Full-color photo insert and two-color text and maps throughout Bend is a mecca for outdoor recreation Local author who knows and loves the area 1 percent of sales benefit Oregon Parks Forever From the grasslands around the steep Crooked River Canyon to pristine alpine lakes and jagged Cascades peaks, this is a uniquely diverse area. It&&';;s also one of the most popular regions in Oregon due to the rapid growth of the Bend area as a vacation destination, retirement community, and popular location for businesses. Day Hiking: Bend & Central Oregon features 100 day hikes, including the Bend and Sisters areas, Crooked River National Grassland, Mount Jefferson Wilderness, Metolius, North and South Cascades Lakes areas, West Ochocos, Newberry Crater and La Pine, and Badlands and East Bend.