Best snowshoe tour in Bend: Wanderlust Tours

Another day, another excellent outdoor experience with Wanderlust ToursWhat makes Wanderlust the best snowshoe tour in Bend? My family and I first experienced Wanderlust during a kayak tour of the Cascade Lakes of Central Oregon, and loved our afternoon so much, we came back for a winter Cascade Mountain Snowshoe tour. Yes, Wanderlust gets our highest possible endorsement: a return visit.

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What makes Wanderlust Tours great? Their access to areas off-limits to other tour operators, their expertise and professionalism, but more than anything, their guides. Wanderlust guides know their stuff—flora, fauna, and outdoor safety—but they don’t just spout it out. They teach it in a natural and enthusiastic way that gets even teens onboard. They meet their guests’ needs in the fullest extent possible, tailoring each tour to what people want to experience.

Before our Wanderlust snowshoe tour, my kids said they didn’t like snowshoeing. It’s an activity I enjoy, and drag them along for. The boys are adrenaline junkies who love downhill skiing and mountain biking: snowshoeing is too tame! However, the minute we met Wanderlust tour guide Danny, I knew their opinion was about to change. I was right: Danny met the challenge of creating snowshoe fans with enthusiasm. He understood and enjoyed kids—a crucial requirement in any guide—and treated them to an off-trail, deep powder snowshoe trek. Our tour included epic snowball fights, snow fort building, snowshoe jumping (and sort of landing) and races. Would this be everyone’s ideal snowshoe trip? Maybe not, but that’s the point: Wanderlust tailored the afternoon to us.

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The nitty gritty:

We started at the Wanderlust Tours office in Bend, and drove approximately 25 minutes up Century Drive into the mountains. We stopped at Mt. Bachelor, where we donned snowshoes and took off into the woods. We weren’t restricted to trails, and while Danny guided our route, he was open to suggestions. Right away, he proved himself a good shot with a snowball, which intrigued all the kids. For the next two hours, we trekked, ran, jumped, and even dove through the snowy terrain, with short periods in which Danny reigned us in to point out various trees and moss, and to give us historical or geological lessons. We stopped mid-way for a hot chocolate break, and practiced building snow shelters just for fun. By the end of our tour, all our boys thanked me for booking the snowshoe tour, and admitted that now that they knew ‘how to make it so fun’, they’d snowshoe with me again. Win-win!

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Snowshoe tours are offered by Wanderlust daily, and span half-days. This is the optional amount of time needed to gear up, get there, and return, with approximately two hours in the snow. Any longer, and we would have begun to feel the cold, and any less, and we wouldn’t have felt as though we’d gotten too far into the wilderness. Wanderlust also offers cave tours, moonlit snowshoe tours, and craft beer tours for adults. In summer, try a kayak tour!

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Tips: As with all outdoor guided experiences, families will want to arrive prepared. For a snowshoe tour, wear waterproof pants and jacket (ski attire works well) and snow boots. Knitted hats and gloves are a must. If you don’t own snow pants or boots, they are available for rent. Snowshoes will be provided. We found it helpful to bring a small day pack to store extra layers and water bottles. We also brought granola bars for the van ride back down the mountain.

Date last visited:

March 2014

Distance from the interstate:

Wanderlust Tours is located in Bend, off Highway 97.

Rates:

During the time of our tour, snowshoe half-day tours were $60 for adults and $55 for kids. Children must be 8 years old and up to participate. Check the Wanderlust Tours website for specific tour date info.

Directions:

The Wanderlust Tours office is located at 61535 S. Highway 97 in Bend.

As I disclose whenever applicable, we experienced Wanderlust Tours as guests, for the purpose of review. All opinions are our own.

Timberline Lodge and ski resort

If you’re looking for a Pacific Northwest ski resort experience that will really impress while remaining kid and family-friendly, you’ll want to book an overnight ski package at Timberline Lodge, a ski-in and ski-out resort nestled on the slopes of Timberline in Oregon’s Mt. Hood area.

We love Timberline Lodge’s historic beauty, cozy rooms, and majestic views, but the best thing is, guests don’t have to sacrifice any of these features for family-friendly prices. Kids under age 11 eat free in the dining room (off the children’s menu), ski and stay packages are always on offer, and rooms are reasonably priced (kids stay free in the same room as parents, or add an extra room for the kids with two twin beds for only $105 a night!).

During ski season, families love the convenience of the lodge’s ski-in and out location, the cavernous ski locker and storage area on the main lobby level, and the wonderful (and filling) ski morning breakfasts in the main dining room. Visitors in the off-season can fill their days hiking, biking, and wildflower spotting on the high mountain peaks. And all year round, Timberline’s heated outdoor pool and hot tub ease the muscle aches of a busy day. Kids love swimming under the stars at night, and adults will appreciate the free coffee, comfortable couches, and games and reading material on-hand in the beautiful lobby.

Main lobby of Timberline Lodge. The stone fire...

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The ski resort itself is perfect for beginners and families representing multiple ski and riding levels. The ride up the top chair offers plenty of challenging terrain, but much of the lower mountain sports wide, groomed trails and expanses. We love that the Wy’East ski lodge is just across the parking lot from the Timberline Lodge for quick snacks, ski rental equipment, and other ski resort fare.

Distance from the interstate: Timberline is located just over an hour from Portland, OR just off Hwy 26 past Government Camp.

Room rates: $155 for a queen room and $105 for a double twin room at time of this publication. Consider coming midweek, when your room will include ski tickets, complimentary breakfast, and a $20 dining room credit!

Dining: For a single lodge, there are a surprising number of dining options for families. The Cascade Dining Room can’t be beat for breakfast, and if you’re looking for an upscale evening meal in a no-fuss or frills atmosphere where kids are welcome (and eat free!), this is the place for dinner, too. If you’re looking for something more casual after a day of skiing or hiking, the Ram’s Head Bar, located on the second-floor landing, has great pub-type food and drinks.

Directions: From Salem, OR: Follow I-5 North to I-205, then take I-205 North to the Mt. Hood exit; turn right. Follow signs to Mt Hood/Government Camp,then follow Hwy 26 to the Timberline access road, just past Government Camp. Turn left on Timberline access road; follow the road to Timberline (6 miles).

From Portland: Take the 205 South to I-84 East (The Dalles exit), then I-84 East to exit 16 “Wood Village”. Go right at stop sign on to 238th, then follow 238th (which becomes 242nd) to Burnside (approx. 3 mi.) Take a left on Burnside, which turns into Hwy 26 East. Follow Hwy 26 East to the Timberline Road turn-off (about 40 mi.); pass through the towns of Sandy, Welches, and Rhododendron. Turn left on the Timberline access road; follow the road to Timberline (6 mi.)