Search Results

Sisters Country is popping up more often on destination wedding maps. And why not? Talk about the perfect backdrop for the big day. Memories are forever when you tie the knot in our picture-perfect setting. Choose from a variety of themes to accent the special day: luxury resort with world-class amenities, ranch, historic river lodge, bucolic winery, or right in town. Heck, you can even honeymoon in a forest fire lookout tower. As for bachelor or bachelorette parties, golf, whitewater rafting or kayaking offers something way outside the run-of-the-mill. Want to get married on horseback? You can do that in Sisters. At the base of a waterfall? You bet. In a garden? On a mountaintop? Yep. How about in a National Forest? Sure thing. If you’re looking for an alternative to ballroom weddings, or if fancy isn’t your vibe (or your budget), then exchanging vows in Sisters just might be for you. Book early — at least a year in advance. A handful of nearby wedding planners can help create the perfect wedding.  All the support teams are here for embellishing the cherished moments — caterers, florists, photographers, music. Just because Sisters is synonymous with a laid-back, easy-going lifestyle doesn’t mean you can’t get all duded up. Formal wear or boots and jeans, either works.  Venues that match the Sisters style and brand: Aspen Lakes:   www.aspenlakes.com/restaurant/weddings   Black Butte Ranch: www.blackbutteranch.com/weddings Faith Hope & Charity Vineyard:   www.faithhopeandcharityevents.com/weddings FivePine Lodge:   www.fivepine.com/weddings House on Metolius:   www.metolius.com/weddings Long Hollow Ranch:   thelonghollowranch.com/weddings-events Pole Creek Ranch:   www.polecreek.com/wedding-events The Suttle Lodge:   thesuttlelodge.com/groups/weddings

Whychus Canyon Preserve The Wychus Canyon Preserve has it all: great views, plenty of wildlife, pioneer history, fascinating geology, weird rocks, loads of flowers in spring, interesting old junipers, and a beautiful creekside riparian zone. It’s usually doable year-round, although there can be some quite icy spots in winter. Why go: This moderately challenging criss-crossing trail system starts right on the edge of lower Whychus Canyon, and has a lot of variety and options.  When to go: It’s a great hike just about anytime really, and usually possible whatever the weather, as long as your vehicle can get to the trailhead and you choose the right footwear.  What to expect: Both the beginning and end of the hike is high on the canyon rim, so you will be going down and back up while traversing the slopes. You can choose how much to do and where to go, using the good map available from the kiosk. You will have climbed/descended about 1,000 feet and hiked up to 5-7 miles if you do it all.  Getting there: Take Highway 126 east towards Redmond, and in about five miles turn left on Goodrich Road. Continue all the way out (east) to the canyon rim, about three more miles. Note that the pavement turns right and becomes Edmundson Rd., so be sure to keep on straight as it turns to gravel. What you’ll need: Footing can be treacherous if icy, so take poles, cleats, and maybe snowshoes in the car, just in case. Note that it can get really muddy in thaws and the trails are best avoided then! Don’t forget the Ten Essentials, including layers of clothing, plenty of snacks and water, and/or a filter to drink from the creek. Dogs MUST be leashed in the Preserve!  Metolius Preserve Along Lake Creek, in between Suttle Lake and Metolious River lies a little known protected area known as the Metolious Preserve, owned by Deschutes Land Trust. It’s an unusual property, with a very diverse species mix along beautiful creeks—making it a great place to go. Why go: It’s an easy, essentially flat hike with beautiful creeks and diverse plants, with plenty of wildlife.  When to go: Spring brings abundant diversity in flowers and birds because of the variety of habitats. What to expect: The Preserve is full of wildlife, and not a lot of people. A plus is that the flat aspect and short distances make it great for kids and families exploring. Dogs are allowed but MUST be under your direct control on a six-foot leash the whole time in order to protect the wildlife who call the place home—and be sure to bag and carry out their poop! Getting there: Take Highway 20 west towards Santiam Pass, and in about 10 miles watch carefully for USFS Road 2064 taking off on the right, which leads to the south trailhead—a warning, though, that this road is little used and is likely difficult to navigate in deep snow or thawing mud! You can access the north entrance from Suttle-Sherman Road, a more well-used and more likely passable option in spring “sloppy” season. Get to Suttle-Sherman Road either from Highway 20 via a right turn on USFS Road 12, heading west and turning right, or take Camp Sherman Road off Highway 20 to the east and turning left. The short spur road to the trailhead parking area is about halfway between the two main crossroads. What you’ll need: The Ten Essentials, including layers, plenty of snacks and water, and/or a filter to drink from the creek. Guided hikes: From April through October, Deschutes Land Trust volunteer naturalists lead nearly 100 free walks, hikes, and family outings at various Land Trust protected lands throughout Central Oregon. Participants can explore birds, wildflowers, or geology while enjoying the great outdoors.  This year, there is a new offering — Nature Kids — guided family nature walks just for families with kids ages 5-10.  All walks and hikes are free. Group size is small to give attendees the best experience possible. Registration for each outing opens one month prior to the outing and can be done online. Once registered, detailed directions for the outing will be provided. Find the full schedule online:  deschuteslandtrust.org/hikes . Top 5 Sisters Hikes Black Butte Lookout: West on Highway 20 to FS Road 11 (Green Ridge Road). Turn right and pass Indian Ford Campground. Turn left at graveled Road 1110 and follow it to the trailhead. Strenuous two-mile climb yields 360° views. Tam McArthur Rim: This hike is so popular that it requires a wilderness permit. From the trailhead near Three Creek Lake, the trail leads up toward the foot of Broken Top, yielding spectacular mountain views. It's a roundtrip 5.3-mile strenuous hike.  Metolius River: Take Highway 20 west to the Camp Sherman turnoff. Follow FS Road 14 to a fork in the road and bear right. Continue on approximately 7.5 miles and turn left at the Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery signs and cross the bridge to the fish hatchery parking area. Whychus Creek: Take Elm Street south out of Sisters 4.2 miles. There’s a turnout on the west (right) side of the road. Park and walk past the green gate down to the trail and start hiking upstream. Out-and-back hike can vary distance to suit. Easy-moderate. Black Crater: Drive 11.5 miles west from Sisters, past Windy Point, on Highway 242 (McKenzie Highway). The trailhead with parking is on the south (left) side of highway. This is a strenuous 7.5-mile roundtrip climb to the summit and return.

Disc golf was created as a version of golf, with similar rules, except you play with plastic discs, versus golf clubs. The rules of disc golf are like that of golf.  The disc golf community in Central Oregon has grown over the years thanks to the addition of the Hyzer Pines  disc golf course. Hyzer Pines was built and put into use officially in 2007. It opened through the endeavor of Kathy Kemper-Zanck, who created a community campaign for disc golfers in the area to build a premier disc golf course.  Hyzer Pines is a challenging course that is heavily treed with small gaps for distance throws, to work around using backhand and forehand throws. Hyzer Pines is in an accessible area just a few minutes from downtown Sisters off of highway 242 next to the Sisters High School.  It is easy to get started in disc golf. Find a couple of friends to go out and play with and visit a local store that sells discs. It is best to get putters to start out with as they are the heaviest and easiest to throw. Gear Fix in Bend is a great resource to buy discs and learn more about types of discs to throw. It is super easy to go out and have fun on a course with a couple of friends throwing discs.  Another popular course in the Central Oregon area is Pine Nursery , a park and disc golf course located off Empire Avenue in Bend. That course has hosted a few tournaments and is one of the more challenging courses because of the unique terrain of lava rock and high desert environment.  There is also a course in Redmond near Dry Canyon offering a different type of terrain and views. According to Visit Central Oregon: “ Dry Canyon Disc Golf Course , on Redmond’s west side, winds through all the hallmarks of the Central Oregon high desert—including gnarled juniper trees, a rimrock canyon, and plenty of sagebrush. The nine-hole course features two basket placements per hole, so players with a bit more time can play it like a standard 18-hole course.” To learn more about disc golf rules and types of discs to play, you can visit: https://www.innovadiscs.com/ . Innova is one of the premier disc golf manufacturers and sponsors of disc golf tournaments around the nation.

Alpacas are highly sociable, gentle, and curious. They are the smallest members of the camel family, on average three feet high at the shoulder and 4-7 feet long. Alpacas never spit at or bite humans, unless they’ve been abused, which makes them instant favorites of parents. Children are instantly drawn to their whimsical, crimped faces and their friendly personalities. In Sisters you can make a partial or whole day visits to alpaca ranches where you can get up close and personal, petting, feeding, and “chatting” with them. Alpacas make a gentle humming noise when happy. Where to find them: No less than 1,000 alpacas are about a 15-minute ride east from Sisters. Alpaca Country Estates  started with just six Huacaya alpacas in 2006. The 134-acre pastured ranch is set with breathtaking views of the Cascades. Alpaca fiber produces amazingly soft garments and warm throws, rugs, and yarn. The property includes an all things alpaca seasonal farm store. Luxurious alpaca fiber is one of the rarest and most treasured natural fibers in the world.  Private tours and group activities are available; reserve ahead. Picnic with alpacas At Paca Picnics  you’ll eat, drink, and be merry while surrounded by a pack of friendly alpacas. Some will be just as curious about you as you are about them. All of them will put smiles on your face. Picnics happen at Flying Dutchman Alpacas north of Tumalo. The fun is all managed by the same folks who run Alpaca by Design, a premium apparel shop in downtown Sisters.

The sport of bouldering is in the rock-climbing family but has its own culture and is often used as a practice for cliff rock climbing. Bouldering is considered ‘free climbing’ performed on small rock formations or artificial routes. Bouldering is climbing without the use of ropes or harnesses. It involves vertical pitches utilizing body weight to propel up a rock. Bouldering sights in Central Oregon are becoming increasingly popular. Bouldering sights can be made from any area with jagged rock formations. Boulders and rock formations create natural hand holds and vertical pitches. Climbers use crash pads underneath their route in case of falling as they aren’t using a rope or harness to catch them. Most climbers use climbing shoes and chalk to stick into handholds as they work their way up a vertical pitch. Typically, bouldering routes are not a very high pitch, so if you do fall, you aren’t falling very far and you’re falling onto a crash pad. Bouldering started as a practice for mountaineering and rock climbing that a climber could do on their own. “It’s the most physical and gymnastic aspect of climbing,” said Andy Coleman, owner of The Circuit Bouldering Gym in Bend.   The Circuit Bouldering Gym in Bend is a gym dedicated to free climbing and bouldering. For climbers that typically rock climb, bouldering can be an interesting challenge. Bouldering allows climbers at any skill level to dive into the sport. Because it doesn’t require much equipment, someone interested can go out to a gym and try it for themselves, completely on their own.  There are several bouldering locations in the Sisters and Central Oregon areas. Any place you can climb on boulders can be constituted as a bouldering area. With a crash pad, shoes, and chalk, climbers can boulder anywhere. Locations include an area off Wilt Road near the Whychus Canyon Estates properties, as well as on the west side of Bend near Shevlin Park. There are several places next to the Deschutes River that allow for serene vistas on top of basalt boulder columns. To learn more visit: https://www.mountainproject.com/area/114430286/sisters-area .

For more than four decades, all kinds of folks have made a point of stopping at Sisters Bakery on Cascade Avenue for a cup of coffee for the road, and some of the finest baked treats to be found in the West. Spencer Hamiga is the steward of that four-decade tradition, and he and his team, including general manager Macon Luhning, are taking it to new heights. With a background in food service, Hamiga took a front-of-house-position at Sisters Bakery while moving toward a new career in teaching. “I was between jobs; between careers really,” he recalled. “I just fell in love with the place.” He worked up to general manager, and in 2022, when the opportunity presented itself to purchase the business, he and his wife Gloria took the plunge. He’s still in love with the place — and so are the bakery’s loyal customers. Favorites change over time. For years, Sisters Bakery was famous for its donuts. Now, the most popular items are scones. Whatever your taste in baked goods — from bear claws to pies — you’ll find it here. And it’s all made in-house. Those perfectly-rolled croissants? They’re rolled out by hand.  “It’s a huge spread,” Luhning said. The bakery built a reputation for exceptional bread — especially its sourdough. “Macon came in and really tightened up that sourdough recipe,” Hamiga said.  It’s so popular that Sisters Bakery opened an off-site bakery to support wholesale business. “We’re mostly in grocery stores with our bread,” Luhning said. “A few restaurants around Central Oregon.” Many of the region’s coffee shops feature their pastries. The delectable baked goods are only one part of the experience at Sisters Bakery. Hamiga and Luhning emphasize personal engagement with customers. They see a genuine connection between staff and customers as vital to the customer experience and the long-term success of Sisters Bakery. “It makes it memorable,” Hamiga said. “It makes it a place you want to come back to.” They invest in their employees by providing sector-leading pay and benefits.  A thoughtful, people-centered approach to a business they genuinely love allows Hamiga and Luhning to confidently expect that their customers will walk out, and hit the road to whatever adventure awaits, fully satisfied. As Hamiga puts it: “You’ll have one of the best customer service experiences you can have — and you’ll get the best scones on the market.”

If you have an itch to get your feet wet while enjoying a thrilling ride through some spectacular country, head out to raft one of Central Oregon’s wild rivers.  The beautiful McKenzie River  is widely regarded as the finest river-running experience in the region. With a steady plunge down the mountains, the river creates continual excitement for rafters.  This designated Wild & Scenic River is exquisitely beautiful, rolling between stands of tall Douglas fir, western red cedar, western and mountain hemlock, and white alder that line the banks. The Deschutes River has long been a popular destination for rafters. The short Upper Deschutes is suitable for a family outing with children as young as seven, according to the guidebook “Whitewater Rafting in North America.” The relatively brief run features the Class IV thrills of Big Eddy, which rolls and swirls in a lava canyon formed by the region’s volcanic activity. The rest of the trip offers more mellow rapids in a scenic environment. The Lower Deschutes  offers a series of exciting rapids, and multiday rafters have the chance to explore the canyons. Numerous outfitters offer outfitting and guide services. Not only do they supply the equipment, but their experience and expertise make running the rivers safer.  Check with local resorts for information. The Metolius River near Sisters is beautiful — but navigating it is best left to highly experienced expert boatmen.  River Classes: Class I: Gentle, moving water. Very small waves requiring little or no maneuvering. A nice float down the river. Class II:  Regular waves, easy to see, reaching three to four feet in height. May require simple maneuvering to avoid rocks and other obstacles. Class III:  Large, continuous series or sets of waves, some in excess of six feet. You can run holes or hydraulics or maneuver around them. There may be some small drops, ledges or waterfalls. Plenty of thrills for most folks. Class IV:  Difficult, wild water; for experienced rafters. Class V:  Very challenging water; for the most experienced river runners only. Class VI: Virtually non-navigable.

Easy riding From cruising on your ‘hog’ or popping a wheelie on your KTM, riding in Sisters is about as good as it gets. Cross-country, enduro, Supermoto, MX… yeah, it’s all good in Sisters. Bring it on. Hard to say what’s better – the riding or the meeting up in town. Where to ride: • The McKenzie-Santiam Pass Loop  at around 80 miles is the big daddy. Jaw-dropping views are the payout. Winding roads, sharp bends, and steady climbs are the easy-to-pay toll. Midway is like landing on the moon where lava fields are geologic wonders best viewed from the Dee Wright Observatory. • The Cloverdale Loop . A little bit of everything on this ride – bucolic hay fields, alpaca ranches, a winery, longhorn cattle, multi-million-dollar horse farms, a wildlife preserve, abandoned mine, western art gallery, meandering streams….  • Getting dirty. Sisters, surrounded on three sides by national forest, will thrill you with hundreds of miles of unpaved roads, with two-lane “avenues” leading to pristine creeks and lakes. Sisters has some of nature’s most stunning landscapes, many snowcapped year round. That’s just a sample. Not too far away are the Oregon Badlands  and the spectacular Cascade Loops . What to expect? It all starts with the big welcome mat. Sisters folk share your sense of adventure — helpful professionals like the team down at Sisters Moto. The terrain is as vast as your imagination. We have ridiculously cool camping options. And a slew of trails and roads into nature’s wonderland that starts – or ends – right downtown. Park and hike. Park and fish. Park and camp. Hardtails Bar & Grill welcomes riders, in keeping with its theme. Insiders say: “It is a lovely backroad experience. Santiam Pass has views of Mt. Washington, Three Fingered Jack, as well as the Three Sisters. Along the McKenzie Pass, the Three Sisters are close at hand. It gives great access to hiking trails into the wilderness with lots of alpine lakes nearby as well as waterfalls.” –  All Trails “Our local community of riders is impressive and not only in numbers! We come from all walks of life. We take care of each other on the trail, and we act as good land stewards and ambassadors to the visiting outdoor enthusiasts we encounter.” — Rick Leiberson, local rider “Kinda hard to find a better basecamp than Sisters for days and miles of getting your riding fix. We rode about 250 miles in all directions over two days and didn’t see the same thing twice.”– Outback Riders

Each Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., June through September, Fir Street Park in the center of Sisters becomes a bustling open-air marketplace where locals and visitors alike gather to seek out locally grown vegetables, fruits, meats, and eggs, and find artisan products from soaps to pet food to lotions to kombucha. Sisters Farmers Market is growing a vibrant community that connects Oregon farmers, ranchers, makers, and shoppers. The market provides access to fresh foods, locally-made goods, and educational activities in a welcoming environment. Close to 40 local ranches, farms, and artisans are represented in booths in the park. Sisters Farmers Market is a program of Seed to Table, a nonprofit educational farm dedicated to connecting food, wellness, and education in Sisters.  The park is full of vendors, and the shopping is unique and fun — but a couple of hours at the Sisters Farmers Market is about something more than simply filling your tote with fresh and locally-made goods. It’s a place to connect, a place to make new friends, a place to have fun. Kids love to play on the splash pad on the hot summer days, and the Songbird Stage hosts a variety of live music performers. Sisters Farmers Market accepts SNAP/EBT and offers a SNAP match of up to $20 with Double Up Food Bucks. Stop by the Info Booth to learn more about using SNAP at the market or visit the Market’s website for more information. For more information on the market and events visit sistersfarmersmarket.com . For a directory of dining options throughout the week in the Sisters area, click here .

So you’re into food truck dining? So are we. Maybe we’re biased, but we think of food trucks in Sisters as gourmet. Many a townie only eats this way when dining out. Who can blame them? The options are diverse and wonderful: wood-fired pizza, Pavones-style Latin plates inspired by Rosario cuisine in Baja — cashew sour cream, aioli, hemp hearts, griddled mushrooms, pineapple marinated pork, collard greens, Japanese milk bread, Italian wedding soup. Getting the idea? Let’s go check them out... Where to eat: • Eurosports Food Cart Garden  on E. Hood Avenue with at least three trucks and a taphouse. You can also rent or buy bikes and get outfitted with skis. • The Barn In Sisters on E. Main, a tap-house with at least four trucks and frequent events. Nearly a dozen Sisters eateries offer patio or porch dining in season with take away. Keep an eye out for solo food trucks that might pop up around town. What to expect: Homemade, cooked to order. Organic? Of course. Vegan options? About 25. Variety? 150 menu offerings. Beer and wine? You bet. What’s food truck food without beer? 20 plus taps and over 100 beverage choices including herbal, Kombucha, and sparkling. Dog- and kid-friendly. Heated patios or decks. Live music regularly and abundantly, free street parking. Insiders say: The Barn in Sisters : “Great location and building. Great seating and good options for food and the food trucks. Sandbox for the kids and a stage for live entertainment. Plenty of seating and nicely landscaped. Fire features for those cold days and nights. Staff were great and helpful.” – Elite 24 Yelp Review. Eurosports : “Friendly and knowledgeable bike technicians. Seasoned knowledge found here. It’s a fun place to visit, rent a bike, hangout, and eat from the food trucks, catch live music on Friday evenings during the summer. Love this place. And it’s in a perfect location to park, and just up the road is the PRT system. Can’t go wrong.” – Chris Parsons, Restaurant Guru. For a directory of dining options in Sisters, click here .

Many visitors to Sisters Country come to the area for outdoor pursuits, including running. The area is a paradise for trail running, with choices of established trails as well as backroads and paved byways.   Those visitors looking to find an organized race to run are in luck. Local running events take place throughout the year in and around Sisters.  From low-key 5k’s to ultra-length trail runs, Sisters Country has a lot to offer.  When Kelly Bither moved to Sisters she immediately established an organization called RunSistersRun  and over the past three years she has offered three different family-friendly, themed races during the year, with a fourth on the way.  In December runners don their holiday garb for the Ugly Sweater Run. Around St. Patrick’s Day in March everything turns green for the Lucky Leprechaun 5k and 10k, and in September runners kick up their heels at the Pole Creek Ranch for the Giddy-Up run.  Bither plans to add a Fourth of July run to take the place of the popular Rumble on the Runway, which had its last hurrah in 2023.   Details for all these races can be found at www.runsistersrun.com . The grandfather of all the local races is the Peterson Ridge Rumble , which takes place in mid-April. The Rumble got its start in 2001 as a low-key trail run and has now grown into one of the most popular trail races in Oregon, with distances of 20 and 40 miles on courses that use large sections of the Peterson Ridge Trail system, as well as the Metolius-Windigo Trail. The race attracts participants from throughout the Northwest and has a cap of 500 entrants.  Sean Meissner, race director for the Rumble said, “For runners, having these local races just gives them one more reason to come and visit this beautiful area.”  Summertime features a unique race held July 20 at the Hoodoo Ski Area called the Hoodoo Run to the Top , sponsored by the Sisters Kiwanis Club. The main event is a trail half marathon, but a 5k race is also available. And, yes, the finish line is truly at the top of Hoodoo Butte.  October 26 is the date for the annual Happy Girls Sisters half-marathon , 10k and 5k for women. The half-marathon is mostly on the Peterson Ridge Trail and finishes at FivePine Lodge.  Additionally, visitors are welcome to join the local running club for get-together runs throughout the year. The Sisters Country Running Club  posts invitations for informal runs via Facebook. Those interested need to request to join the group on Facebook as it is private, according to Amy Margolis, one of the site administrators. In addition to “Track Tuesday” when the group meets at 6:30 a.m. at the high school track, other offerings are posted throughout the week with dates, times, and distances.   Many other races are offered in the Central Oregon region as well,  most of which are posted on the website for FootZone, the running store in Bend www.footzonebend.com . July 4: Red, White and Blue 5k October 12: Giddy-Up October 26: Happy Girls Sisters:  Half Marathon, 10k, 5k  December 7: Ugly Sweater  Track Tuesdays (6:30 a.m. year-round)

There’s music in the air almost all the time in Sisters. From major music festivals to a thriving open mic scene, local musicians mix with national and regional performing artists to create a vibrant music community. The food cart scene at The Barn and at Eurosports Food Cart Garden is spiced up with music throughout the summer. Hardtails Bar & Grill hosts a popular series of classic rock tribute band concerts each summer. This year there will be tributes to Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and more. Visit https://bendticket.com/venues/9983 for more information. Sisters Depot Kitchen & Cocktail Bar hosts music in its courtyard during the summer, and has created a listening room known as Frankie’s Upstairs. Visit https://sistersdepot.com/our-events . The restaurant also plays host to a popular open mic session that encourages musicians and songwriters of all levels to share their work or their work-in-progress. You’ll find music at The Open Door Wine Bar ( https://www.opendoorwinebar.com/calendar ) and at Sisters Saloon ( https://sisterssaloon.net/live-music/ ) with a mixture of local and regional artists taking the stage. The Belfry ( https://belfryevents.com/ ) has become a legendary venue and a destination for touring musicians in the Pacific Northwest.  The scene is enhanced by strong music programs in Sisters schools. Young jazz musicians are encouraged to jam with established pros in jazz sessions, and the Americana Project cultivates young songwriters and performers. An active fiddle club at Sisters Middle School is producing young fiddlers who have hit the road to experience music festivals in the Pacific Northwest. Sisters is always reaching for a high note.