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Planing on going to Bend next weekend. Know any good nature places to go to with a nice view?

There are many nature places with great views around here! Some of my favorites are covered in snow at the moment – Tumalo Mountain is one. But Pilot Butte State Park is right in Bend and offers great 360 degree views of the city, mountains, desert and surounds. Up north a bit, Smith Rock State Park is a superbly beautiful natural area with incredible views, also of the mountains and desert as well as the Crooked River. Let me know if you have any other questions or want more info! Have a great time!

Answered by Kim Cooper Findling, Ask Oregon Central Oregon Expert
February 17th, 2012

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  1. Daryl says…

    Don’t forget Lava Butte. Closed to cars in the winter, but a nice 30 minute trudge in the snow to the best 360 degree views around.

    Written on March 6th, 2012 / Flag this Comment

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About Ask Oregon Expert Kim Cooper Findling

Kim Cooper Findling grew up on the Oregon Coast but became a Central Oregon girl in the mid-90s, taking in the sunny skies and never looking back (expect a few wistful glances at the ocean). She is the editor of “Central Oregon Magazine” and the author of “Day Trips From Portland: Getaway Ideas for the Local Traveler” and “Chance of Sun: An Oregon Memoir.” Catch her around the state sampling microbrews, hiking river trails, taking silly pictures with her iPhone, and camping with her husband and two daughters in the family tent trailer, Brutus.

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