Radlands

Trail Running: Bend and Central Oregon

by Lucas Alberg (Wilderness Press)

The Radlands is a burgeoning network of trails in northeast Redmond on Deschutes County land. A joint project of the Redmond Area Park and Recreation District and the Central Oregon Trail Alliance, the network comprises more than a dozen miles of twisty singletrack through barren high desert landscape. Plans call for over 30 miles of trail to eventually be built, and hopes are that the Radlands will someday be on par with trail systems such as the Peterson Ridge Trail network near Sisters and the Phil’s Trail network in Bend.

Views of the Cascade Mountains on the western horizon are prevalent throughout the Radlands, and northern glimpses offer runners a chance to see Smith Rock State Park from a distance. Up close, the area’s gnarled and ancient junipers dot the landscape off the trails while the countless lava rocks deftly incorporated into the singletrack make for some challenging footwork for trail runners with tired feet.

View Guide