Mountain biking near Sunriver and Bend: the trails, where to rent, and when to ride

Mountain biking near Sunriver and Bend at a glance

Rides near the house range from Sunriver's paved paths to lift-served downhill at Mt. Bachelor. The table gives where each ride is, when it runs, and the page the figures came from. Drive times from the house are the ones this site states on its other pages.

Deschutes River Trail: the river ride between Bend and Sunriver

The Deschutes River Trail is the easiest first ride near the house. The Bulletin calls it a relatively easy ride for most skill levels, with one difficult, prolonged climb just before Dillon Falls. The section from Meadow Camp to Benham Falls is 9 miles. An out-and-back from Lava Island Falls to Benham Falls is 14 miles with 700 feet of climbing, about 2 hours.

Access points are plentiful. The Forest Service lists the Aspen, Big Eddy, Benham Falls East and Benham Falls West day-use areas as trailheads. From Benham Falls, riders can continue toward Sunriver, and a mostly smooth 30-mile round trip runs from Bend to Sunriver and back. Cyclists must walk their bikes near the Benham Falls viewpoints. Dogs must be leashed at all trailheads throughout the year, and on the Deschutes River Trail itself from May 15 to September 15. The trail is often clogged with hikers, runners and anglers well into October, so yield to people on foot. The Deschutes River guide covers the river itself.

Phil's Trail complex west of Bend

Phil's Trail is the classic Bend ride: a one-way, mostly descending trail through ponderosa pines, west of town off Skyliners Road. COTA names the Phil's area as one of the region's popular areas, with terrain for all skill levels. The Bulletin rates it easy to moderate, with plenty more challenging terrain for those seeking it.

The trailhead is on Forest Road 300 off Skyliners Road, west of Bend. The Bulletin's 2010 directions say about 2.5 miles west on Skyliners Road, then half a mile down a signed paved road. 10Adventures puts the turn 8.5 km, about 5 miles, out of town, with the trailhead 200 yards down the road. There are toilets at the trailhead. One way in is to climb Kent's or Ben's from the trailhead and descend Phil's. The descent has fast sections, small tabletop jumps that can be rolled, a few small rock gardens, and a metal chicken sculpture at chicken junction. Class 1 pedal-assist e-bikes are allowed in the Phil's area up to Lower Whoops, but not on the trails out of Skyliners and Swampy. Cog Wild's Swampy Lakes shuttle drops riders above the network for a 22 to 26 mile ride with at least 2,500 feet of descending.

Tyler's Traverse and the Wanoga trails southwest of Bend

Tyler's Traverse is the step up from Phil's: a one-way downhill trail in the Wanoga complex, with a one-way climbing route built to match it. It sits off Conklin Road near Century Drive, about 4 miles up from the turn, with a gravel parking lot on the right. The Bulletin rates the ride aerobically moderate to strenuous and technically intermediate to advanced, about 12 miles depending on loops.

COTA builds and designs trails in the Wanoga complex and put in the directional signs. The downhill has modest jumps and banked turns that intermediate riders can handle, with more rock gardens than most trails around Bend. Duodenum, a 4-mile lollipop off Tyler's, can be ridden either way. Wanoga is the lowest of Cog Wild's shuttle drops and opens in mid-May. The drop serves Funner, Tiddlywinks and Tyler's Traverse: 16 to 20 miles with at least 1,700 feet of descending, for $17 a person. It is the only one of the three daily Bend drops that takes e-mountain bikes.

Sunriver's paved paths for easy rides and kids

For a ride everyone in the group can do, Sunriver has more than 34 miles of paved bike and pedestrian paths. The Sunriver Owners Association maintains them. Sunriver Resort is five miles from the house, about ten minutes. A newer 5.5-mile paved pathway links Sunriver with the Lava Lands Visitor Center. It leads to the Deschutes River and Benham Falls, where the river singletrack begins.

The path rules are simple: ride single file, say when you are passing, and wear a helmet. Children under 16 must wear one by Oregon law. From the paths, riders can cross the Cardinal Landing Bridge to nearby mountain bike trails. Maps are at the bike shops, the kiosks and the Chamber's visitor center. The things to do guide has the rest of Sunriver.

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 has over 13 miles of downhill trails. The Pine Marten lift reaches the upper mountain, which is intermediate to advanced. The Little Pine lift on the lower mountain is the easy, family-friendly option. The Redline jump trail is for experts, and a skills park at the base has jumps for all levels.

The 2026 summer season opened June 25. Little Dipper, a new intermediate trail off Little Pine, added semi-technical singletrack and small rock features for riders moving up to blue trails. When the expanded park opened in 2017, riders needed a helmet, closed-toe shoes and a bike with working brakes. Check Mt. Bachelor's site for the current rules. The mountain rents Devinci Chainsaw downhill and enduro bikes in sizes small through extra-large, and rental packages include protective equipment and park access. In October 2026 Mt. Bachelor's site was showing its winter page, with winter operations opening December 4, so check it for the next summer schedule. The ski trip page covers the mountain in winter.

Where to rent mountain bikes in Bend and Sunriver

Four shops rent mountain bikes within a short drive of the house. Sunriver Sports is in Sunriver; Pine Mountain Sports, Hutch's Bicycles and Cog Wild are in Bend. All four take reservations online. The day rates below are as listed on each shop's site in October 2026, so confirm them before you book.

The three Bend shops include a helmet; Sunriver Sports lists helmets and locks at $5. Pine Mountain Sports reservations are refundable until pick-up, and Hutch's asks for a signed waiver. Cog Wild bikes go out at 8 AM and are due back by 5 PM. Cog Wild also runs guides for solo riders and large private groups. The Sunriver Chamber lists the Bike Barn at Sunriver Resort and Village Bike & Ski as well.

Seasons and trail conditions in Central Oregon

The riding season on the trails west of Bend runs late spring through fall. The shoulder-season rule comes from COTA: if you are leaving a visible rut, the trail is too muddy to ride. The River Trail and the Phil's area have high-ash soils. Ruts cut during the spring thaw harden, then break down in summer, and riders who go around them widen the trail. COTA's advice is to ride early in the day, before the trail thaws, and to turn back if you hit several patches of soft mud.

Trail openings follow the snow line. Cog Wild's Wanoga drop opens mid-May, Swampy Lakes in June and Dutchman Flat in mid-July. Middle Flagline stays closed until August 15 for elk calving. Lower trails ride much of the year, but the upper trails near Mt. Bachelor are snowed in until late spring or early summer. Class 1 pedal-assist e-bikes are allowed on about 161 miles of Deschutes National Forest trail. A wildlife closure bars them from December 1 through March 31. The Forest Service posts alerts and a conditions page for the forest. As of October 2026 its West Bend Area Trail Closures alert has no end date. It closes Tumalo Ridge Trail from Swede Shelter north to Road 4601-434 for tree thinning and mastication work. Phil's Trailhead is listed as an affected site, so check the alert before heading to Phil's. In winter, COTA grooms fat-bike trails at Wanoga Sno-Park once 2 feet of snow are down; the winter guide covers that season.

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

The house works as a bike base because of its parking, its mudroom and its hot tub. There is parking for up to 15 vehicles on site, with plenty of room for vans and trailers. The mudroom has a built-in bench, coat hooks and cushions beside a glass door to the outside. The game room has gear racks and wall-mounted drying racks along the wall.

After a ride, a covered hot tub for tired legs sits on the deck, looking out through the pines toward the water. A big kitchen for carb-loading has a Breville espresso machine and a Vitamix, and a 12-foot dining table seats the group. Free 200MB WiFi covers trail maps and shuttle bookings. Shoes come off inside, and quiet hours run 9 PM to 8 AM. Please drive slowly on Chief Paulina Drive, a shared dirt road with families and pets. Check-in is after 4 PM and check-out is before 11 AM, so a last-morning ride needs an early start. The whole estate page has rooms, beds and floor plans.

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

For a riding group of 12 to 30, Deschutes Riverfront Retreat is the place to stay. It has 11 bedrooms and 6 baths in about 5,500 square feet, on three private acres with 450 feet of Deschutes River frontage. It sleeps up to 30 with a maximum of 24 adults. The six-bedroom Lodge sleeps up to 18 and can be booked on its own. The five-bedroom Cottage, the original 1960s fishing and logging cabin beside it, comes only with the whole estate.

Rest days are covered by two large living areas with stone fireplaces and a game room with a pool table and ping pong. Outside are a 6-hole disc golf course and a private dock. Guests must be 30 or older to rent, and the home is on well and septic, so occupancy limits are enforced. Booking direct saves the service fees that Airbnb and VRBO charge. The booking widget on the Book Now page shows the exact current terms.

The same house serves the groups that ride here. Large group rentals covers friends and clubs, the corporate retreat page covers team trips, and the milestone weekend page covers birthdays. The multigenerational vacation page covers trips where the kids ride the Sunriver paths and the adults ride Phil's. Day trips from Sunriver covers the rest of the region.

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

Frequently asked questions

Related

• Things to do in Sunriver
• Day trips from Sunriver
• Large group rentals near Sunriver
• The whole estate: rooms, beds and floor plans