What to See in Sunriver - Top Sights and Attractions

Benham Falls are rapids of the Deschutes River located between Sunriver and Bend, Oregon, United States. With a pitch of 22.5°, they are rated Class 5 for watercraft, and are the largest falls on the upper Deschutes.

The falls were created by the eruption of nearby Lava Butte approximately 6,000 years ago, as the lava flow dammed the Deschutes, forming a lake known as Lake Benham. The river eventually flowed over the dam, draining the lake and thus forming Benham Falls. Around 1885, J. R. Benham attempted and failed to file a land claim near the falls, though they were later named for him.

Today, there are forest roads connecting Benham Falls to Lava Butte, Lava River Cave, and Sunriver Resort. A footbridge connects the forest road to an easy-to-navigate trail near the river and falls. The shady area has much wildlife and flowers. Because of this, the area also has mosquitoes. Additionally, the United States Forest Service has established a few lookouts over the gorge for viewers. Hikers and mountain bikers who continue on this trail pass Dillon Falls and Lava Island Falls, and eventually, the city of Bend. Benham Falls is relatively easier to see compared to the falls downstream, because it is not surrounded by lava flow from Lava Butte, but surrounded by forest. Because of its location, it is also much more popular.

Benham Falls is also in the Deschutes National Forest and the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. Benham Falls Recreation Site and Benham Falls West Recreation Site are located nearby.^[1]

Rapids in Oregon. Dillon Falls are rapids in the U.S. state of Oregon near Bend in the Deschutes National Forest. With a pitch of 76.5°, the falls are a significant obstacle to whitewater running and are rated Class 5.

Unlike nearby Benham Falls, Dillon Falls are not widely documented because they are hard to see. Trails provide a somewhat better view of the falls. The falls were named after Leander Dillon, a nearby homesteader. He died in 1907.

Dillon Falls starts off as a dramatic 15-foot (4.6 m) drop, then become a steep and violent class-5 rapids with a hazardously positioned tree in the center before ending as class 2 and 3. Experienced rafters can run the falls before taking out at Lava Island Falls downstream.

The Falls have an additional danger— the area of the Deschutes River above is very calm, wide and open. The Falls are around a bend in the River and to the unknowledgeable, when one sees the warning signs in such a calm stream, there might be the temptation to ignore them. The slot of lava flows the falls cut through tend to limit the amount of sound that travels that direction, too, so the falls are not easily heard from the area of calm water.^[3]