Top 5 sunrises/sunsets of the summer

I’ve never been an early riser. But when work required me to get up before the crack of dawn on multiple occasions this summer, I realized that sunrises in Bend definitely made waking up that early—and all those extra cups of coffee—completely worth it. So I started doing it on my own more often. Below are the top 5 sunrises and sunsets in Bend that I had the pleasure of viewing this summer. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Saying goodnight to the city on Pilot Butte

Pilot Butte State Park is a place every Bendite and visitor should experience at least once a year. There is a road to the top, which makes it an easy detour for you to grab a burger and blackberry shake from Pilot Butte Drive in and go enjoy the sunset over the city, or to simply take a break from your daily routine and breathe in the 360-degree view. There are also hiking trails that are roughly a mile to the top, so you can squeeze in a workout with some killer views in under an hour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Bend evenings at Les Schwab Amphitheater

Some of my favorite summer memories are going to concerts at the Les Schwab Amphitheater at the Old Mill. Grabbing some dinner and listening to great music with good company by a gorgeous river with the Cascade Range in the background… need I say more? I guess you could add a craft beer in there, too. This particular sunset was observed while listening to Sigur Ros Memorial Day weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. An epic morning on Tam MacArthur Rim

This one was so spectacular it warrants more than one photo. A couple coworkers and I decided to wake up at 3:30 in the morning to make it up the 5.4 miles to the top of the Tam MacArthur Rim trail for one of the most epic sunrises I have ever seen. I watched as the first rays of sunlight hit the peaks of Broken Top and the Three Sisters before it flooded the entire Deschutes National Forest and beyond. The hike is relatively short for the treat you get at the top—and we even made it back in time for work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Sunrise paddling at Sparks Lake

If you’ve read anymore of this blog, you know I’m a huge fan of Sparks Lake. As if this place could get any more beautiful, a friend and I went camping by the lake and woke up at 5:30 to catch the sunrise from our kayaks out on the water. Boy were we in for something special.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Chasing sunsets on Tumalo Mountain

Our original plan on this particular excursion was to hike Mt. Bachelor, but we ran out of time. So we packed up our hot chocolate in our Hydro-flasks and a puffy jacket and decided to do Tumalo Mountain, right across the street. It’s a moderate 3.6 miles round trip and gets you views as good as any other. We ended up running the last .5 miles to watch the sun go down and barely made it. I’m sure glad we did.

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