When you ask the staff at Wanderlust Tours what the key things everyone should do when they visit Bend, they’ll tell you that you should do three things: one relating to volcanoes, one relating to water and one relating to beer! Despite being relatively unknown on the international tourism stage, Bend is well known locally as a tranquil escape on the Pacific Northwest, and these three things are what Bend is best known for. Luckily for you, Wanderlust Tours can help with all of them.
Kayaking with Wanderlust Tours
Life on the water is the bread and butter of what Wanderlust Tours do. With Bend’s fantastic location at the foot of the mighty Cascades mountain range, it’s a great hub from which to explore this incredible area and the picture perfect high elevation lakes that it holds. The Cascades are popular with locals, many of who own their own kayak, and escape to the lakes for a tranquil morning out paddling and sometimes also fishing out on the lakes. Wanderlust Tours offer a range of canoe and kayak tours for anyone who is keen to take to the water and soak up the mesmerising scenery around them.
Departing from their central Bend shop, with transport provided to reach the Cascades, Wanderlust Tours visit a few different locations depending on the season. In Spring and Fall, their tours are based around the Deschutes River, at a slightly lower elevation to the lakes, taking in the spectacular colours that they offer during those times of year. In Summer (June to October), it’s possible to reach the lakes, and tours frequent some of the stunning lakes in the area, for tranquil and uninterrupted views of the mountain peaks surrounding them.
Our trip during summer allowed us to visit Hosmer Lake, around 45 minutes from Bend, with our guide providing plenty of interesting background about the Cascade Range keeping us marvelling out the windows on the way up. The drive provides some striking views of the mountains, which Apollo astronauts actually visited as part of their preparations for missions, using the volcanic landscape as a similar surface to the moon. In fact, a rock from the area is one of the few objects that astronauts have placed on the moon itself!
You’ll also pass Sparks Lake during your drive, one of the shallowest in the area at only 1-2 feet deep which dries up during the peak warmest months. Therefore there’s only a really short timeframe to access the lake in Summer, if you’re lucky enough to visit during June or September Sparks Lake may be the one you are aiming for.
At whichever striking lake your tour visits, you’ll typically spend around 2 hours on the water, either circumnavigating its edge or meandering through the passages in-between the reed beds. Wanderlust Tours guides are highly knowledgeable about the area, its geology and wildlife and you’ll definitely learn a lot whilst chatting to them during your tour.
Of course, one of the primary draws of the lakes is its jaw dropping views of the mountains; many are technically volcanoes that have shaped the landscapes around the Cascades from eruptions over the past few millennia. Make sure you ask your guide to point out the three most prominent sets – the Three Sisters (including Mt Bachelor), Broken Top and Paulina Peak.
Back at water level, there’s also an array of wildlife sightings to be had. The Cascade Lakes are home to many species, including mammals such as otters and mink, and birds such as the magnificent osprey and eagles. Keep your eyes peeled for a flash of any animals peeking their heads out. Even if all the wildlife is safely tucked up in bed during your time paddling out on the lakes, your guide will be sure to point out some of the interesting highlights such as the odd beaver dam that’s been built.
Exploring with Wanderlust Tours
So what about everything else you can do with Wanderlust Tours? Whilst we didn’t have time to explore everything they have to offer, there are many other options if you’re looking for another way to see Bend and the surrounding area.
Searching for beer: Across the world the North West part of the States is known to be one of the best areas of upcoming breweries. Nowhere is more so than Bend, with one of highest number of breweries per capita in the world! If you want help settling on which of the 20+ breweries in the city, Wanderlust Tours run a couple of options to check them out, including one combining a canoe trip in the Cascades with a taste of some of the local craft breweries including one named after the lakes themselves.
Key Information about Wanderlust Tours
How much are activities with Wanderlust Tours?
What do I need to bring with me on a Wanderlust Tour?
For any Wanderlust Tours that require specialist equipment, such as kayaking and canoeing, all of this gear is included as part of the tour, including kayaks / canoes, paddles and personal floatation devices. It’s advisable to bring a hat and sunscreen to all tours, as it’s very easy to get burnt out on the water, even when it’s not that hot. You may also get the chance to take a dip in the lake to cool off on very hot days, so bring a swimsuit if you’re keen to experience the refreshing waters.
Help, I’ve not kayaked much before, can I still join Wanderlust Tours?
Definitely! All the Wanderlust guides are extremely friendly and supportive for all levels of experience and abilities. The tours are not intended to be fast paced or difficult kayaking – they’re very much intended to be a relaxed paddle and not a race! Also, before you head out, your guide will explain the best techniques for paddling and help you set up your kayak or canoe to make sure you’re comfy during your adventure.
Our final thoughts on... Kayaking with Wanderlust Tours
Although we’d driven past the Cascades the previous day, our time out on the water with Wanderlust Tours was a much better way to experience the snow capped mountains! With the sun shining and our paddles cutting through the glass like surface of the lake, we thoroughly enjoyed being immersed in the peaceful surroundings and couldn’t quite believe how insanely beautiful the views were. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the geology and wildlife in the area and tailored the kayaking pace to suit everyone in our group so we all had a fantastic time!
Find Out More…
Wanderlust Tours – https://www.wanderlusttours.com
Many thanks to Wanderlust Tours for hosting us for this fun adventure in Bend. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely our own, we wouldn’t recommend something if we didn’t love it!
