The best place to paddle board in Bend is the Deschutes River through town: launch at Riverbend Park, paddle the calm stretch past the Old Mill District, and you can rent a board a few steps from the water. For the most scenic paddle, drive the Cascade Lakes Highway to Sparks Lake or Elk Lake, where you paddle clear mountain water under South Sister.
Bend works for paddling because you get two kinds of flat water within an hour of each other. The river runs right through the middle of town, slow enough in most places for beginners, and a string of high, clear lakes sits on the slopes west of the city. Summer days are dry and sunny. The water is the catch: river and lakes alike are cold, even in July.
Quick answer
- First time on a board: the Deschutes at Riverbend Park, staying on the flat water above the Bend Whitewater Park.
- Most scenic: Sparks Lake, with lava-rock islands and views of South Sister and Broken Top.
- Rent and launch in one place on a lake: Elk Lake, where the resort marina rents boards in summer.
- Quietest water: Hosmer Lake, which allows electric motors only.
- Families and dogs: the six-mile Deschutes float from the Sunriver Resort Marina, which welcomes dogs on boats.
- River surfing: the whitewater channel at the Bend Whitewater Park, for experienced paddlers only.
The best places to paddle board in Bend
Deschutes River: Riverbend Park to Drake Park
Directions
Best for: beginners, families, an easy afternoon in town. Slow river current.
This is the classic Bend paddle. The Deschutes curves past Farewell Bend and Riverbend parks, then through the Old Mill District with its three smokestacks, footbridges and riverside shops. Bend Park and Recreation District describes the trip from Riverbend Park down to Drake Park as roughly an hour to an hour and a half on a float tube. Below the Colorado Avenue bridge the river widens into Mirror Pond, a calm stretch along Drake Park that was created by a dam built in 1910.
Where to launch: Riverbend Park (799 SW Columbia Street) is where most people put in. The Park & Float lot near The Pavilion (1000 SW Bradbury Way) has free parking, and in summer a shuttle runs between it and the river for a small fee; flatwater boards ride when there’s space. Check Bend Park and Recreation District’s site for this year’s dates.
What to avoid: Between Riverbend and Drake Park you pass through the Bend Whitewater Park (see below). Floaters and paddlers go down the passageway channel, which has small rapids. If you’d rather skip them, get out above the park and walk to McKay Park to put back in. Never enter the habitat channel; it’s closed to people and pets. Take out at Drake Park and don’t continue down Mirror Pond toward the dam.
Rentals and lessons: Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe rents SUPs and kayaks from its headquarters at 805 SW Industrial Way #6 and from a stand at Riverbend Park, and rents tubes at Park & Float. The shop also teaches SUP lessons.
Good to know: On hot summer afternoons this stretch is packed with tubes and rafts. Go in the morning for a quieter paddle.
Bend Whitewater Park
Directions
Best for: experienced paddlers with river skills. River current and waves.
The whitewater park, built under the Colorado Avenue bridge, splits the Deschutes into three channels. The center whitewater channel has four wave features, from Eddy’s Wave, designed for experts, to Jason’s Wave, which Visit Central Oregon describes as beginner-to-intermediate and suitable for SUPs. The passageway channel along the bank is the route for floaters and flatwater paddlers.
Where to launch: For the whitewater channel, the park says to enter only from McKay Park beach (166 SW Shevlin Hixon Drive) or Miller’s Landing Park downstream, not by floating in from upriver.
Rules: Bend Park and Recreation District requires life jackets and whistles for all boaters and paddleboarders in the park, and board leashes are banned, because they can snag on underwater features. There’s no swimming, diving or jumping, and no tying up to the bridges or islands. The park is open 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Good to know: River surfing on a SUP takes a whitewater-specific board, a helmet and real river experience. If you’re new, watch from the bank first.
Sparks Lake
Directions
Best for: scenery and photography. Flat water.
Sparks Lake sits about 26 miles west of Bend along the Cascade Lakes Highway. It’s a natural lake full of lava-rock shoreline and little tree-covered islands, with South Sister and Broken Top rising behind it. Boat-in dispersed camping is allowed around the lake.
Where to launch: The Sparks Lake Boating Site, 1 mile south of the highway on Forest Road 4600-400, has a boat ramp, parking and access to the paved Ray Atkeson Loop Trail. Parking needs a recreation pass: $5 per vehicle per day, or a Northwest Forest Pass or interagency pass. No overnight camping at the ramp.
Good to know: Motorboats are allowed, but the Forest Service enforces a 10 mph speed limit, so the lake stays calm. Paddle early: mornings give you glassy water and the best mountain reflections.
Elk Lake
Directions
Best for: renting and launching in one spot in the mountains. Flat water.
Elk Lake is a high lake in the Deschutes National Forest, about 32 miles southwest of Bend, with roughly 400 acres of water and South Sister towering over the north shore. Motorboats have a 10 mph cap, which keeps it relatively peaceful.
Rentals: Elk Lake Resort (60000 Cascade Lakes Highway) rents paddleboards, canoes and kayaks from its marina in summer, first come, first served. The drive from Bend takes about 45 minutes.
Good to know: Elk Lake is bigger and more open than Sparks or Hosmer, so it catches more afternoon wind. Stay near shore if it starts to whitecap.
Hosmer Lake
Directions
Best for: a quiet, shallow paddle among reeds. Flat water.
Hosmer Lake is about 35 miles southwest of Bend on the Cascade Lakes Highway, then 1.2 miles on Forest Road 4625. Only electric motors are allowed. The water is shallow and very clear, so you can watch brook and rainbow trout under your board, and the views take in Mount Bachelor, South Sister and Broken Top.
Where to launch: The Hosmer Lake Boating Site has a small boat ramp, gravel parking and a vault toilet, but no drinking water. Parking needs the same $5-a-day recreation pass as Sparks Lake. It’s day use only.
Good to know: Hosmer is a popular fly-fishing lake. Give anglers plenty of room and keep noise down.
Deschutes River at Sunriver
Directions
Best for: families, dogs, a longer river float. Slow river current.
South of Bend, the Deschutes winds slowly through meadows and pine forest at Sunriver. The Sunriver Resort Marina (17400 Deschutes Road, Sunriver) rents SUPs, canoes, kayaks and rafts and runs a six-mile float down to Benham Butte; on a paddle board it takes about two hours, and the marina shuttles you back. In June, July and August it also runs a three-mile tube float from Harper Bridge.
Good to know: The marina says dogs are welcome on its boats and shuttles. Read our guide to paddle boarding with a dog before you bring yours.
When to go
Paddling season in Bend runs from late spring to early fall. The river through town is busiest from late June through Labor Day, when the floating crowds and the Park & Float shuttle arrive.
- The lakes: Deschutes County closes the Cascade Lakes Highway beyond Dutchman Flat from about mid-November until around Memorial Day weekend, so Sparks, Elk and Hosmer are effectively a summer and early-fall trip. Check the county road department’s page in late May.
- Water temperature: the Deschutes is snow-fed and stays cold all summer, and the high lakes are colder still early in the season. Expect a cold shock if you fall in, even on a hot day. Our wetsuit check uses water and air temperature to tell you what to wear.
- Time of day: mornings are calmest on the lakes, and the river is quieter before the afternoon tube crowds.
- Sun: Bend is high desert at elevation. Bring sunscreen and more water than you think you’ll need.
Planning a lake loop or a river float? Our Trip time calculator estimates how long it will take at your pace.
Rules and safety in Bend
In Oregon a paddle board counts as a boat. According to the Oregon State Marine Board:
- Life jacket: carry a properly fitting US Coast Guard–approved life jacket for each person, within easy reach. Children 12 and under must wear one. See our pick of the best PFDs for SUP. Inside the Bend Whitewater Park, the park requires everyone to have a life jacket and whistle.
- Sound device: carry a whistle or air horn.
- After dark: you need a light between sunset and sunrise and in poor visibility.
- Waterway Access Permit: under a 2025 state law, every paddler 14 and older now needs one, whatever the board’s length (the old 10-foot minimum was dropped). It costs $6 for 7 days, $20 for a calendar year or $35 for two years from the Boat Oregon Store, plus a $1.50 portal fee. Keep it with you on the water.
- Invasive species: every boater carrying a boat, paddle boards included, must stop at an aquatic invasive species inspection station if it’s open. Clean, drain and dry your board between waters.
A few local habits on top of that:
- Leashes: on the lakes a leash keeps your board from blowing away. On moving river water, use a quick-release waist leash or none, and never a leash in the whitewater park, where it’s banned.
- Check the river: never go past your take-out, and scout the whitewater park before you paddle it.
- Recreation pass: forest lakes need a day pass or Northwest Forest Pass on your dashboard.
FAQ
Where can beginners paddle board in Bend?
Start on the Deschutes at Riverbend Park and paddle the flat water around the Old Mill District. Rent from Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe if you don’t have a board, and get out above the whitewater park if you don’t want any rapids.
Do I need a permit to paddle board in Bend?
Yes, if you’re 14 or older. Oregon requires a Waterway Access Permit for every paddler, regardless of board length. The forest lakes also need a $5 day pass or Northwest Forest Pass for parking.
Can you paddle board through the Bend Whitewater Park?
Yes. Flatwater paddlers use the passageway channel, which has small rapids. You must have a life jacket and whistle, and leashes are banned in the park. The center whitewater channel is for experienced river paddlers and is entered from McKay Park or Miller’s Landing Park.
Can I bring my dog paddle boarding near Bend?
The Sunriver Resort Marina welcomes dogs on its boats and shuttles, and the forest lakes are a good fit for a calm paddle with a dog. Put a dog life jacket on your dog, and remember the river through town gets crowded on summer afternoons.
Which lake near Bend is best for paddle boarding?
Sparks Lake is the most scenic. Elk Lake is easiest if you need to rent, because the resort marina is right there. Hosmer Lake is the quietest, with electric motors only.
Not sure what board you need for river floats and mountain lakes? Our Board Fitter suggests a size and type based on your weight and where you paddle. If you’re also heading to the city, see our guides to where to paddle board in Portland and Hood River.
