Central Oregon is a place that is special for many reasons.  My wife may disagree but one of the things that make living in the Bend, Oregon area special is that we have four distinct seasons.  While other areas of the country are frequently touted as excellent autumn destinations, I would place Central Orgon on my list of best areas of the U.S. for fall road trips.  The weather is frequently excellent.  Cool nights and bright sunny days contribute to beautiful riparian colors along local waterways, bursts of fall color in alpine areas with huckleberries, and blueberries, as well as vine maples and aspen groves igniting riots of color in and around the Bend area.  Below is my photographic resume touting Bend and the Central Oregon area as a stunning fall vacation destination.

Shevlin Park in Bend, Oregon

The first image seen above was taken in Bend Oregon’s own Shevlin Park.  Shevlin is a 650 acre city park located a few miles west of the city of Bend.  Shevlin is graced with old growth ponderosa trees along with engleman spruce, larch trees, and junipers.  The chilly trout filled waters of Tumalo Creek which courses through the park offer a colorful riparian buffer during the beautiful fall season in the Bend area.

Oregon Aspen Grove

Because of Central Oregon’s relatively high eleveation( about 3,600 ft) and it’s dry climate, Bend is blessed with an aspen friendly environment.  Aspen trees are beautiful all year round but in they put on amazing displays in autumn.  Excellent Aspen groves can be found throughout the city of Bend as well as along the Deschutes River Trail south of Bend and in the Tumalo Falls/Skyliners area west of Bend.

The beauty of the Santiam Pass and McKenzie Pass areas west of Bend are no secret to locals but their fall beauty goes largely unrecognized outside of Oregon.  The following fall color image featuring gorgeous vine maples and towering evergreen trees was captured in the McKenzie Pass area.

Vine Maples on McKenzie Pass

A beautiful loop drive or ride can be made from the city of Sisters by driving west on highway 242 to McKenzie Pass and then taking highway 126 along the Mckezie River to Highway 20 and going west over Santiam Pass back to the city of Sisters.  The drive is breath taking at any time of year and it is at its best in the fall.  Vine maples illuminate the road with brilliant reds, yellows and oranges.  The following image of the upper North Santiam River was taken in the Santiam Pass area.

Santiam River

The above image of vine maples draped over the North Santiam River, is one of my favorite fall images and looks great printed at up to 40×50 inches!

One of my most iconic autumn images from the Bend, Oregon area is of Tumalo falls, seen below.  My daughter Emma was with me when I shot this image in a pouring rain at the apex of fall color along Tumalo Creek, 10 miles west of the city of Bend.

Tumalo Falls

As this image is one of my more popular prints, I have printed it at every size possible and I also have it available as a Oregon Greeting Cards.

The following scene has been witnessed by countless hikers and bikers.  This image was taken along the the Deschutes River Trail, just south of Bend. It includes the  phenomenal Deschutes River and is in one of the recreational areas that make Bend a world class outdoor destination.

Deschutes River Trail

Finally, I include this last image as a tribute of the natural beauty that can be found within the city limits of the city of Bend.  This image is a rough draft but hopefully it will be added to my collection of fine art prints in the near future.  I captured this scene on a walk home after dropping my daughter off at school this fall.  I think this image does an excellent job of capturing the shoulder season between fall and winter in the Bend area.

Frosted maples leaves, Bend, Oregon

This simple little scene has a certain elegance that I am lucky to witness, much less capture on film.  for more fall color images from the Bend area, please visit the portfolio page of my website  Bend Oregon Photos.

Thanks For Visiting,

Mike