RIGHT: A family enjoys a Shevlin Park trail in winter. While most Bend parks are open till 10 p.m., Shevlin closes at dusk.

When winter arrives in Bend, few people hunker down.

Instead, we just bundle up and look for all the opportunities we can to get outside and explore parks and trails made even prettier with freshly fallen snow.

To ensure those trails are walkable and rideable throughout the winter, our Park Services team is primed and ready for winter storms, deploying to our recreation centers and facility parking lots as soon as the heavy snow starts falling. Once those high-traffic areas are cleared, the team sets its sights on snow removal at some of our more popular parks and trails including:

Riverbend and Farewell Bend parks

Drake Park pathways

Pine Nursery Park Loop Trail

Alpenglow Community Park

Cascade Highlands Trail from Overturf OLA to Skyline Ranch Road

Coyner Trail from Ponderosa Park to Juniper Park.

Discovery Trail from Clearwater Drive to Skyliners Road and from McClain Drive to Shevlin Park.

Larkspur Trail from Bear Creek to Neff Road through Pilot Butte State Park.

West Bend Trail along Galveston and Skyliner Road between 17th to Skyline Ranch Road

Trails and pathways in Riverbend and Farewell Bend parks.

Haul Road Trail from McKay Park to the LOGE Bend hotel.

Pioneer Park to the First Street Rapids Bridge.

But Mother Nature is unpredictable, and we ask for your patience during heavy snow events as staffing availability and the severity of the storms determine which trails get cleared and how quickly.

Some of our favorites winter walks include the Pine Nursery Park Trail in northeast Bend. It’s a great loop trail any time of year, but especially in winter because east Bend tends to get less snow. Relatively level, the 1.4-mile paved trail offers great views of the Cascades as it gently meanders through the park. It is an accessible trail and the park provides off-street parking and restrooms.

The Larkspur Trail, crossing east Bend, is an unpaved and paved trail that extends between Pilot Butte State Park and Larkspur Park, passing through Pinewood Natural Area. Both Pilot Butte and Larkspur parks have ample parking and restroom facilities; Larkspur Park is also the site of the Larkspur Community Center and the Rotary Centennial All Children’s Playground.

Want a great view and a workout? Add an additional mile by climbing the trail to Pilot Butte’s summit or proceed north from the park on newly paved pathways to Neff Road. Larkspur Trail is an excellent option in winter as it’s usually cleared of snow after winter weather events.

In northwest Bend, the Awbrey Reach Section of the Deschutes River Trail is always a solid, scenic choice in the winter.

The northernmost part of the Deschutes River Trail, it is constructed on top of the buried Tumalo irrigation canal. This 3.9-mile path has an unpaved surface and includes a few moderate hills. Along the middle stretch of this reach, the river drops into a deep canyon, but the trail stays high on the canyon wall, offering spectacular views of the river below and the Three Sisters mountains in the distance.

A steep climb up the Archie Briggs Canyon Trail connects to Mt. Washington Drive. Visitors can best access the trail from Sawyer Park and head north. There is also limited on-street parking at Sawyer Uplands Park with a connecting route down to the river trail. This trail is not cleared of snow, so bring your winter gear to this one!

For the adventurous souls who see piles of new snow in town as a blessing, Bend parks offer the perfect place to explore on cross-country skis.

You can cross-country ski or snowshoe in just about every park during the day or at night (with the help of moonlight or a headlamp. Most parks close at 10 p.m.)

Shevlin Park, Skyline Park, Riley Ranch Nature Reserve and the Cascade Highlands Trail are great places to do both those activities. All feature surfaces that are relatively level and some feature connections into the U.S. Forest Service trail system.

Keep in mind Shevlin Park and Riley Ranch close at dusk and aren’t available for evening recreation. And during heavy snows, Riley Ranch’s parking lot may not be a priority for our Park Services team to clear.

And thanks to a partnership with our friends at Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation, the Skyline Sports Complex near Cascade Middle School is actually groomed for cross-country skiers when there’s enough snow in town. Even better? The facility’s lights stay on until 9 p.m. so you can ski well into the evening. night.

Looking for some sledding in town?

When there’s a lot of snow, our family likes to head over to Ponderosa Park and the little hill next to the softball diamond. It’s just steep enough to have a good time and the hill is short enough for the kids to want to do it over and over again. Unlike the Wanoga complex up on Century Drive, the hill at Ponderosa isn’t very wide, so taking turns, being patient and watching out for fellow sledders is a must.

Added bonus — the park’s open space makes for a great place to build a snowman, have a snowball fight or just frolic in the snow with kids.