We are certainly spoiled in Bend with the number of parks and green spaces here. With 84 of them spread wide throughout the city limits, you can easily find yourself within a half-mile of a great outdoor place to sit, play, hike or simply stroll through.

In some places, there are so many that you can simply hop from one to the next without having to drive or even walk on the road very far. Thanks to the Deschutes River Trail, you can easily pop into nine different parks along the river’s stretch from Pioneer Park to Farewell Bend, seeing only about a half-mile of road walking the entire route.

It’s an easy way to get steps in or some quick miles during the cold days of winter, but also when the days grow longer and the weather warms. And unlike a certain rodent-mascot resort, this version of park hopping is completely free.

Pioneers, o pioneers

While you can pop in at any park along the route, on a recent chilly, yet sunny weekend, I opted to start at one of Bend’s oldest parks.

Named in honor of the City’s early settlers, Pioneer Park boasts rolling lawns, a rose garden (in season) and tall, tall trees as it sits nestled alongside a shallow, rapid-filled section of the Deschutes as it meets the spillway to the north of the park.

The brick-laid path that bends with the river is a prime place to catch resident Canada geese as they peruse the sediment banks for tasty meals as the harsh winter light reflects in the icy water.

Following the path south and crossing Portland Avenue at the marked crosswalk takes walkers to Pacific Park.

This smaller space has been updated in recent years with natural fencing and better signage but retains the narrow strip of grass between the path and the river that is home to large willow and cedar trees that cast interesting shadows onto the path.

From here, the trail winds around the power station and the parking lot of the old Elks Lodge, past the dam to where the trail connects to the newer boardwalk. The path goes under the Newport Bridge and brings you into Drake Park, one of the crown jewels among Bend’s parks.

Drake Park is named for Alexander Drake, one of the city’s founding fathers, and being over 100 years old, the park still shines on thanks to its expansive lawns, towering ponderosa, cedar and willow trees and, most impressively, its portion of the DRT.

A path of boardwalks and pavers hugs the shore of Mirror Pond. Lovers of architectural design can salivate as they look over the water towards the historic variety of homes on the west side of the Deschutes. From craftsman style to colonial to ‘70s contemporary, there is a little bit of everything.

If you’re into birds, now is a great time to catch the collection of waterfowl that paddle through the river. On my walk, the obvious mallards and Canada geese were joined by goldeneyes, buffleheads, a great blue heron and a foursome of wood ducks swimming through the calm, ice-encrusted waters. The following morning, during a sunrise wander, I also spotted a pair of bald eagles chittering away in one of the taller pondos.

The boat parks

Growing up, I only knew the proper names of a couple of parks in Bend, but there is one all of us kid Bendites just called, and frankly, still call “the boat park.”

Properly named Harmon Park and accessed via the DRT by way of the footbridge at Drake Park, Harmon boasts two softball fields and a small play area with swing sets, jungle gyms and, yes, the eponymous boat to climb on.

Harmon Park, and its neighboring micropark, Pageant Park, were both acquired by the city in 1977, with Pageant being the historic kicking-off place for the annual Bend Water Pageant, which ended in the ‘60s.

The trail continues back across the bridge and past the metal sculpture and tubing takeout beach at the corner of Riverside Boulevard and Galveston Avenue.

From here, cross the intersection on the east side of the river and follow Riverfront Street for .3 miles until NW Gilchrist Avenue, where you can hop back across the river on a footbridge connecting to Columbia Park — the other boat park. The smaller park has a wide grassy area next to Columbia Street and an impressive pirate ship play structure for kiddos.

Old Mill breaks

The trek goes down Allen Road for just over 500 feet before you meet up with a steep set of stairs that brings you back down to the river at McKay Park.

The park, which celebrates its 25th birthday this year, is home in the summer to countless waders, surfers and tubers as they make their way through the Bend Whitewater Park, but this time of season, human water activity decreases.

Still, the Deschutes barrels through the channels under the Colorado Bridge, where you can easily walk across on the designated pedestrian span, which connects to the Old Mill’s Haul Trail via a ped-friendly, muraled underpass.

It is entirely possible that at this point on the journey you may be feeling a little tired, or indeed a little hungry, which makes the Old Mill District a great place to stop, rest or grab a snack before hitting the trail again through Riverbend and Farewell Bend parks, bringing your park hopping excursion up to nine parks visited (10 if you throw in Miller’s Landing, located across the river from McKay Park).

Walking like penguins on the Deschutes River Trail at Benham Falls

Tired feet, happy heart

The full route from Pioneer Park to Farewell Bend takes a little less than 5 miles to complete, according to my watch’s tracker, but if that’s not enough for you, the Deschutes River Trail extends further in both directions and takes on gravel and natural paths which you may also prefer.

But being able to visit 9 or10 parks in an afternoon on foot feels idyllic, especially in the winter. I found myself stopping and admiring the changes from the more historic parks to the newer ones, noting the city that has changed with them.

To be able to take it all in with relative ease and no extreme physical exercise is a wonderful way to spend a day exploring more of the town that we’re all lucky to call home.