Deschutes River Trail South Study
The Deschutes River Trail South Study project is identified as a planned project in the Bend Park & Recreation District’s Comprehensive Plan. The project’s purpose is to complete one of the last remaining gaps on the Deschutes River Trail, which runs between Sunriver and Tumalo State Park, and to enhance non-motorized access to the Deschutes National Forest from Bend.
The project has been identified in locally adopted plans since the mid-1990s including the City of Bend – Urban Trails Plan (1996), the City of Bend and Bend Park & Recreation District – Deschutes River Trail Action Plan (2002), City of Bend – Transportation System Plan (2006, 2019 [by reference]), and the Bend Park & Recreation District – Trails Master Plan (2008). The project was also identified in the Deschutes National Forest Alternative Transportation Study (2015) which provided recommendations to enhance non-motorized access to high-use recreational areas in the Deschutes National Forest and to reduce environmental impacts associated with driving and illegal parking.
The Deschutes River Trail South Study will re-evaluate the project study area explored from 2015-2019 to see if there are alternative trail alignments and to expand upon previous planning efforts. The project includes engineering feasibility analysis for up to two alternatives to inform future decision-making about the project. The study includes at least one “no-build” alternative utilizing existing, or pending (i.e. to be built soon), trails or roadways. This alternative will be evaluated against other alternatives that include the construction of a new bridge and trails.
The intent is to provide the district, the public and other stakeholders with more detailed and accurate information about the possible project to inform future community conversations and project design engineering, if applicable. More information can be found at