on your dashboard.

A handful of other passes are valid (though not the Oregon State Parks pass). List of valid park passes for the Hosmer Lake day use area

If you’ve already paid the day use fee that same day elsewhere, you do not need to buy an additional one for that site. The pass is valid for the entire day, wherever the parks are valid. So if you go from Elk Lake to Hosmer, you don’t have to pay twice.

Directions to Hosmer Lake

From Bend, OR, drive south on the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway. You’ll wind around Mt. Bachelor and pass other Cascade lakes. After 34 miles, turn left onto Mud Lake Rd., which has a sign for Hosmer Lake. Expect a 45-minute drive from Bend.

From Sunriver, OR, drive west on Conklin Rd./NF 40. Take a right on Century Dr., which takes you to the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway. Take a right. After 5 or 6 miles, you’ll see a sign for Hosmer Lake on your right. Expect a 40-minute drive from Sunriver.

When to visit

Hosmer Lake tends to be closed October through May because of snow. The Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway is snowed in until warm summer months melt the snow.

So visit Hosmer Lake June through September. Check road conditions and closures before your drive.

Amenities

The day use area has a well maintained vault toilet—it was quite clean when I recently visited. You’ll see a garbage can near the spot to pay the day use fee. (Garbage cans are such a welcome perk when you’re on a road trip!)

One picnic table sits to the side at the day use area. This is where I sat and ate lunch after my SUP paddle on the lake. It has a nice view of the area around the boat ramp. I watched a few men fish (one unsuccessfully, as he lamented loudly) and someone take macro photography of insects.

Speaking of, insects can be plentiful at Hosmer Lake. I’ve never had an issue with bugs, but be on the safe side and bring insect repellant just in case.

Don’t miss this beautiful lake near Bend, Oregon

Hosmer Lake will always hold a special place in my heart after Hubs and I paddled it by moonlight on our 11th wedding anniversary. (I mean, how romantic can you get?!)

I grow fonder of this scenic spot near Bend every time I visit.

Especially now that my SUP is pretty much my favorite thing ever, I’m always on the lookout for gorgeous spots to paddle. Whether you go by canoe, kayak, SUP or something else, you’ll love exploring Hosmer Lake.

The post Beautiful Hosmer Lake near Bend, OR: Camping, fishing + paddling appeared first on To & Fro Fam.

After all, fall in Bend, Oregon is this Central Oregon city’s shoulder season. Most people visit Bend in the summer for all its outdoor fun or in the winter for snow sports. But I can’t get enough of all the things to do in Bend, Oregon in the fall.

After all, most of the crowds clear out once the school year starts. The weather turns mild and absolutely gorgeous: think cold mornings, sunny days and close to zero rain. Finally, many hotels in Bend and other businesses offer discounted rates in the fall, since the number of visitors drops during this season.

In fact, our friends at Pine Ridge Inn invited us to stay in one of their suites for our anniversary weekend. This lovely boutique hotel in Bend has a front-row view to Bend’s fall colors, and our suite overlooked the Deschutes River from atop the canyon that runs through town. The Pine Ridge Inn served as our starting point for all the fun things to do in Bend, Oregon in the fall.

To read about all the best things to do in Bend and where to stay in between your adventures, keep reading. And don’t forget to pin this post for later, when you’re planning your own trip to Bend, Oregon!

1. Hike Tumalo Falls in Bend, Oregon

Tumalo Falls is one of the busiest spots in Bend, Oregon to explore the outdoors—but this fairly easy hike is way less crowded in the fall.

Just a half-hour drive from Downtown Bend, Tumalo Falls drops nearly 100 feet from a pine tree-covered bluff. After you park in the (admittedly tight) parking area, you walk just a few minutes to see Tumalo Falls. (Just make sure to pay the day pass parking fee. In fact, we bought our pass at our hotel in Bend, Pine Ridge Inn, which was *such* a convenient and thoughtful perk!)

From Tumalo Falls, you can hike for miles through the Deschutes National Forest. Hubs and I hiked about 1.25 miles past Tumalo Falls to Middle Tumalo Falls, a two-parter waterfall where we saw pretty much no one else.

Middle Tumalo Falls is a great turnaround spot if you have plans for lots more things to do in Bend. The trail is also moderately easy. Maxine and Edie, ages 4 and 6, would have a fine time hiking this trail in Bend.

2. Feel like a local at Bend’s Fall Festival

Hubs and I were lucky enough to visit Bend, Oregon during its annual Fall Festival, which takes place at the beginning of every October. This weekend-long event takes over Downtown Bend, closing streets to make room for live music, food carts, local artisans and breweries.

I joke that Bend is pretty much obsessed with street fairs because one is happening almost every time we’ve visited this Central Oregon city. Tons of people turn out for these outdoor fests—and the Fall Festival should be on your list of things to do in Bend in the fall!

3. Get a lay of the land on Pilot Butte

Central Oregon is basically one big volcano. Pilot Butte in Bend, Oregon was formed when debris from a volcanic eruption fell to the ground and cooled, leaving a flat-topped mound from which you can see all of the city.

Several hiking trails wind around the butte, but we drove up to the top. From Pilot Butte, you can see the mountains surrounding Bend—Mt. Bachelor, Sisters, Three-Fingered Jack and more. We could even see our own home mountain, Mt. Hood, since the fall day was so clear!

Pilot Butte tends to be one of the top things to do locals recommend to folks visiting Bend. It’s a terrific way to get a sense of Bend’s layout and take in the wide vistas around the city.

4. Take in the fall colors in Drake Park

One of my favorite places to visit in Bend, Oregon in the fall is Drake Park. Hubs and I walked beneath all the fall foliage and along the park’s half-mile of trails along the Deschutes River.

It’s hard to get more beautiful than the colorful trees reflected in the park’s Mirror Pond. (Yep, that now-famed Mirror Pond from Deschutes Brewery!)

What’s more, my favorite stretch of Drake Park is just a few blocks from Downtown Bend’s main corridor. If you fancy a quick shopping stop, I love buying postcards, mugs, ornaments and other gifts made by local designers and artists at The Bend Store, about a 2-minute walk from Drake Park.

5. See the stars on a nighttime canoe trip

Hubs and I wanted to make our anniversary trip to Bend, Oregon extra-special. So when Bend-based Wanderlust Tours offered to host us on a nighttime canoe tour, we jumped at the chance.

Wanderlust Tours offers a variety of outdoor experiences, from kayaking trips to photography tours. They all sound fun, but canoeing by moonlight—pretty sure that can’t be beat.

Wanderlust Tours picked us up and drove a group of up Mt. Bachelor to Hosmer Lake. Before we got on the water, our tour guide Courtney gave us a quick tutorial on how to work together to paddle and steer. Hubs and I were the first ones to push our canoe out into the pitch-black water.

We followed Courtney as she led us past reeds and through the winding channels of this high-alpine lake. Above us, the half-full moon shone and stars twinkled. I spent my childhood on the water, whitewater kayaking all summer, but I’d never paddled in the middle of the night before.

One of the most magical moments of our entire trip to Bend this fall was when our entire group paused in the middle of Hosmer Lake. We were all quiet, listening to the nighttime world around us. The occasional drip of water or frog croak were the only sounds that broke the silence.

In our busy lives, it’s rare to be wholly immersed in nature like this. We will definitely be back to explore other parts of Bend with Wanderlust Tours.

6. Feel (really) small at Smith Rock

If you haven’t gathered this year, Bend, Oregon is a wonderful place to dive into the outdoors—especially in the fall. And one of the most stunning parts of this Central Oregon landscape is just a short drive from Bend at Smith Rock.

Around 30 million years ago, the area that is now Smith Rock State Park collapsed into a caldera of molten rock. (Cool, right?) Then that caldera filled with ash, debris and more rock when nearby volcanoes erupted. All that debris hardened together, forming the spires and cliff faces that make Smith Rock so imposing.

All these millenia later, Smith Rock makes an unforgettable day trip from Bend, Oregon. Its trail system is like a choose your own adventure story: You can climb up to the cheerfully named Misery Ridge, on the flat paths along the river, or in any of the other 10 official hiking trails.

Make sure to pay the $5 day use fee (or use your annual Oregon State Parks Pass, which we have and use just about every week). And know that dogs are welcome in the park as long as they’re on-leash. Just make sure to bring water for yourself and your pup, as hiking here is thirsty work, even in the fall.

Autumnal hotels in Bend, Oregon

When we celebrated our anniversary in Bend, our friends at the Pine Ridge Inn hosted us for two complementary nights in a Canyon View Suite—they really know how to make an old married couple feel special! And this small, boutique hotel in Bend felt like a prime spot to experience fall in Central Oregon. I mean, just look at these colors!

Hubs and I spent so much time in front of the suite’s gas fireplace, getting cozy in between all our adventures in Bend. And you better believe I drank my tea every morning on the suite’s private patio.

We also couldn’t get enough of our view overlooking the Deschutes River.

One of the things that made the Pine Ridge Inn feel so perfect for our special getaway was how intimate the hotel is. With only 20 rooms in the entire property, we felt so well taken care of. The people working the front desk knew us by name and chatted whenever we came or went, and they got to know us a bit. That way their recommendations of what to do and where to eat in Bend were spot-on! (I’m still thankful they tactfully steered us away from a sub-par restaurant where we were going to eat out of convenience and recommended the delicious 10 Barrel West Bend pub instead.)

From when we first arrived (and were greeted with a complimentary glass of wine and craft beer) until our final morning (when we noshed locally made granola and other breakfast goodies in the complimentary breakfast bar), we felt welcomed and pampered at Pine Ridge Inn.

Already missing Bend, Oregon

As Hubs and I left Bend, Oregon in our rearview mirror, we talked about how much we love this Central Oregon town. One of my favorite things about Bend is how sunny it is year-round, including in the fall. And since I suffer from SAD during the winter months, we talked about coming back to Bend several more times this fall and winter.

With weeks and months of rainy, grey weather coming up, I feel so much better knowing we have a sunny destination just a few hours’ drive from Portland.

Bend turned out to be the ideal spot for Hubs and me to celebrate our anniversary. After all, everything we’ve done together—move across the country several times, support each other through graduate school, adopt a rescue dog, raise two incredible humans, and continue to love each other’s faces off throughout it all—deserves a little celebration.

No, nix that. It deserves a lot of celebration.

So cheers to us!

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