Camping at Tumalo State Park & Hiking in the Oregon Badlands

On this four day camping trip at Tumalo State Park near Bend, we hiked in the Oregon Badlands and explored trails next to the Deschutes River.

White River Falls

From Portland, we took a longer route via The Dalles and highway 97 so we could stop at White River Falls on the way to the campground.

Tumalo State Park campground

Our plan was to spend time exploring the Oregon Badlands, so we stayed at Tumalo State Park campground near Bend. This is a popular campground for families with kids since there’s easy access to the Deschutes River for wading and swimming.

Oregon Badlands Hike

The next day, we drove about 20 miles to the Oregon Badlands Wilderness to explore a trail we had taken a few years ago on a hot September day. One of Oregon’s newest designated wilderness areas, the Oregon Badlands protects an area of the high desert that includes juniper trees that are over 1,000 years old. We took a short 3 mile loop on the Ancient Juniper and Flatiron Rock Trails.

Deschutes River

On our last night, we walked along the Deschutes River at sunset and again the next morning at sunrise.