Great Hiking on Badlands Rock Trail (Bend)

It’s been a rough week for hitting the trails all over Oregon. We’ve seen torrential floods to the north, ankle-deep slush giving way to even deeper mud to the south, and icy crust in the Cascades. Was any spot left unscathed by wild weather? We headed to the Badlands, just east of Bend, where thirty thousand protected acres of High Desert await exploration, filled with funky rock formations, dry river channels, and trees that give new definition to the word gnarly.

On our last visit, our dogs had their first encounter with horses and learned that horses are not big dogs, and do not like to play.  It’s a popular spot for riding, with wide flat trails that ease up to panorama views of the surrounding hills and peaks. In an hour of hiking we only encountered four other people, but three were on horseback. The horses were stoic and patient while the dogs tried to figure them out, but next time I’ll be quicker with the leash.