The BulleTin • Friday, May 21, 2021 B9
TOP PICK OF
THE WEEK
Larry
Chitwood
Trail
David Jasper/The Bulletin
There are several piles of old
trash, mostly rusted out cans,
near the trailhead. Such relics are
potential artifacts by the BLM.
That didn’t stop one artist from
painting an old can and putting
the year 2019 on it.
Submitted photos
This unnamed bridge along the southern part of the Deschutes
River Trail is the last place to cross until Benham Falls East Trailhead.
A pedestrian enjoys the community walking path in Rockridge Park.
I
f you’ve been to the Oregon
Badlands Wilderness — the
sprawling High Desert haven
about 20 minutes east of Bend
more commonly known as the
Badlands — you’ve probably
been to one of the more popu-
lar trails, perhaps the Badlands
Rock or Flatiron Rock trails.
But for something a smidge
closer to Bend, yet in a sense
even farther off the beaten
path, try Larry Chitwood Trail,
a segmented loop trail 7 miles
in length that also connects to
the Sand Lily and Mazama Ash
trails to the east.
Most of the Badlands’ 29,000-
plus acres is home to the Bad-
lands volcano, according to the
Bureau of Land Management,
which manages the area, home
to strangely shaped junipers,
sandy volcanic soil and interest-
ing rock formations. That’s true,
too, on Larry Chitwood Trail,
which used to be known as the
Obernolte Trail before being re-
named in memory of a U.S. For-
est Service geologist who died
while hiking on Pilot Butte 13
years ago.
On a recent hike at the trail
that bears his name, much of the
soil was surprisingly still firm,
perhaps residual dampness
from late-April rains, but be
warned, dry weather will loosen
the soil and give your calves a
workout. During the heat of
summer, evening and morning
hikes are probably the way to
go. You can’t miss the rusted can
piles near the trailhead, which
remain, in short, because of the
potential historic value — prov-
ing that one person’s trash really
is another’s treasure.
Getting there: From 27th
Street in Bend, drive east on U.S.
Highway 20 6.6 miles and turn
left on Dodds Road. Continue
for about 3.5 miles to Obernolte
Road. Turn right and continue
to the trailhead at road’s end.
Loop
Continued from B1
This gorgeous section of
the DRT is my favorite trail
because it has paths along
both sides of the Deschutes
River, creating a convenient
and functional exercise loop.
The trail is connected by a
footbridge approximately 1.5
miles upstream of the Fare-
well Bend Park bridge.
You’ll enjoy ponderosa
pines and be treated to the
sights and sounds of the De-
schutes River as it rushes
through a beautiful canyon.
On this seemingly instant es-
cape from the hustle and bus-
tle of Bend’s activity, it’s a good
place to go for a little health
and happiness break in nature.
Other loop trails
If you haven’t checked
out Shevlin Park’s loop trails
yet, I highly recommend it.
— David Jasper, The Bulletin
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Shevlin Park is arguably the
crown jewel of the park sys-
tem; it’s only four miles west
of downtown Bend, and it has
great loop trails. Not only that,
Shevlin Park just turned 100
years old. The Tumalo Creek
Trail offers views of the creek
and the park has accessible re-
strooms and parking.
On the east side of Bend,
there are several highly rated
loop trails options. Pine Nurs-
ery Park features over four
miles of trails throughout the
park. Paved, wide and rela-
tively level, the paths provide
accessible routes to the sports
field areas, parking lots and
dog parks. The renovated play-
ground is also accessible.
Another recommenda-
tion is Rockridge Park, with
trails looping through small,
rolling hills covered in old-
growth juniper, lava rock, sage
and bitterbrush. There is a
soft- surface fitness loop and
a paved loop that is just un-
der one mile. With 60% of the
park as natural space, the park
can make you feel like you are
miles outside of town.
The Stone Creek Park Trail
in southeast Bend offers yet
another looped trail that
weaves through basalt lava and
offers sweeping views. Most of
the 6-plus acres remain natural
and are accessed via the un-
paved trails.
I hope you get the chance to
enjoy these exceptional loop
trails with water views wildlife,
and a refreshing escape out-
doors.
e e
Kristin Cunningham is the community
relations assistant for Bend Park &
Recreation District.