Best Bike Trails by Sunriver, Oregon!
Sunriver is one of the top family destinations not only in Oregon, but in the entire country. Its stunning location along the Deschutes River & countless family-friendly activities make it a guaranteed good time for everyone. You can golf, bike, swim, paddle-board, kayak, take a lazy float on the Deschutes, go horseback-riding, play mini golf, jump in a bouncy-house….you name it, & they’ve pretty much got it here! But in this article, we’ll focus on my all-time favorite Sunriver activity: BIKING!! We’ll discuss all the “Best Bike Trails in Sunriver, Oregon,” from family-friendly paved bike trails to epic mountain bike tracks set amidst iconic Oregon scenery.
This photo was taken just yesterday on the 4-mile “Airport Loop” section of Sunriver’s paved bike trails. This stretch starts by the Sunriver Lodge & golf course, then winds its way along the Deschutes River (& all the rafters!), ending in the beautiful meadows that surround the Sunriver Airport.
Map of Bike Trails by Sunriver, Oregon
Paved Bike Trails In & Around Sunriver
 Paved Bike Trails = 1) The 34-mile loop that runs through Sunriver (which is mainly flat), & 2) the Sun-Lava Trail, which takes you to Lava Lands Visitor Center.
This is a map of the 34-miles of paved bike trails that run throughout Sunriver (& all of its infamous “circles”).
Mountain Bike Trails by Sunriver
Easy Mountain Bike Trails = 1) Swan Song, 2) Deschutes River Trail, 3) Black Rock (towards Lava Lands), 4) Catch & Release, & 5) Larson.
Intermediate Mountain Bike Trails = 1) Roundabout, 2) Afternoon Delight, 3) Royal Flush, 4) Duodenem, 5) Tyler’s Uproute & Tyler’s Traverse Trail, & 6) Kiwa Butte Trail.Â
Difficult Mountain Bike Trails = 1) Chain Reaction, 2) Tyler’s Traverse Trail, & 3) Lone Wolf.
Use this map to get yourself oriented & familiar with all the bike trails by Sunriver! This map can be found near the famous “Sunriver Bridge,” off of Circle 5, & focuses more on the mountain bike trails in the area.
Best Paved Bike Trails in Sunriver
You’ve got two options for paved bike trails in Sunriver: first, you can simply take off from Sunriver’s Village (particularly if you’re renting bikes from Sunriver Sports) & head out on Sunriver’s fantastic 34-miles of nice, wide bike paths. My favorite sections are the beautiful 4-mile “Airport Loop,” that takes you past the golf course, river, horse stables, & marina ~ it’s gorgeous, & there are no round-abouts or tunnels to worry about! Also, the “River Loop” is a fantastic ride with minimal tunnels; it follows right along the Deschutes River & leads you up to Sunriver’s beautiful & photogenic bridge.
The “River Loop” bike trail in Sunriver eventually leads you to this beautiful wooden bridge. Note: Across the bridge is where many of Sunriver’s mountain bike trails start from, including Roundabout & Afternoon Delight.
Look out for deer while biking on Sunriver’s paths: we saw several during our ride along the “River Loop.”
The second option for a great, paved bike trail in Sunriver is the Sun-Lava Trail, which takes you to the Lava Lands Visitor Center. This trail is 5.6 miles long, & since it’s mainly flat, it’s another great option for families.
The Sun-Lava Trail is 5.6 miles long, & takes you from Sunriver to the Lava Lands Visitor Center. Follow signs at each round-about towards Lava Lands. Photo courtesy of the Bend Bulletin.
Best Mountain Bike Trails by Sunriver
Easy Mountain Bike Trails by Sunriver
1) Swan Song (1.9 miles, Flat): Swan Song is a gravel path out of Sunriver on the West side of the Deschutes River. The trail starts at Besson Park, & ends near the Cardinal Bridge.
2) Deschutes River Trail from Sunriver to Dillon Falls (11 miles, 1,280 feet elevation gain, Intermediate): This trail can be a little hard to follow, as there are a lot of turn-offs ~ & there can be MANY hikers in certain sections, so bring GPS or a map! And if you don’t want to ride 22 miles round-trip, make sure to park a second car at Dillon Falls, or Benham Falls (for a shorter ride).
THE quintessential Deschutes River Trail is a Bend MUST ~ whether you decide to hike or bike it. The trail from Sunriver to Dillon Falls along the Deschutes River Trail is 11 miles long, & it’s advisable to park a second car at Benham or Dillon Falls (unless you want a really long ride)!
3) Black Rock Trail, towards Lava Lands (4.2 miles, Single-Track, Mostly Flat): Flat dirt road with some rocks & LOTS of pine cones to ride over! The trail follows an old black lava flow nearly the whole way. Stop to climb up the lava rock & get great views of the Cascade Mountain range. To start, follow signs in Sunriver to Lava Lands (you’ll find them at nearly every round-about).
4) Catch & Release (4.6 miles, 500 feet of elevation gain):Â This is a connector trail between Lower Stormking & Tyler’s Traverse, so to reach it you’ll need to either ride out from Sunriver on Afternoon Delight, or park at the trailhead. There are a few minor technical sections, but overall it’s a pretty mellow beginner’s ride.
Catch & Release is a little more technical than Swan Song, & gets your heart pumping a little more ~ but overall, it’s a great beginner ride.
5) Larson (2.5 miles, 280 feet of elevation gain): Access Larsen’s Trail off of Tyler’s Traverse.
Intermediate Mountain Bike Trails by Sunriver
1) Roundabout (3.3 miles, 340 feet of elevation gain, Circular Route): Pick up this round-about trail right across the Sunriver Bridge, on the west side of the Deschutes. This is a short, single-track loop that takes you into the Sunriver forest. At the north end, you can take a short out-and-back to Elko Point, which overlooks the river.
2) Afternoon Delight (4.2 miles, 338 feet of elevation gain): Afternoon Delight is a great connector trail that takes you from Sunriver to the Wanoga Trail system, ending near the beginning of Tyler’s Traverse. You can reach this trail from Sunriver by taking either Swan Song or Roundabout Trail.
3) Duodenem (2.9 miles, 375 feet of elevation gain): This single-track loop is a smooth ride with fun features & a lot of banked corners. Catch it mid-way off of Tyler’s Traverse or Tyler’s Uproute.
4) Tyler’s Traverse Trail (6.5 miles, 1,719 feet of elevation gain (or DESCENT), Intermediate-Difficult): Tyler’s Traverse is a single-track, one-way trail & local’s favorite for its variety of features. You’ve got epic views, flowy meadows, steep armored climbs, massive berms, jumps, drops, & rock outcroppings. Most people ride it DOWNHILL only.
Tyler’s Traverse is a perennial local’s favorite, with a 7-mile long downhill, single-track with lots of variety in terrain.
5) Kiwa Butte Trail (1.4 miles, 200 feet of elevation gain): A short trail with some bumpy good times that you can ride in either direction. Kiwa Butte connects the popular Tiddlywinks Trail to Tyler’s Traverse.
Difficult Mountain Bike Trails by Sunriver
1) Tyler’s Traverse Trail & Tyler’s Uproute (6.5 miles, 1,719 feet of elevation gain): There are options on Tyler’s Traverse that can take it from a fun, intermediate ride to EXPERT level, including two armored climbs in the “Penny Mine” area. Also, in the meadow area, you’ll find jumps & berms for more advanced riders. Note: The expert line on Tyler’s includes several small jumps & then a fairly blind 5-6 foot cliff drop, so on your first ride ~ you may want to check it out with a local or guide.
2) Tiddlywinks (7.2 miles, 1,576 feet elevation gain): You can access this SUPER FUN intermediate-difficult trail off of Kiwa Butte, or from the Wanoga Snow Park lot, off of Century Drive. There are fewer rocks here ~ more berms & jumps, then you’ve got open, rolling train up by the Kiwa Trail. This is one of the most POPULAR mountain bike tracks in the country!!
Tiddlywinks is great for more experienced riders, & will give you an intermediate-advanced ride with LOTS of variety & jumps!
3) Lone Wolf (1.3 miles, 450 feet elevation DESCENT): This is an EXPERT trail that can be found near Tyler’s Rock Drop that’s short, but contains BIG jumps & sweeping berms before it connects back to Duodenem.
One More Option…..Phil’s Trail
One last option if you’re headed to Sunriver with a bunch of mountain bike enthusiasts: check out Phil’s Trail Complex in Bend, which is a HUGE mountain bike playground. People of every ability level will be able to find a trail that suits them. The photo below is of me with a group of friends at Phil’s Trail….we all have different biking abilities & were able to find a good intermediate trail that worked for all of us!
Phil’s Trail is THE place in Bend to mountain bike. Budget at least two to three hours to ride dirt trails through the forest here.
Best Bike Trails by Sunriver, Oregon
Since I live in the Bend area, I’ve written quite a bit about all the fun things to do here! For a quick 3-day guide to Bend, check out this article. If you’re traveling with the pup (or two), check out my picks for the top pet-friendly hotels in Bend, or if you want to know what my absolute favorite lakes are by Bend & Sunriver ~ read this article. And you’ll find all my favorite off-leash Bend dog parks in the article below…
xoxo Noelia & Dylan
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