A 1.4-mile stretch of the Deschutes River Trail, seen here, connects Riley Ranch Reserve and Tumalo State Park.

Last month, my wife, Catherine, and I checked out a hike I’d been wanting to do for a few years, an out-and-back trek along the Deschutes River Trail from Bend Park and Recreation District’s Riley Ranch Nature Reserve, located at the north end of Bend, along the east bank of the Deschutes River to Tumalo State Park, located 1.4 miles downstream in Tumalo.

We’d been to Riley Ranch before, and used to take our three kids to Tumalo State Park during summers when they were little, but we’d never traversed the distance between them on foot. Before leaving home, we’d debated bringing our dog along, and were relieved we hadn’t once we arrived to Riley Ranch parking lot and saw reminders that this is one of the few areas in Central Oregon where dogs aren’t allowed, not even on leashes — it is a nature reserve after all, and even well-behaved dogs can be stressors for wildlife.

For those who prefer to hike with their dog, you can do the reverse of this hike, departing from Tumalo State Park and simply turning around when you reach the boundary of Riley Ranch. If you do, you’ll miss the towering ponderosa pines, meadows, cabin ruins and other eye candy of the 184-acre reserve, but then there are plenty of trees, rock formations and other sights to see, including whitewater kayakers, all along the river trail. And one remarkable thing about the trail — and the reason it’s been on this reporter’s to-do list for a while — is it takes you right past the terminus of Tumalo Creek, a tributary of the Deschutes. No, not exactly the high drama of, say, the Columbia River spilling into the Pacific, but it’s cool to see with your own eyes the creek and river waters that eventually flow there.

From Tumalo State Park, it’s possible to continue downstream for another mile, but we opted to turn around once we reached the state park. We were there in November, but as winter descends, it would be wise to be aware of the possibility of mud and ice on the trail, and to equip yourself accordingly.

Getting there: To reach Riley Ranch Nature Reserve (19975 Glen Vista Road) from Bend, head north on O.B. Riley Road, and turn west on Glen Vista Road and follow signs to the reserve. To do the hike in reverse, head to Tumalo State Park, located at 64170 O.B. Riley Road in Tumalo.