Many people begin their Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway journey in Bend, the hub of Central Oregon’s recreational paradise. The Central Oregon Welcome Center on U.S. Route 97 houses the Bend Visitor & Convention Bureau and offers an excellent overview of the many vacation possibilities available.
Before heading into the mountains, wander through downtown and take in Drake Park, where the meandering Deschutes River reflects snowy Cascade peaks. Follow the signs to Mt. Bachelor and the Cascade Lakes.
Century Drive
From the outskirts of town, Century Drive (Oregon Route 372) climbs steadily into the Deschutes National Forest. In the days of the horse and buggy, it was a 100-mile dirt road—hence the name!
This route was once traveled by early explorers such as Kit Carson, John C. Fremont, and Nathaniel J. Wyeth. Just beyond the forest boundary, Forest Service Road 41 accesses the Deschutes River, which offers fishing, rafting, kayaking, canoeing, and camping opportunities. A few miles further west, a vast lava flow that altered the river’s course can be seen from the road.
Mt. Bachelor
As you continue west, you cannot miss mighty cone of Mt. Bachelor, home of one of the Pacific Northwest’s top ski resorts. Mt. Bachelor boasts dependable, dry powder and a 3,300-foot elevation drop; the ski season typically extends through June.
During summer months, the Pine Marten Express lift spirits sightseers to the 9,065-foot peak. The dramatic 360-degree view sweeps a volcanic mountain skyline, Sparks Lake and the Three Sisters Peaks and wilderness area. You can see for hundreds of miles—from Mt. Adams in Washington to Mt. Shasta in California.
The dramatic landscape around Bachelor—dark lava flows, pale pumice fields, lofty domes and deep chasms—is evidence of the fierce volcanic activity that shaped it.
