THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021 • THE BULLETIN
GO! MAGAZINE • PAGE 11
THE OUTDOORS
bendbulletin.com/gooutdoors
Mountain biking on Horse Ridge
BY MARK MORICAL
The Bulletin
Wide-open vistas, Cascade mountain views,
long climbs and thrilling descents can all be
found on the nearly 30 miles of singletrack on
Horse Ridge. Located about 15 miles south-
east of Bend in a seemingly desolate area where
the terrain offers a stark contrast to the trails
west of Bend, Horse Ridge is a favorite of local
mountain bikers in the winter. Sometimes, the
trails remain rideable all through the winter.
Current conditions are variable as recent snow
continues to melt. The trails are fairly techni-
cally challenging, with loads of lava rock that
dot the trail on certain stretches.
Getting there: From Bend, drive east on U.S.
Highway 20 for about 15 miles to Horse Ridge
Frontage Road and turn right. Proceed about
0.7 miles to the BLM Trailhead on the left side
of the road.
Reporter: 541-383-0318, mmorical@bendbulletin.com
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Horse Ridge offers mountain bikers challenging rides with sweeping views of the High Desert.
Outdoor pick of the week: Dry Canyon in Redmond
BY MAKENZIE WHITTLE
The Bulletin
I don’t get out to Redmond as often
as I could, but last weekend I decided
to check out the Dry Canyon Trail that
stretches 3.7 miles through the heart
of city.
The wide canyon is made from De-
schutes Formation basalts and topped
with rimrock that now hosts houses
on either side. At the bottom of this
canyon is relatively flat land spotted
with sagebrush and juniper. During
the spring, desert wildflowers join in
bringing pops of color along the trail.
The trail itself is paved, but there
are at least two other official off pave-
ment trails on either side of the can-
yon that offer dirt and rock terrain
to hikers. If you do stick to the paved
trail, expect to other visitors every day
of the week, most offering up a smile,
“hello” or simple nod as they pass.
The walk isn’t the only thing Dry
Canyon has going for it either. Rock
climbers can dangle underneath the
Maple Avenue Bridge on the climbing
area created there, a disc golf course
takes up a good section of the mid-
dle of the canyon, a decent-sized dog
park with two seperate areas — one
for small dogs and one for larger ones
— as well as pickleball and tennis
courts, a playground, picnic tables and
plenty of space to spread out and en-
joy the day.
The trail also has several access
points along the route including
through Kiwanis Field, American Le-
gion Park, Bowlby Park and more.
Getting there:
Southernmost access point: SW
Quartz Avenue between SW 20th
Street and SW Canyon Drive
Northernmost access point: NW
19th Street near the Redmond Waste-
water Treatment Plant
Makenzie Whittle/The Bulletin
Reporter: 541-383-0304,
mwhittle@bendbulletin.com
The Dry Canyon Trail in Redmond passes under the Maple Avenue
Bridge.