Sunriver with kids: SHARC, the Nature Center, bike paths, and the Deschutes River

Where kid places near Sunriver are, when they open, and what they cost

Sunriver Resort and SHARC are about ten minutes from the house, and Bend is about 30 minutes away. The table lists where each place is, its season, and what it charges. Prices come from the pages listed under sources and change by year, so confirm before you go.

SHARC: Sunriver's aquatic center, and why passes are not included

SHARC is the Sunriver Homeowners Aquatic and Recreation Center, about ten minutes from the house. It has heated aquatics indoors year-round and outdoors in summer. There is also a winter tubing hill with a warming pavilion, a disc golf course, and a basketball court. The public is welcome via a daily gate fee.

The outdoor side has a lazy river, two water slides, and a tot pool with a sand play area. The pools and lazy river have zero-entry access. The outdoor hot tub is for adults only. A playground and a bocce court round out the grounds. The center opened in April 2012.

SHARC passes are not included with Deschutes Riverfront Retreat. Some Sunriver rentals include SROA Recreation Plus passes, which grant free entry. Everyone else pays the daily gate fee. In spring 2026, a Sunriver rental agency listed general admission at $30 per person from Memorial Day to Labor Day and $22 off-season. Children 3 and under enter free. Confirm current rates with SHARC before you go. It often reaches capacity on summer days, so check availability for public use directly with the SHARC facility, as our FAQ page says.

Visiting the Sunriver Nature Center and Observatory with children

The Sunriver Nature Center and Observatory is home to birds of prey, bees, and other native wildlife. Its botanic garden and nature trails cover eight acres beside Lake Aspen. Daytime admission is $9 for adults, $7 for seniors, and $6 for children 4 to 17. Children under 4 enter free. The address is 57245 River Road, Sunriver.

The fall schedule starts September 7. Daytime hours then run Wednesday through Saturday, 10am to 3pm, and the center is closed Monday and Tuesday. Solar viewing starts at 11am. The site lists Sunday hours inconsistently, so confirm before you go. The observatory calls itself the largest publicly accessible one in the nation. Public night programs run Wednesdays and Saturdays year-round, with extra nights at peak times. Reservations are required for all nighttime visits.

Sunriver Resort's own page lists live birds of prey, reptiles, and amphibians at the center, with interpretive exhibits and educational programs. With small children, go when it opens, then eat in the Village. The Sunriver where-to-eat guide has the list.

Sunriver bike paths: 34 miles of paved trails and where to rent kids' bikes

The Sunriver Owners Association maintains more than 34 miles of family-friendly paved bike and pedestrian trails. Sunriver Resort's own count is 40-plus miles of paved trails. The terrain is gentle, which the resort says suits cruising even with young children. Paths lead to the Village, SHARC, and Fort Rock Park. A 5.5-mile paved pathway links Sunriver with the Lava Lands Visitor Center.

Oregon law requires riders under 16 to wear a helmet on a highway or on premises open to the public. The presumptive fine is $25. On the paths, ride single file and tell walkers and runners when you are passing. Pathway maps and rules are available at the bike shops and at kiosks along the paths.

Village Bike & Ski rents kids' bikes, trailers, path bikes, and electric bikes from 57100 Beaver Drive, Building 21. Sunriver Sports rents from Building 13 in Sunriver, and its rental desk is open 9am to 6pm daily. It offers trailers, child seats, and tag-alongs. The Bike Barn at Sunriver Resort rents from a fleet of more than 300 bikes, with a helmet, lock, and path map included. Fleets and hours change, so call ahead and reserve children's sizes.

The Deschutes River with kids: the dock, PFDs, and the Sunriver Marina floats

The estate has 450 feet of private Deschutes River frontage with its own dock, and the river stretch here is gentle. Guests can float right from the dock and hand-launch small boats there. A public put-in is 2.5 miles up the road. From the Adirondack chairs on the dock, families watch for herons, eagles, and otters. Please bring your own water toys and PFDs; none are provided.

Oregon requires children 12 and under to wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket whenever a boat is underway. Inflatable life jackets are not approved for anyone under 16, so pack foam vests for the kids.

For a float with a shuttle, the Sunriver Resort Marina rents canoes, kayaks, rafts, and paddleboards. Life jackets are included, and so is a ride back to the marina. The six-mile float to Benham Butte takes about two hours by canoe, kayak, or paddleboard, and about three by raft. In June, July, and August it also runs a three-mile tube float from Harper Bridge back to the marina, pending river conditions. The marina's posted hours run from early May through September 7. After that, hours are weather dependent until it closes for the season.

The floats near Sunriver are flatwater, and the current does most of the work. Benham Falls is a Class IV to V whitewater stretch, not a float, so stay with the marina's take-outs. The Deschutes River guide covers put-ins and fishing.

Rainy-day options near Sunriver and Bend

On a wet day, SHARC's indoor aquatics run year-round. The High Desert Museum, south of Bend, has indoor and outdoor exhibits, with river otters behind glass and porcupines up close in the atrium. Those two cover most rainy days, and the house's game room covers the rest.

The High Desert Museum is at 59800 South Highway 97, five minutes south of Bend. It is open 9am to 5pm from March 1 through October 31, and 10am to 4pm from November 1 through February 28. It is closed on the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas. General admission is $24 in summer and $20 in winter. Children 3 to 12 pay $13 in summer and $12 in winter, and 2 and under are free. Daily programs include a nature walk, a Birds of Prey Encounter with a resident raptor, a Carnivore Talk and an otter program. The schedule changes, so check it before you go. The High Desert Ranch has a working early-1900s sawmill and free-range chickens and turkeys. It is open daily in summer and weekends only from October to May.

In Bend, Mountain Air is an indoor trampoline park at 20495 Murray Road. It has 26 trampolines, a toddler zone with a foam pit and a court for dodgeball. Admission includes all attractions, and Toddler Time runs every morning, 9am to noon on weekdays and 9am to 10am on weekends. In the Village at Sunriver (Building 25), Riverscape Arcade sells timed unlimited play, from $10 for 30 minutes to a $22 all-day pass. Tumbleweed Toys and Goody's ice cream are in the same Village.

At the house, the game room has a pool table and ping pong. The Lodge also has gaming consoles and an old-school arcade system. There is a 65-inch 4K TV with Dish TV and Blu-ray, and both living areas have stone fireplaces. There is 200 Mbps WiFi throughout, and the things to do in Sunriver guide has the longer list for dry days.

Lava River Cave and Lava Lands, south of Bend

Lava River Cave is a mile-long lava tube off Highway 97 at Exit 151. In 2026 it is open May 15 through September 15, Friday through Monday only, and closed Tuesday through Thursday. Hours are 9am to 4pm, with last entry at 2pm. Entry is by timed reservation on Recreation.gov with a $2 service fee per booking, and one reservation covers everyone in a vehicle. Parking is $5 per vehicle or a valid federal recreation pass, and visitors who bike or walk in do not need a reservation.

The Lava Lands Visitor Center is at 58201 South Highway 97. It is open 9am to 5pm daily from May 15 to September 15, with shorter hours into October. Inside are a 3D topographic map, an exhibit on the area's geology and films shown daily. In peak season a shuttle runs about every 20 minutes to the top of Lava Butte. Parking is $5 per vehicle or a recreation pass.

The fully accessible 5.5-mile Sun-Lava paved path links Sunriver with the visitor center. Older kids can ride it from the Sunriver paths; the Chamber describes it as a leisurely ride to the Deschutes River and Benham Falls.

The house for kids: bunk rooms, the game room and 6-hole disc golf

The estate suits families with small children. Four bedrooms have twin bunks, and there is a game room with a pool table and ping pong. A private 6-hole disc golf course runs across the grounds. Kids can roam safely on the property while the adults catch up. The table lists the rooms that matter.

Beyond the bedrooms, a futon and a small twin sofa bed sit by the pool table. Two pack-n-plays and six cots are available, with no linens provided for these, so bring crib sheets and sleeping bags. The Cottage has a mini-split that heats and cools and a wood stove with operating instructions by the mantle; firewood is just outside.

Outside there is the private 6-hole disc golf course, bocce, yard games and outdoor ping pong on three acres. A covered hot tub sits below the wrap-around deck, and the seasonal fire pit by the river is ringed with chairs. There are no fires June through September; May and October are weather dependent. The mudroom has a built-in bench and coat hooks for wet shoes.

Cameras, quiet hours and occupancy: the rules for families

There are no cameras inside the home. Exterior security cameras cover the driveway and front door only, and they are used solely in case of issues.

Quiet hours run 9:00 PM to 8:00 AM, which lines up with small children's bedtimes. No amplified music: no DJs, no subwoofers, no professional music setups. Live music ensembles and small Bluetooth speakers are fine. If unsure, please ask. The full estate sleeps up to 30 with a maximum of 24 adults. The home is on well and septic, so occupancy limits are enforced, and the renter must be 30 or older.

• Shoes come off inside, there are no candles or open flames, and the property is non-smoking.
• Check-in is after 4:00 PM and check-out is before 11:00 AM.
• Dogs, large dogs included, are welcome for a pet fee once approved on your reservation; keep them off the furniture and beds. See the pet-friendly page.
• Please drive slowly on Chief Paulina Drive, a shared dirt road with families and pets.
• You will see wildlife, and you may encounter mosquitoes and other insects; the county works to suppress them.
• Dock fishing is subject to seasonal regulations.

Winter in Sunriver with kids: tubing, sleigh rides and Mt. Bachelor

In winter SHARC runs its tubing hill, Sunriver Resort's stables offer sleigh rides, and Mt. Bachelor is about 30 minutes from the house. Mt. Bachelor is the largest ski resort in Oregon by area, by more than 1,000 acres. Its season typically runs mid-November through the end of May, weather permitting. The 2025-26 season opened December 23 and closed April 19 after a low-snow winter. Wanoga Sno-Park has a sledding and tubing hill, and Virginia Meissner Sno-Park has more than 30 kilometers of donation-groomed Nordic and snowshoe trails. An Oregon Sno-Park permit ($4 daily, $9 for three days, $25 annual) is required at designated Sno-Parks from November 1 through April 30.

At the house, winter trades the dock for the covered hot tub, the stone fireplaces and the Cottage wood stove. Snow weekends book up early. The winter guide and the Mt. Bachelor ski trip lodging page cover gear rental and the roads.

Where to stay in Sunriver with kids: the estate

For a family trip with small children, Deschutes Riverfront Retreat is the fit. It has 11 bedrooms and 6 baths and sleeps up to 30, with a maximum of 24 adults. The three private acres have 450 feet of Deschutes River frontage. Four bedrooms have twin bunks, and two pack-n-plays and six cots are on hand. The game room and disc golf fill the hours between outings. Sunriver Resort and SHARC are about ten minutes away.

A smaller family can book the six-bedroom Lodge on its own; it has five baths and sleeps up to 18. The five-bedroom Cottage comes only with the full estate and gives one family its own front door. The family reunion house and multigenerational vacation pages cover the grandparents-to-grandkids trip, and rooms, beds and floor plans are on the whole estate page.

Booking direct on this site saves you the service fees that Airbnb and VRBO charge. The live calendar on the Book Now page shows the current rate, and summer dates book far in advance.

What families with kids said

“Scott was a friendly, proactive and attentive host who communicated clearly and quickly. The setting was serene and beautiful. It was the perfect place for a family reunion of all ages. We saw elk and deer as we drove down the long gravel road. Max speed is 10 MPH which is the perfect speed to really notice if there are elk are around! I really appreciated the quality beds, linens, pillows and towels. The house has many views of the Deschutes River. The dock was a favorite place for the kids. The wrap around deck had plenty of quality seating. The smaller house worked great for my sister’s family of 6 adults and one newborn baby. The main house accommodated the rest of my extended family quite nicely! Do be sure to realize that for larger families, the members need to be comfortable sharing rooms with bunk beds. The description and photos are 100% ACCURATE!”

“Our family enjoyed the house very much. It was at a dead endstreet, so was really quiet. If we had questions, Scott was available and responded pretty quickly. There was plenty of things for our grandkids to do. Would go again.”

“Large group stayed in the home for 3 nights. We spent the majority of our time on the River. The kids loved riding kayaks and tubes taking in the sunshine.. The house was great and everyone felt comfortable. The kitchen was well equipped and nicely labeled making things easy to find. Plenty of outdoor space to sit out and enjoy the beautiful outdoor surroundings. Would recommend. Scott was great to work with.”

Read all guest reviews

Frequently asked questions

Related

• Family reunion house near Sunriver
• Multigenerational vacations near Sunriver
• Things to do in Sunriver
• The whole estate: rooms, beds and floor plans