Your Mount Bachelor / Bend CME conference.

Mount Bachelor after your study day

Study days finish at 2:00 PM Bend time. For an easy afternoon, choose one outing: a ride on the Deschutes River Trail in town, the climb up Pilot Butte, or, in a season when the lifts are running, a trip up the mountain. Mount Bachelor’s own site says the resort closes between seasons and gives its reopening date, so check its current status before you plan around it.

Travel, lodging and any lift or park arrangements are made separately. Your conference follows your specialty and interests, and Central Oregon is the setting you choose around it.

On the mountain

Travel Oregon lists Mount Bachelor at 9,068 feet in Central Oregon. It says non-skiers can ride a chairlift to Pine Marten Lodge, which overlooks the Cascade Lakes, and that visitors can hike several mountain trails in summer.

Travel Oregon says the region stays active all year, including skiing on snowy slopes. Compare the resort’s operating schedule with your 2:00 PM finish before you plan a mountain afternoon.

Cascade Lakes Highway and the night sky

Travel Oregon suggests heading up Cascade Lakes Highway toward Mount Bachelor or one of the Cascade Lakes if you want stargazing away from town lights. Check road and weather conditions first, since this is a mountain highway and conditions change with the seasons.

Sunriver, south of Bend, has an observatory, according to Travel Oregon, which also lists the Sunriver Nature Center and Oregon Observatory among the local attractions. Confirm with the organizations themselves before you plan a visit around them.

Bend’s river and volcanic landscape

Travel Oregon says the Deschutes River runs through the heart of Bend, and that the city built Oregon’s first urban whitewater park. The Old Mill reach of the Deschutes River Trail is 2.7 miles, nearly all of it paved, and the park district describes it as wide, relatively level and off the street. Three footbridges form loops, and the trail connects to pathways in the Old Mill District. The district lists a construction closure at Columbia Park and Gilchrist Bridge, so check current status.

Pilot Butte State Scenic Viewpoint is an old cinder cone just east of Bend. Three trails climb through juniper and sage, and Oregon State Parks says the summit has views of the Three Sisters, Mount Jefferson, Black Butte and Mount Hood. The summit road closes for the winter, but the trails stay open from the east-side parking lot all year.

Drake Park is 13 acres with about half a mile of riverfront, open lawn and river access, according to the park district, and its parking is on the street.

Lava Lands Visitor Center is about 8 miles south of Bend on Highway 97, according to the Forest Service. It lists the Trail of Molten Land, the Trail of the Whispering Pines and a fully accessible 5.5-mile paved path, and it places Lava River Cave, a mile-long lava tube, just down the road. Its hours change by season, so compare them with your 2:00 PM finish.

The Forest Service says Newberry National Volcanic Monument was created in 1990 and covers more than 54,000 acres. The monument includes a caldera across 17 square miles and more than 400 cinder cones and vents, and its highest point is Paulina Peak at 7,985 feet. Listed activities include day hiking, lake fishing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

Sunriver and the paths south of Bend

Travel Oregon says Sunriver has nearly 40 miles of paved biking and walking paths and is surrounded by national forest land. It lists Sunriver as a resort destination, with tennis courts, swimming pools and golf courses. Use your own address and the check-in area to judge how far you are from study and from town.

When to visit Mount Bachelor and Bend

Travel Oregon says summer is the busiest season in Central Oregon for hiking, biking, camping and fishing, and that the region stays active all year, including skiing. Its averages put summer lows near 48°F and winter lows near 23°F, with spring and fall in between. Mountain weather can differ from town weather, so check the forecast for the elevation you plan to visit.

Getting to Mount Bachelor and your study setting

Redmond Municipal Airport – Roberts Field (RDM) is the arrival point shown in this guide, and its site lists the drive from the airport to Bend as 30 minutes. Rental cars, taxis, airport shuttles and rideshare are all listed on the airport’s transportation page, and its page also mentions Amtrak service to the Bend area and bus connections.

The map shows straight-line distances from Shift’s designated center. These are orientation distances, not driving distances or travel-time estimates. Check your exact address against the conference’s check-in area before booking.