Things to Do in Central Oregon

Things to Do in Central Oregon, OR - Central Oregon Attractions

Things to Do in Central Oregon


Book these experiences for a close-up look at Central Oregon.

Top Attractions in Central Oregon

These rankings are informed by traveler reviews—we consider the quality, quantity, recency, consistency of reviews, and the number of page views over time.
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What travelers are saying

  • Julie S
    Prineville, OR4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    It'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, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Joseph Robba
    Charlotte, NC2,256 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We have 3 younger kids, so we opted not to do the Misery Ridge Trail, as it probably would have been met with lots of complaining, so instead we did a combination of the Canyon Trail and the Rope-de-Dope-Trail. It was a short hike, but the entire time you had amazing views of the canyon and rock formations. The visitor center here was small, but they gave the kids some free explore Oregon stickers which they were super excited about. There's also some nice bathrooms there. Parking was a few bucks that you pay at a kiosk. Overall, we spent probably 3-4 hours at Smith Rock and it was really cool. My wife often says how it was the most surprising part of our big Oregon trip in terms of how great it was. We saw lots of amazing places along the Coast, along with Crater Lake, Redwood National Park, just to name a few, and she is always quick to talk about how much she loved Smith Rock, so don't skip it!
    Written January 12, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • GK360
    Seattle, WA180 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    So 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, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Joseph Robba
    Charlotte, NC2,256 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Tumalo 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, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • GK360
    Seattle, WA180 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This 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, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • hermandree
    Hickory, NC381 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Check in and lift ticket buying supplies and rentals is very easy and friendly service. There is a wonderful app that you can use and can even track your friends and get statistics if you would like on your skiing.
    Written March 5, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Gabrielle R
    490 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Stunning waterfalls with easy access. To clarify, Sahalie is right off the parking lot with a view from the top. There is a moderate hike between Sahalie and Koosah (less than 2 miles) but it can be steep and slippery so if you aren’t up for the hike, you can also drive to the Koosah lot and get a pretty good peek at Koosah with minimal hiking.
    Written November 7, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • BunkyVA
    Keswick, VA443 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    I 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, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Joseph Robba
    Charlotte, NC2,256 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    There'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, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • sopaca
    Cambridge, UK2,209 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This 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, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Rebecca M
    5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Did Sparks Lake with a kayak company and it was glorious. Word to the Wise: the access road is HORRIBLE - like the surface of the moon - and has been for many years. I took it upon myself to contact the US Forest Service this time. Their terse response? We've got more important things to do and have no plans to address this problem. 'kay thanks
    Written October 11, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Sam
    Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia12,110 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful forest to drive by on the way to Bend. Lot of green all around. Saw a Ranger Station nearby for safety. Worth spending a few hours
    Written January 1, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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