Bend hit all 20 markers Lisa Maruna wanted in a new place to live.

Endless outdoor activities, a hopping beer culture, multiple dog parks, an eclectic food scene and plenty of interesting options for entertainment.

“It’s such a desirable place,” Maruna said. Plus, “when I moved, (I had) the ability to buy a house, it made perfect sense.”

Maruna left Oakland, California, and headed to Central Oregon to make the next step in her career, opening her own Montessori school for preschoolers.

When she arrived, she found it nearly impossible to make business or social contacts her own age. A combination of social and economic factors made it hard to find a like-minded crowd outside of a downtown lounge or club.

Sensing an opportunity to fill a void in the community, she started the Bend Young Hikers and Bikers group on Meetup.com in September 2014.

With participant age capped at 39 years old, membership quickly grew to include hundreds of young adults looking for a reliable outlet where they could better connect with their peers.

“Retired folks like to plan hikes for 6 in the morning; we’d rather get there around 10,” Maruna said.

Gatherings range from floating the Deschutes River during the Sheryl Crow concert earlier this month to bi-monthly sand volleyball matches. Like Maruna, the majority of attendees moved to Bend in the past couple of years and were at a loss for a social life before joining.

“I joined the group definitely to meet people my age,” said 30-year-old Crystal Deines. It’s a lot harder to meet people my age here than in Los Angeles.”

Deines, a graduate student, spends her summers in Central Oregon while her boyfriend fights area wildfires.

Her first experience with the young adult group occurred earlier this month. More than 20 people played volleyball in the sand while listening to Lyle Lovett’s concert in the Les Schwab Amphitheater.

“I’ll definitely be back,” Deines said afterward. “I’d love to make some long-term connections, and finding fun things to do when I’m not studying is great!”

Since its inception, people have used the new social outpost for many purposes: as a social outlet, a dating pool, business networking and more.

Maruna met her boyfriend when he showed up to one of the first group hikes. She plans to start another hiking group with the other couples who met during her group’s activities. So far, there have been four hookups.

“Lots of single people who just moved to Bend recently seem to show up,” Maruna said. “Overall, it’s become exactly why I created the group; I was a single woman moving here at 32 and didn’t know anybody. Now there’s a place for that.”