Discover 5 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Mount Bachelor (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Tumalo Falls, Tumalo Mountain, and Todd Lake. Also, be sure to include Mount Bachelor in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Mount Bachelor (Oregon).
Table of Contents
Tumalo Falls
Waterfall in Oregon. Tumalo Falls is a 97-foot waterfall on Tumalo Creek, in the Cascade Range west of Bend in the U.S. state of Oregon. Additional waterfalls are upstream along Tumalo Creek and a tributary, Bridge Creek and its Bridge Creek Falls. All of these falls are within the Deschutes National Forest.
The United States Forest Service manages the Tumalo Falls Day Use Area about 14 miles (23 km) from Bend by forest roads. In addition to waterfall views, the day-use area has picnic sites and a toilet and offers access to trails for hiking and mountain biking. Using the site requires a Northwest Forest Pass or payment of a fee.
Tumalo Falls Trail leads from the picnic area to a viewing platform above Tumalo Falls, about 0.25 miles (0.40 km) upstream. The trail continues beyond the falls. About 1.25 miles (2.01 km) further upstream, it reaches a second waterfall, Middle Tumalo Falls, a two-tiered cascade totaling 65 feet (20 m) in height.[1]
Address: Tumalo Falls Road, Mount Bachelor
Tumalo Mountain
Shield volcano in Oregon. Tumalo Mountain is a shield volcano in the Cascade Range of central Oregon, located just northeast of Mount Bachelor across the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway. Ice age glaciers carved a large cirque into the northeast flank of the mountain, producing a bowl which is popular with local backcountry skiers. A United States Forest Service fire lookout tower was built on the summit in the 1930s, but abandoned in the 1970s and subsequently removed. A trail to the summit ascends the southwest flank of the volcano.[2]
Todd Lake
Lake in Oregon. Todd Lake is a natural lake near the crest of the Cascade Range in central Oregon in the United States. The lake covers 45 acres. It is named in honor of John Y. Todd, an early settler in Central Oregon. Today, the lake and surrounding forest is managed by the United States Forest Service as part of the Deschutes National Forest. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife regularly stocks the lake with brook trout. There is a day-use area and a rustic campground located on the west shore of the lake. In the summer, Todd Lake is a popular outdoor recreation site for picnicking, fishing, hiking, and nature viewing. In the winter, trails in the Todd Lake area are used for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.[3]
Mount Bachelor
Stratovolcano in Oregon. Mount Bachelor, formerly named Bachelor Butte, is a dormant stratovolcano atop a shield volcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the Cascade Range of central Oregon. Named Mount Bachelor because it stands apart from the nearby Three Sisters, it lies in the eastern segment of the central portion of the High Cascades, the eastern segment of the Cascade Range. The volcano lies at the northern end of the 15-mile long Mount Bachelor Volcanic Chain, which underwent four major eruptive episodes during the Pleistocene and the Holocene. The United States Geological Survey considers Mount Bachelor a moderate threat, but Bachelor poses little threat of becoming an active volcano in the near future. It remains unclear whether the volcano is extinct or just inactive.
The Mount Bachelor ski area has operated on the mountain since 1958, and the volcano's summit hosts the Mount Bachelor Observatory. A center of winter recreation, the area offers snowshoeing, snow skiing, snow tubing, and dog sledding, among other activities. The summit can be reached by a climbing trail that travels over lava from the volcano.[4]
Bridge Creek Falls
Waterfall in Oregon. Bridge Creek Falls is a 25-foot waterfall on Bridge Creek, in the Cascade Range west of Bend in the U.S. state of Oregon. Additional waterfalls are downstream along nearby Tumalo Creek, of which Bridge Creek is a tributary, including Tumalo Falls. All of these falls are within the Deschutes National Forest and is within the municipal watershed for the city of Bend.
The United States Forest Service manages the Bridge Creek Falls Trail about 14 miles (23 km) from Bend by forest roads. The trail is approximately 14 miles (23 km) from the Tumalo Falls day-use area and picnic site and which offers access to trails for hiking and mountain biking. Using the site requires a Northwest Forest Pass or payment of a fee.
The Tumalo Falls Trail leads from the picnic area to Tumalo Falls, upstream of which continues a trail to Bridge Creek Falls.[5]