Running trails in Bend, OR
Bend has 14 trails in the directory — 3 paved and 3 on crushed gravel or dirt, 4 loops that return to the trailhead, 5 with a stated distance, and 5 open 24 hours. 12 of them post opening hours, so you can check the gate before an early start. They're ranked here by rating weighted by review volume, across 3,695 Google reviews. Filter by surface, loop, distance, shade or lighting to get to the run you're actually planning — no made-up difficulty score, just the facts you'd check before driving out.
Sawyer Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 825 reviews
Waterfront park featuring trails, picnic tables and grassy areas, plus a bridge.
Benham Falls East Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 594 reviews
Popular, easygoing hiking trail on a paved path that leads to river rapids.
Deschutes River Trail
4.9 ★★★★★ 447 reviews
Scenic 12-mi. trail meandering through forest, canyons, and basalt formations along the Deschutes River.
First Street Rapids Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 378 reviews
Family-friendly park featuring picnic tables, and a restroom, plus a riverside trail.
GoodDog!
4.8 ★★★★★ 315 reviews
Wooded, vast area for dogs to roam off leash on myriad trails, as well as river access and walking loops.
Riley Ranch Nature Reserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 241 reviews
Vistas of the Deschutes River and the Cascades from rugged paths and cliffs.
Meadow Day Use Area
4.7 ★★★★★ 128 reviews
Dog-friendly park with a river and opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, and picnicking.
Maston Trail System
4.6 ★★★★★ 118 reviews
Sprawling area with over 50 miles of trails for mountain biking, hiking, horse riding and trail running.
Tam McArthur Rim Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 104 reviews
Hiking area featuring a 5-mile out-and-back trail and an overlook with scenic views.
River Canyon Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 91 reviews
Relaxed park with pine trees and a 3-mile loop trail along the Deschutes River.
Horse Butte Trailhead
4.6 ★★★★★ 37 reviews
Hiking area known for mountain biking with kid-friendly trails.
Storm King Trailhead
4.6 ★★★★★ 21 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Bend
- Match the surface to your legs. Bend gives you a choice: 6 mixed, 3 paved, 2 natural surface, and 1 crushed gravel. Asphalt and concrete are fast, predictable and runnable year-round but the least forgiving; crushed limestone and dirt take the sting out of high mileage; boardwalk is flat and scenic but slick in the wet. If your shins or knees are complaining, the fix that actually works is varying the surface you run on rather than chasing one "best" one. More mixed trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 4 trails here are loops, so you finish back at the car with no backtracking — the easiest way to run a set distance without thinking about it. On an out-and-back you turn round at half your target distance, which makes any trail fit any run. The longest stated distance in Bend is Maston Trail System at 50 mi. 3 trails are long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 5 trails in Bend are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 12 of the 14 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 13 have trailhead parking, 10 have restrooms, and 4 have a water fountain in Bend. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 3 with mile markers, 3 that runners describe as quiet, 9 dog-friendly, and 4 smooth and wide enough for a stroller or a wheelchair. Busy or quiet isn't a good-or-bad thing here: a busy path is the safer choice for a solo run at dawn, a quiet one is better for intervals.
More on all of this in the trail-running guides.
Browse Bend trails by type
- Mixed trails
- Paved trails
- Natural surface trails
- Crushed gravel trails
- Loop trails
- Long-run trails (5+ mi)
- Flat & fast
- Hilly trails
- Scenic trails
- Trails with restrooms
- Trails with water fountains
- Trailhead parking
- Trails with mile markers
- Quiet, uncrowded trails
- Dog-friendly
- Stroller & wheelchair-accessible
Running trails near Bend
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.