Catherine Jasper makes her way back to the Lava Lands parking lot after hiking up Lava Butte in this photo from February 2021.

Lava Butte — Lava Butte boasts a cinder road from Lava Lands Visitor Center that’s closed to traffic this time of year and wraps around the butte like a strand of Christmas lights. An introvert’s dream, the 5,023-foot butte lacks the congestion of in-town option Pilot Butte and, lately, Bessie Butte. The drive to Lava Lands takes minutes from Bend, fewer from Sunriver, and the top boasts a small, windowed, sun-warmed shelter with 360-degree views. A .3-mile trail leads around the rim of the cone from which lava once spewed, resulting in the sprawling boulder field below.

Overturf Butte — The same in-town convenience as Pilot Butte, minus the foot traffic, this small, 3,881-foot butte on Bend’s West side features an aging asphalt road, which sprouts a couple of trail options to the top. There’s also an adjacent dog park and, at the base, a playground. With homemade benches and other signs of life in plentiful evidence, this butte definitely has a more urban feel.

Luna Butte — For the adventurous, there’s Luna Butte, a less-traveled, 5,236-foot butte located south of Bessie off of Forest Road 1810. The primarily used path up is on the south side of the butte, and its a fairly steep-and-straight climb with cool views of the surrounding forest and buttes. This would not be a bad place to have a map, cellphone and extra layers handy if you’re unfamiliar with the neighborhood and its changeable conditions.