Mountain biking near Sunriver: where to ride from the bridge, the river trail and Bend

Mountain biking from Sunriver at a glance

The easiest rides start in Sunriver and the harder ones are a short drive away. The table lists each ride with its length and type. Trailforks figures are crowd-sourced, so treat them as a guide.

The guides cover the closest of these: floating the Deschutes, summer in Sunriver, the High Desert Museum, Paulina Lake and East Lake and golf near Sunriver and Bend.

Cardinal Landing Bridge, Roundabout and the trails across the river from Sunriver

Cross the Cardinal Landing Bridge from Sunriver's paved paths and the mountain bike trails begin. Roundabout is the first trail after the bridge. It connects to Afternoon Delight, Royal Flush and Tyler's Traverse.

Roundabout is a 3.3-mile loop with a rocky section, best suited to experienced riders. It joins the 0.5-mile Elko Point trail, which has a view of the Deschutes River. Swan Song is the gentle option: a short, easy 2-mile gravel path from the Benson Day Use Area, suited to families and less experienced riders.

Afternoon Delight is 4 miles, rated green, and Royal Flush is 1 mile, downhill only; both figures are crowd-sourced. For Tyler's Traverse by bike, ride the Deschutes River Trail to Benham Falls and climb the gravel road from the Benham West parking area to Road 41.

Deschutes River Trail near Sunriver, segment by segment

The Deschutes River Trail is the easiest long ride from Sunriver, and it is relatively easy for most skill levels. Village Bike & Ski puts the whole trail from Sunriver to Bend at about 15 miles, with a 500-foot drop. Fast riders reach downtown Bend in about 1.5 hours, and a group that stops at the viewpoints should allow 2.5 to 4 hours. It lists a taxi back to Sunriver. By another measure, the trail is an easy-moderate 11-mile path.

The Sunriver to Benham Falls section is about 3 miles. At the other end, a 14-mile round trip from Lava Island Falls to Benham Falls, with 700 feet of climbing, takes about 2 hours. The climb just before Dillon Falls is the only difficult, prolonged climb on the trail, and the Meadow Camp to Benham Falls stretch is 9 miles.

Cyclists must walk their bikes near the Benham Falls viewpoints. A separate singletrack near the falls is built for bikes. Above the falls, a wooden bridge marks a junction: west toward Sunriver or southeast onto the Black Rock Trail toward Lava Butte. The trail stays crowded with hikers, runners, anglers and riders well into October, so yield to people on foot. The Benham and Dillon Falls guide and the Deschutes River guide cover the river itself.

Longer days exist. Village Bike & Ski lists an Edison to Sunriver shuttle of about 17 miles point to point, using Dinah-Moe-Humm, Kiwa Butte, Tyler's Traverse and the river trail. It also lists an Edison to Lava Lake out and back of about 20 miles with significant climbing, and a Flagline loop of nearly 25 miles that takes up to 6 hours. Ask the shop about current closures before planning any of them.

Sunriver's paved pathways for easy rides and kids

Sunriver's paved pathway system is 34 miles, and it suits a ride that everyone in the group can do.

The pathways allow pedestrians, bicyclists and Class 1 e-bikes only. Class 2 and Class 3 e-bikes are not allowed. The basic rules: ride on the right, pass on the left with enough room, call out, and yield to cars at road crossings. Riders under 16 must wear a helmet under Oregon law. The Sun-Lava Path leads to the Benham Falls Day Use Area and the Lava Lands Visitor Center, and the pathways can be snowy and icy in winter. The things to do guide has the rest of Sunriver, and Sunriver with kids covers a family ride.

Phil's Trail and Tyler's Traverse: Bend rides as day trips from Sunriver

Phil's Trail is the beginner-friendly Bend ride and Tyler's Traverse is the step up, and both are day trips from the house. Phil's is a beginner ride and the Wanoga complex is intermediate to advanced.

10Adventures gives the way to Phil's: take Skyliners Road west out of Bend and turn onto NF-300 after 8.5 km, about 5.3 miles. The trailhead is about 200 yards further, with toilets. The ride descends one way from the Kent's Trail junction past the chicken junction. It is an easy ride, usually rideable from late spring or early summer, once the snow clears from the lower trails.

Wanoga Sno-Park gives access to Funner, Tiddlywinks, Storm King and Tyler's Traverse, with berms, jumps and technical rocky sections. All but a small portion in the middle of Tyler's Traverse is downhill only. Cog Wild offers shuttles and tours. Visit Bend also points to Bend Trails for up-to-date conditions and interactive trail maps, and to the Central Oregon Trail Alliance for its e-mountain bike trail map.

Mt. Bachelor Bike Park in summer

Mt. Bachelor runs a lift-served downhill bike park in summer, about 30 minutes from the house. The park typically opens in late June and runs Thursday through Sunday into early October.

The Little Pine chairlift serves Little Dipper, an intermediate trail with semi-technical singletrack and small rock features. Rental packages include protective equipment and park access. Check Mt. Bachelor's site for each summer's dates. The ski trip page covers the mountain in winter.

Where to rent mountain bikes in Sunriver

Three rental counters sit in Sunriver, so a group can sort bikes without driving to Bend. Rates change, so this table lists what each shop rents and leaves prices to the shops.

Bend Magazine also lists Four Seasons among the rental shops in the Village. Village Bike & Ski posts a trail map on its website. For the Edison to Lava Lake ride, downed trees are common each winter, so check with the shop first, and carry a spare tube because of the lava rock.

When to ride near Sunriver and Bend: seasons and conditions

Summer is the busiest season for mountain biking near Bend, and spring and fall are quieter but less predictable. Central Oregon has over 600 miles of maintained singletrack, and summer brings hot afternoons and wildfire smoke. Check conditions before you go, especially in spring and fall.

Class 1 pedal-assist e-mountain bikes are allowed on selected Deschutes National Forest trails, and those trails close to e-bikes from December 1 to March 31. In winter, Wanoga Sno-Park has two groomed fat-bike loops, a 3-mile inner loop and a 6-mile outer loop. The winter guide covers that season. Village Bike & Ski notes that the Flagline trail closes each spring to protect elk calving habitat, typically until mid-August.

Riding from the house on the Deschutes: gear, parking and the hot tub

The house has parking for up to 15 vehicles on site, with plenty of room for vans and trailers, and a hot tub for tired legs. The mudroom has a built-in bench, coat hooks and cushions beside a glass door to the outside. Ask us about bike storage before you arrive.

After a ride, a covered hot tub sits on the deck, looking out through the pines toward the water. The kitchen has a Breville espresso machine and a Vitamix, and a 12-foot dining table seats the group. Free 200 Mbps WiFi covers trail maps. Shoes come off inside, and quiet hours run 9 PM to 8 AM. The whole retreat page has rooms, beds and floor plans.

Where to stay for a mountain bike trip near Sunriver and Bend

Stay at Deschutes Riverfront Retreat: one riverfront property near Sunriver with 11 bedrooms across two buildings for up to 30, ten minutes from the resort and about 30 from Bend. The live calendar is on Book Now, and the rules that matter for a group are on house rules.

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What guests said about exploring from the house

“Scott was an awesome host and his place was perfect. 10/10 would recommend for bigger groups looking to explore Sunriver/Bend. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay.”

“We had a great time. The house is right on the river. Plenty of hikes nearby. Scott was a great communicator as well. We’d definitely stay again.”

“Lovely place

Isolated and peaceful, yet driving distance to fun activities

Great place for large groups to hang out and enjoy the place”

Read all guest reviews

Related

• Benham Falls and Dillon Falls
• Summer in Sunriver
• Things to do in Sunriver
• Day trips from Sunriver
• Large group rentals near Sunriver