On an early evening in mid-October, the trees along the shore of Mirror Pond in downtown Bend were stunning, and their reflections were just as spectacular.

We left our boat in Anacortes in early October, and arrived back in Central Oregon as the bright colors of autumn were at their strongest. Our first order of business (after getting unpacked and plugged in at home) was to get out on nearby hiking trails to enjoy the colors before the leaves left the trees. Central Oregon sparkles in the fall!

The trees around the bridge connecting Drake Park to Harmon Park picked up the light from the setting sun.

Fall weather in Central Oregon is often spectacular and it’s our favorite season. Typically we enjoy sunny days and clear nights. The days are warm (temps in the 70s) and nights are cool (30s and 40s). It’s a great time to get out and enjoy nature.

We have lots of choices for hiking near Bend. Several parks and trails are within a half hour of our house. The Deschutes River flows through Central Oregon, and trails along the river provide terrific views and excellent hiking. In the heart of Bend, a dam on the river forms a very scenic Mirror Pond, with several parks and a few homes surrounding the pond. Further along the river there are several areas where we can access the river trail, depending on how far we want to go.

Getting out on the trails was a high priority for us, and we managed to take in several hikes while the leaves were still colorful and gorgeous. We took lots of pictures and thought we’d share a few of the photos from our October hikes around Central Oregon.

Celebrate Autumn!

The Deschutes River was absolutely calm when I took this shot at the Aspen Camp area.

The aspen trees along the Dillon Falls area of the Deschutes River Trail were stunning.

Further along the Deschutes River in the Dillon Falls area we found even brighter fall colors. Gorgeous reflections in the river too!

The trees in Shevlin Park were spectacular the morning we hiked there.

Just south of the Old Mill District of Bend, we found wonderful views along the Deschutes River Trail.

The trees in our own yard were colorful too.