Bend Whitewater Park

Stopped by for a visual of the local talent on this Riverdale and it was jumping. Everyone was taking turns , riding nature's gift a river wave. Looks fun .

Went on a Saturday. Parking was a bit of a chalage. With a bit of patience and luck I did find a spot. The park was great.

First time to the Whitewater park. All I had was my white water paddle board, dry suit, helmet, and PFD. The water parks highlights include a very surfable river wave. I tried to surf it twice with my board and it barely worked. I think it’s better suited for dedicated small river, surfing boards. The wiggles were very accommodating and helpful. I also tried the Whitewater sections of the park. The other waves were difficult to surf on with the board and seemed more suited for a kayak. The inner tube section was runnable with my white water paddle board, but the ledges are very shallow, and the board would drag on each wedge. There’s a large flat water area below the rapids with limited flow as well as a large area above the rapids near the Hayden home amphitheater where people can paddle on flat water with minimal flow. I think it is an excellent addition and wish it existed in my current city. I think as far as a destination Unless you’re coming from someplace without any water access, you might be slightly disappointed. I think it is a great place to go river surfing if you were into river surfing or want to learn to river surf. I think for the local Whitewater community there, it is a great place to practice a few things with kayaks. For the general public, who wants to just go paddle boarding or swimming or tubing it is also a very fun addition. We got there early in the day on Friday and there was plenty of parking. By the end of the day, there was no parking available.

Great fun on the river - third time here and always great fun. Put in at Riverbend Park - either bring your own tube or paddleboard or rent a tube there. There is a shuttle back from Drake Park ($5). Float leisurely down the river — have fun bouncing down the several rapids or simply step out and walk around and reenter the river. Highly recommend.

We live in Bend and love visiting Smith Rock. We always bring visiting family/friends out here for a day hike. So much beauty packed in here! Our three and seven year olds tolerate the trials well. Be sure to bring lots of water and good footwear as there are some steep spots.