Low water levels reveal interesting erosion in the canyon's walls near River Canyon Park.

With the Deschutes River running through Bend, the Deschutes River Trail is among the most popular hiking trails around. However, that doesn’t mean it’s accessible with equal ease from all parts of town — which is why it’s nice that in southwest Bend, there’s River Canyon Park, located off of Brookswood Boulevard at 61005 Snowbrush Drive, Bend.

The park itself isn’t much to look at: Just half an acre in size, the park consists mostly of pine trees and bunch grasses with a winding paver path to benches and picnic tables above the canyon rim. Bend Park & Recreation District writes “site development is minimal.”

But below and behind the park lies a canal maintenance road that affords pedestrians and bicyclists access to the Deschutes River (downstream only). Be aware you might encounter maintenance vehicles, which have the right of way, and the first quarter-mile stretch is steep and can become slick in winter conditions.

Down by the river, the trail/road makes for excellent bird watching, and on summer evenings at dusk, the air comes alive with bats feeding on insects. About a mile downstream of River Canyon Park, one can access the South Canyon Reach of the Deschutes River Trail, a 3-mile loop typically accessed from the Farewell Bend Park area.

Contact: info@bendbarksandrec.org or 541-389-7275.