Central Oregon sits where the snowcapped peaks and old-growth forests of the Cascade Range give way to the wide-open high desert. It’s known for its outdoor adventure, world-class museums and creative restaurants.
Thanks to a Travel Oregon partnership with the travel platform Wheel the World — which is working to assess and verify top sites statewide — it’s even easier for travelers with accessibility needs to enjoy those enchanting landscapes. Documenting everything from the width of entry doors to the height of hotel beds, Wheel the World’s platform is a great resource for visitors needing a range of accommodations. Here are some of the top accessible adventures for wheelchair users, visitors with sensory needs and other travelers with disabilities in Central Oregon.
Enjoy Parks, Stars and Mountain Views
Parks and attractions provide relaxing outdoor opportunities, educational experiences and sweeping views across Central Oregon.
In Bend Alpenglow Park hosts more than 2 miles of wheelchair-accessible paved paths and soft-surface trails, along with a rope-assist climbing area for adaptive climbers. Redmond’s Sam Johnson Park is home to Hope Playground, with a play area for babies and toddlers; an American Sign Language alphabet display; and wheelchair-accessible equipment that includes a merry-go-round, swings and a zip line. At the western edge of Prineville, the Crooked River Wetlands Complex comprises a mix of ponds and vegetation that attract resident and migratory birds throughout the year, with paved and gravel paths that afford quiet sightseeing opportunities.
Stargaze under some of Central Oregon’s clearest night skies when you book one of two wheelchair-accessible cabins at Prineville Reservoir State Park, which was dubbed an International Dark Sky Park by the nonprofit DarkSky International in 2021. Stargazing permits are available if you’re not staying the night. The Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory helps visitors peer into the cosmos with help from the largest collection of telescopes for public use in the United States.
Looking for an outdoor expert to show you the ropes? Bend-based outfitter Wanderlust Tours has partnered with AdvenChair, makers of an all-terrain wheelchair, to offer public and custom guided outings to some of Central Oregon’s top sites — including Smith Rock State Park and Benham Falls. And the Bend-based nonprofit Oregon Adaptive Sports offers year-round outdoor experiences, lessons and programs for athletes with a variety of disabilities.
Experience Natural and Cultural History
Connect with Central Oregon’s past and present through a variety of natural history and cultural experiences. Between May and mid-October, you can learn all about the region’s volcanic past at Newberry National Volcanic Monument, where on-site paved trails wind through a jagged lava flow and are at least partly wheelchair-accessible.
At the award-winning High Desert Museum, visitors can peruse indoor and outdoor exhibits on the region’s history and wildlife displays via paved trails. Museum visitors can request a sensory bag, provided by KultureCity, a nonprofit that helps those with sensory-processing needs to help reduce anxiety and stimulation.
See what’s playing at the Tower Theatre, which brings musicians, film screenings and other performances to downtown Bend. The historic venue welcomes visitors with wheelchair-accessible seats, transfer seats with adjustable armrests, infrared-enhanced assisted listening devices and sensory bags.
Where to Stay and Dine — and How to Get Around
Most hotels, motels and resorts across Central Oregon provide similar amenities for wheelchair users.
Several resorts in the region welcome visitors with disabilities. Kah-Nee-Ta Hot Springs Resort, owned by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, is beloved for its mineral-rich, wheelchair-accessible thermal pools near the high-desert community of Warm Springs. For more fun in the water, check out the accessible pools at the Sunriver Homeowners Aquatic & Recreation Center, available to guests of Sunriver Resort. Elsewhere, treat yourself with spa services, upscale dining experiences, and spacious rooms at Juniper Preserve between Bend and Redmond.
Looking for a cozy hotel? Marvel at the surrounding Deschutes River canyon from your riverside room at the Imperial River Co. Lodge in Maupin — where you’ll enjoy wide doors, accessible bathtubs and low-height shelves. In Redmond savor a mix of wellness-inspired offerings and fresh fare at the SCP Redmond Hotel, which offers a roll-in shower, shower grab bars and easy-to-reach light switches. And the modern rooms at the Ski Inn Taphouse Hotel include a roll-in shower, a shower seat and wide doors in downtown Sisters.
You’ll find plenty of wheelchair-accessible eateries and food-cart pods to fuel up for the day’s outing and celebrate an epic adventure. With outposts in downtown Redmond and Prineville, Wild Ride Brew Co. pairs its ales and lagers with a variety of cuisines from on-site food carts at both locations. If you’re visiting in summer, The Rooftop Restaurant at the SCP Redmond Hotel pairs its wide-open views of the surrounding community with wheelchair-accessible seats and an accessible restroom.
If you’re basing yourself in Bend, Cascade East Transit — the city’s public-transit service — provides lifts, designated wheelchair areas and other accessible features on each of its buses. That extends to the system’s Mt. Bachelor Ski Bus, which shuttles riders to and from the ski resort just outside Bend all winter long. And at Redmond Municipal Airport, travelers can use loaner wheelchairs in the main terminal.
