Shevlin Park Loop
Hike details:
Mileage: 4.6 miles round trip w/ 190 ft. elevation gain
Approximate hike time: 1 hour 57 minutes w/ an average pace of 2.3 mph
Difficulty: Easy
Trail usage: High on weekends, low to medium on weekdays
Highest elevation: 3,835 ft. Lowest elevation: 3,603 ft.
General location: 4 miles west of downtown Bend
Accessible: Year-round
(Best time to go is October when the larch trees are turning yellow).
Permits required: N/A
Pit toilet at trailhead: Yes
Trail allows: Dogs on leash only, mountain bikes
Possible dangers: N/A
Approximate hike time: 1 hour 57 minutes w/ an average pace of 2.3 mph
Difficulty: Easy
Trail usage: High on weekends, low to medium on weekdays
Highest elevation: 3,835 ft. Lowest elevation: 3,603 ft.
General location: 4 miles west of downtown Bend
Accessible: Year-round
(Best time to go is October when the larch trees are turning yellow).
Permits required: N/A
Pit toilet at trailhead: Yes
Trail allows: Dogs on leash only, mountain bikes
Possible dangers: N/A
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Description:Shevlin Park is located just a few miles from the heart of Bend and is a great go-to place for locals to come walk, trail run and mountain bike after work and on weekends. This is a special local favorite in October because Shevlin Park is one of the few places in Oregon where you can see larch trees, which have needles that turn yellow in the fall. Shevlin Park has about 50 developed acres where you will find well signed walking, hiking and mountain biking trails through beautiful Ponderosa and lodgepole pine forest and along Tumalo Creek.
The loop described below is the Shevlin Loop Trail which is a beautiful trail that takes you through old growth ponderosa pine, follows the canyon rim and crosses Tumalo Creek twice. From the parking lot follow the sign pointing to the Shevlin Loop Trail. In this write-up the loop is described going counter-clockwise. |
(this covered bridge was originally built for a movie set and was been decommissioned in 2019).
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After 0.7 miles the trail crosses a dirt road and is now right next to Tumalo Creek. For the next 0.9 miles the trail meanders through a beautiful old growth ponderosa pine forest with a few really nice creek views and places where you could sit and just relax, listening to the birds and the water. After 0.9 miles you will reach Fremont Meadow which was a campsite for some explorers back in 1843. There are now picnic tables here among the stately pines.
From the meadow continue down this easy trail for another 0.6 miles, where you will see a wooden bridge that crosses Tumalo Creek. This creek is the culmination of the North Fork and Middle Fork Tumalo Creek, Rock Creek and Bottle Creek, which all begin up on the east side of Broken Top. Shortly after Shevlin Park, Tumalo Creek flows into the Deschutes River. Once you have crossed the bridge, the trail goes up the canyon rim a bit and stays up high until the end of the hike. You will see some larch trees along the way (larches are deciduous conifers whose needles turn from green to yellow in October), and get some great views of the creek below. |
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(flowering Piper's anemone)
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After hiking 2.1 miles you will come to a trail split. The the right is the Discovery Trail, which also connects to the Western Larch Trail (I highly recommend checking that out if you are hiking here in October). To complete your loop you will take the Shevlin Loop Trail to the left and cross the creek and then take a right to go back to the parking area.
Shevlin Park is absolutely gorgeous during all seasons, and it is such a great place to go after work for a short hike, get the kids out on the weekend, or just a lovely place to go and sit by the creek to relax. This loop is very family friendly and the trail has easy footing and is very easy to follow. It is excellent for all levels of hikers. If you are vacationing in Bend, or you live there, this is a must see park! |
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Directions:
From Bend
- From downtown Bend take NW Riverside Blvd. for 0.4 miles, then continue onto NW Galveston Ave/NW Tumalo Ave. for 0.4 miles. At the traffic circle, continue straight to stay on NW Galveston Ave. for 0.5 miles, then continue straight on Skyliners Rd. for another 0.2 miles. Turn right onto NW Lemhi Pass Dr. for 0.3 miles, and at the traffic circle, take the 1st exit onto NW Crossing Dr. and stay on NW Crossing Dr. for 0.1 miles. At the traffic circle, take the 2nd exit onto NW Shevlin Park Rd. for 0.6 miles, and at another traffic circle, take the 2nd exit and stay on NW Shevlin Park Rd. for 1.7 miles then turn left into the Shevlin Park parking lot. (Total of 4.4 miles)
-This trail write-up was last updated March, 2023-
*All pictures are taken by Franziska Weinheimer
*All pictures are taken by Franziska Weinheimer
*Disclaimer: The trail descriptions, mileage, GPS tracks and difficulty ratings depicted on this website are never 100% accurate. Always hike at your own risk, using your own knowledge, equipment and common sense. Franziska Weinheimer/Hike Oregon are not responsible if you or anyone in your party gets injured or lost while attempting one of these or any other hikes.