Getting to Bend
Drive to Bend
Bend is located on the east slope of the Cascade Mountains, smack dab in the middle of Oregon. The two main roads into Bend are Highway 97 and Highway 20.
- Portland to Bend: 175 miles
- San Francisco to Bend: 490 miles
- Seattle to Bend: 328 miles
- Boise to Bend: 315 miles
- Salt Lake City to Bend: 650 miles
Redmond/Bend (RDM), the closest airport, is a 25-minute drive from downtown Bend. There are many direct flights from other major airports.
Note: North Bend is a completely DIFFERENT town located on the Oregon coast! If you plan to fly directly to Redmond/Bend please confirm the airport code is RDM. Portland (PDX) is the next closest airport and is accessed by most major airlines. Portland is a 3 hour drive from Bend or you can take the Bend Breeze shuttle.
You will need to arrange for transportation to Bend from the Redmond airport. We also recommend:
- Enviro Shuttle – 541-598-5384 – http://www.enviroshuttle.net/
- Bend Breeze Airport Shuttle from Portland – www.cobreeze.com , 800-847-0157
Rent a Car
If you are interested in renting a car, check out Fly Redmond for in-terminal car rental options.
Accommodations in Bend
Hotel
Bend has a wide variety of hotels for all budgets.
Here is a list of hotels that we recommend. Look at Visit Bend’s website for the full list of options.
- LOGE Bend 541-306-3111 Your adventure hotel at Cog Wild’s doorstep.
- Tetherow 844-431-9101 Rooms with a view. Right across the street from Cog Wild. Finish your mountain bike ride at your room, then get ready to golf or enjoy happy hour at their restaurant.
- Double Tree by Hilton 541-317-9292 Right in downtown Bend, walking distance to breweries, bars and many restaurants. They have bike storage and offer basic breakfast at the hotel.
- Premier Best Western 800-780-7234 In between Cog Wild downtown Bend.
- Campfire Hotel 541-382-1515 Fun hotel located in central Bend with a rare outdoor pool
- Wall Street Suites 541.706.9006 Walk to downtown, many rooms have a kitchen and the motel is dog friendly! Fire pits outside.
- The Mill Inn 541-389-9198 An eclectic B&B, walking distance to downtown and the Old Mill district. Comes with an amazing breakfast!
- Oxford Hotel 541-382-8436 In downtown Bend, it is super eco-friendly, swanky and lots of fun to stay at!
- McMenamins Old St. Francis School 541-382-5174 This converted Catholic school located in downtown Bend. There is a movie theater that serves food & beer, a brew pub/restaurant, Turkish soaking bath, Cigar Bar and more.
- Mt. Bachelor Village 800-452-9846 Has hotel rooms and condos, a pool and tennis courts. Great resorty place if coming with family or friends. A short walk to the Old Mill for restaurants and a short drive/bike ride to downtown.
- Pine Ridge Inn 800-600-4095 Close to Cog Wild’s office and the trails. A short bike ride to downtown and the Old Mill.
Vacation Rental Homes
There are many rental home options in Bend. We recommend staying on the Westside of town, which is near the trails and downtown. Visit Bend has recommended places listed. Here are a few reccomened companies in addition to AirBnB and VRBO:
- Alpenglow Vacation Rentals – owned by a local mountain biker. Many Westside locations.
- Lavabelles Vacation Rentals – many downtown locations.
- Vacasa Vacation Rentals – great if you are looking for Sunriver or Sisters, also has listings in Bend.
Camping
Camping around Bend is limited. Please note that campgrounds book up early, so reserve your spot well in advance.
- Tumalo State Park is the only full service campground that is open the entire biking season. It is 6 miles north of Bend and a similar distance to the trails.
- During the later summer/fall months, there are many lakeside campgrounds along the Cascade Lakes Highway west of Bend including Sparks Lake and Elk Lake.
- Dispersed camping has become very popular on the Deschutes National Forest. If you choose this option please mind your fire and your waste.
- Bend has 2 public pools, Juniper Pool and Larkspur Community center both managed by Bend Park and Recreation. Purchase a day pass for showers and more.
Bikes For Your Tour
Bike Rentals
Learn more about Cog’s rental bikes here. Please contact us ahead of time to make your reservation. Please note some bikes will include a pick-up/drop off fee for Cog Wild to go to the bike shop and get your bike.
All rentals include a helmet and water bottle cage
Shipping Your Bike
You can ship your bike directly to Cog Wild and we will re-assemble it so it’s ready for you and your tour. When it is time to go home, Cog Wild will re-pack it, put your shipping label on the box and ship it home to you.
The cost of this service is $150, which does not include shipping either direction. Please contact us to set this up.
Print out this form and include it with your bike, preferable taped to the handlebars.
Take care of your bike shipping details and payment very easily through Bikeflights.com. Use the code COGWILD for discounts on bike cases or packing tools.
Other Details
Trip Insurance
Cog Wild highly recommends purchasing travel insurance for your trip. It is very affordable and covers most fees if you have to cancel your trip for any reason, lost baggage, medical emergencies and broken equipment. We have partnered with Travel Guard to offer Adventure Trip Insurance. Note: If you sign up for Trip Insurance within 15 days of booking your tour with Cog Wild you will receive additional coverage for the same price!
Click here to be taken directly to purchase Trip Insurance online.
Weather
Central Oregon weather changes all the time. We recommend checking the weather prior to your tour to ensure you bring the correct clothing. This goes along with the says: “There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing!”
National Weather Service for Bend
Monthly Averages for Central Oregon Weather
Tip Your Guide
If you like the ride – tip your guide! Gratuity is not mandatory, but very much appreciated by your guides as a way to say thank you for a wonderful trip. A tip of 10% to 20% of the cost of the tour is the norm. Tips can be cash, venmo, pay pal or added as gratuity through our booking platform.