When it’s time to figure out a family vacation, we get that there’s a lot of planning involved. You’re looking for family-friendly towns with museums, active opportunities, casual eateries, and overnight stays that the whole crew will love.
Fortunately, you’ll find it all in Central Oregon.
To help plan your next getaway, we’ve put together a look at why Central Oregon is great for families—with inspiration for every day of your stay. The fun includes:
Keep reading to plan your next family trip to Oregon.
Laid Back Family-Friendly Towns
Laid-back towns of all sizes dot the Central Oregon landscape, welcoming families with a variety of amenities and offerings for a memorable stay.
Bend is the region’s largest city, with the most lodging options, in the heart of Central Oregon. Outdoor adventures welcome kids of all ages, an exciting culinary scene is sure to please every palate, and a number of attractions and museums—which we’ll cover shortly—are never more than a short drive away.
To the south, the community of Sunriver is synonymous with Sunriver Resort, The Village at Sunriver shopping center, and the bevy of family hot spots throughout the area—ranging from 34 miles of paved bike paths to an acclaimed observatory that shows off the wonder of the cosmos. Sunriver Resort’s Traditions program enchants throughout the holiday season, while the Sunriver Homeowners Aquatic & Recreation Center (better known as the SHARC) keeps kids cool all summer long.
To the west, at the base of the Cascade Range, the cozy town of Sisters delights with Old West charm that shows up in building facades, public art, and more. Outdoor recreation abounds in and around town, and an inviting mix of restaurants, bakeries, and casual eateries makes it easy to find your next favorite meal.
Outdoor Activities for the Whole Family
You’ll find plenty of outdoor activities around Bend and throughout Central Oregon.
For a relaxed outing on your summertime visit, float the Deschutes River between the Old Mill District and downtown Bend—where a slow current makes tubing approachable to novices and veteran floaters alike. Enjoy a more educationally minded approach to the outdoors when you see steelhead, Chinook salmon, and other species of fish up-close at the Wizard Falls Hatchery near Camp Sherman.
Plenty of active opportunities await outdoors, as well. Rent a bike, and ride nearly three-dozen miles of paved bike paths around Sunriver. In winter, check out Sno-Parks near Bend, Sunriver, and Sisters—all of which turn into winter wonderlands and offer plenty of opportunities for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, tubing, and sledding. When the weather warms up, check out the best parks and playgrounds in Bend to let the little ones release all that energy and excitement.
Kid-Friendly Indoor Activities
Enjoy a fun-filled day with a variety of indoor activities across Central Oregon—from educational, interactive museums to high-energy trampoline parks and family-friendly gyms.
Dive into Central Oregon’s history, wildlife, and more at the award-winning High Desert Museum—an indoor-outdoor attraction that brings the region’s past and present to life through interactive exhibits, summertime raptor shows, history reenactors, and other fun offerings. Nearby, the Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory showcases the area’s native plants and animals by day—and hosts the largest collection of telescopes available for public use in the United States after the sun goes down. Check out more thought-provoking offerings with our guide to the top museums in Bend and Central Oregon.
Looking to get active? Mountain Air Trampoline Park is home to 26 massive trampolines (which are surrounded by angled trampolines on two walls), a giant airbag, a bouncy court for basketball and other sports, a separate section for toddlers, and other heart-pumping thrills in Bend. In the Old Mill District, Free Spirit Bend offers ninja warrior-inspired play areas with open-play sessions, camps, and classes on creative obstacle courses, as well as yoga classes geared toward little ones and adults.
Friendly Places to Stay & Eat
Whether you spend the day floating, learning at local museums, or getting active at indoor gyms, you’ll be ready for a hearty meal and comfortable bed—with plenty of both across Central Oregon.
Start with our look at the best family restaurants in Bend, Oregon, for casual eateries that serve an inspired mix of delicious dishes, offer outdoor playgrounds (such as the sand volleyball court at Lifty’s), and provide children’s menus with creative fare.
If you’re looking for the perfect stay to meet your group’s wants and needs, start planning with our guide to the top family-friendly resorts in Oregon. Our region’s lavish resorts typically welcome families with fun-filled offerings that may include spacious vacation rental homes, multiple on-site restaurants, and thoughtful amenities that might include swimming pools, loaner bikes, horseback rides, and pickleball courts.
Plan Your Family Trip to Central Oregon
Ready to start planning a memorable vacation? Keep these tips in mind while getting excited.
What to do: You could spend whole months with your family in Central Oregon and still not see it all. Browse our guide to kid-friendly activities in Central Oregon to get a feel for fun outings, and choose a few that the little ones are most excited about. When you’ve locked in your dates, check out our calendar of events to get the skinny on floats, guided hikes, concerts, and other family activities.
Weather: Expect sunshine whenever you visit—with high temperatures routinely topping 80ºF in summer and lows dipping below freezing in winter. Wear layers, whenever possible, to account for temperature swings that are common once the sun goes down on the high desert. And be sure to bring plenty of sunscreen. If visiting in winter, check the Oregon Department of Transportation’s TripCheck tool for the latest alerts, traffic cams, closures, and other information to help plan the safest possible trip.
When to book: If planning a summer vacation and a stay at one of our resorts, try booking three to six months out—or as soon as you know your dates—for the best possible room selection. If visiting around winter holidays, try booking three months in advance.
Other stories
More inspiring stories, adventures, and tips & tricks for planning and experiencing the best Central Oregon has to offer.
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Top Family-Friendly Resorts in Oregon
What matters most when you start planning a family vacation in Oregon? Are you looking for never-ending natural beauty where crystal-clear rivers wind through ancient lava flows and old-growth forests? Do you want to get outside for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding? Is it important to find a family-friendly town with great restaurants and year-round activities—indoors and out?
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How to Float the Deschutes River in Bend, Oregon
From where it trickles out of Little Lava Lake in the Cascade Range to where it flows into the Columbia River at the state’s northern edge, the Deschutes River is an iconic waterway in Central Oregon. The 252-mile-long river winds its way through open meadows, bustling cities and towns, rocky canyons, and other scenic sites—and is an outdoor destination like none other.
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Top Unique Attractions Near Sunriver, Oregon
Sunriver sits at a fascinating place in the Central Oregon landscape—in more ways than one. Just about 17 miles south of Bend, the cozy community resides along the forested banks of the Deschutes River, sits surrounded by ponderosa pines as far as the eye can see, and is at the foot of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument.