Exploring the Deschutes River near Sunriver, Oregon

We recently went on a nice leisurely kayak trip down the Deschutes River. We parked one car at Benham Falls East Day Use area and parked the other one where we launched at Harper’s Bridge in Sunriver, Oregon. It took a little over 3 1/2 hours on a warm September day. The trip is about 10 river miles long.

This is a meandering river that passes through beautiful meadows and forested areas. We saw a few people close to the Sunriver Marina but then didn’t see many once we paddled past the Sunriver development. This float ended near parts of the lava lands of Newberry National Volcanic Monument.

We saw some interesting things along the way.

There were horseback riders and bicyclists stirring up dust on the riverside trail.

A young mallard came right up to me. Maybe it thought I was its Mom. :)

The footbridge spanning the river has beautiful architecture.

Know before you go

The river was calm and placid the day we went out. You should always check ahead of time for conditions. I recommend getting the Deschutes Paddle Trail River Guide published by the Bend Paddle Trail Alliance if you plan to do much paddling here. It includes the level of difficulty and where the access points are. You can flip through detailed maps covering 26 miles of the Little Deschutes River and 95 miles of the Deschutes River. It will help you find sections that match your skill level and avoid sections that are dangerous. Deschutes is French for “falls” and this river has a lot of them so know where they are before you take off.

I’m ending this post with a photo that I took of Benham Falls on a hike a couple of years ago. You may be able to see why parts of the falls are rated as Class V – “extremely difficult, long, and very violent rapids…” The ability to do Eskimo rolls in this section is considered “essential.” I think I will just appreciate their beauty from the shore!