Oregon Badlands Wilderness Area

ABOUT Adventure: Wanderlust Tours is the premier destination for snowshoe tours in Bend, Oregon! Join us to go splashing through the powdery snow in the Cascade Mountains west of Bend, Oregon. Naturalist Guided Experience: Situated in close proximity to the Pacific Ocean, the mountains which build Bend’s backdrop, typically get hammered with 400-600 inches of fluffy snow in winter. Most importantly, this frozen substance provides life for all things on earth, but it also provides an outstanding chance to view how nature reacts and adapts during the winter months. The single best way to observe nature in winter?- strapping snowshoes to your feet! The native wildlife in Central Oregon have adapted to the deep snow and it is the best time of year to follow tracks of pine martens and fox while we make tracks of our own. A stunning, fun-filled experience awaits you as our guides will inspire you with new understandings you may have never considered! Location: Snowshoeing tours take place in the areas around Mt. Bachelor and the surrounding Deschutes National Forest of the Cascade Mountain Range of Oregon. New to off-trail snowshoeing? Let Wanderlust Tours do the driving, break trail, and teach you fun snowshoeing techniques and tricks. All tours include instruction. Wear winter boots and powder/ski pants to keep your feet and legs dry while snowshoeing.×

ABOUT Adventure & Naturalist Guided Experience: The Geminids Meteor Shower is one of the most plentiful meteor showers that grace our night skies each year! Cruising on snowshoes under the night sky, we will immerse ourselves in the winter wonderland of the Deschutes National Forest, enjoying a cup of delectable hot cocoa as we meander through the powdery snow! During our adventure, our incredible Naturalist Guides may share the history of trapping on snowshoes or the invention of snowshoeing by Native Americans. The hushed ambiance of the forest coupled with the glimmer of starlight dancing off of winter’s white blanket will surely leave you and your group inspired! Location: Snowshoeing tours take place in the areas around Mt. Bachelor and the surrounding Deschutes National Forest of the Cascade Mountain Range of Oregon. New to off-trail snowshoeing? Let Wanderlust Tours do the driving and teach you fun snowshoeing techniques and tricks. All tours include instruction. Wear winter boots and powder/ski pants to keep your feet and legs dry while snowshoeing. This December’s Geminids will be a mixture of nights where meteor sightings will be likely as well as nights where the full moon will be shining brightly and limiting visibility. The Geminids Meteor Shower begins Dec. 4th and ends Dec. 20th, with a full moon peaking on Dec. 15th. We have a few meteor shower focused options from Dec. 4th - 7th & Dec. 19th as well as full moon focused options for Dec. 13th - 15th. To find more details on the likelihood of meteor sightings and moon phase for each specific day, please check below.×

Start your fly fishing journey right with good fundamentals and fun! This introduction to fly fishing on the famous Deschutes River is a great course for the beginner or fun for the whole family. It also makes a great gift!×

ABOUT Adventure: Wanderlust Tours is the premier destination for kayak and canoe tours in Bend, Oregon! Join us on this iconic paddling tour on the high elevation mountain lakes in the mighty Cascade Range. Naturalist Guided Experience: Our renowned naturalist guides will highlight the sweet spots on these stunning lakes that might not initially meet the eye. During our 2 hours on the water, along with the fun and sun, we may impart an understanding of the region’s geology- how fire and ice built and sculpted our landscape. Or we might highlight how wetlands surrounding the lake provide incredible habitat for vocal avians amped on finding great lakeside food! Your crew will be energized with revelations about natural and cultural history that’ll keep your mind humming with delight long after you return home with fond memories of the tour. Location: Wear your swimsuit for a refreshing dip along with eco-friendly sunscreen! You’ll see parts of these large lakes that are only accessible by paddling into the fingers, coves, bays, and wetlands created by ancient eruptions and erosion. With sweeping views of our local mountains, our Bend, Oregon kayak tours have it all!×

ABOUT Adventure: Wanderlust Tours is the premier destination for cave tours in Bend, Oregon! Join us on this epic subterranean tour on Bend’s ponderosa pine-studded high desert. Our renowned naturalist guides will highlight sweet bits of these cool caverns that might not initially meet the eye. Naturalist Guided Experience: During our 2 hours underground, in the darkest, quietest spot earth can provide, we may impart an understanding of the region’s geology- how massive volcanoes created these wonders. Or we might share how the cave habitat provides for creatures important to human life. Your crew will be energized with revelations about natural and cultural history that’ll keep your mind humming with delight long after you return home with fond memories of the tour. Caves: Bend’s lava caves have a delicate ecosystem that few have experienced to the fullest! Wanderlust Tours is the only guide company permitted in these special lava caves. These caves are also wild, meaning they do not have a paved path or lighting. Closed toe shoes are recommended for navigating the uneven rocky surfaces. Cave Difficulty: Mother Nature has created a wonderfully diverse array of caves that offer a variety of experiences. All of the caves we visit are wild, meaning other than the staircase to enter them there are no man made improvements put into the caves (walkways or lights). The walking surface is uneven and can be varying degrees of rugged and rocky. In our estimation, this cave presents a moderate degree of difficulty as it involves many fun opportunities for scrambling up/down/around rocky areas and crawling through short passages. >> Compare our different Cave Tours On all our cave tours, our guides are attentive to keeping the pace suitable to all members of the group so that everyone can move at a comfortable speed.×

Meet your guide around 8 am on the river (guides will let you know meeting location) and ends around 5 pm "‹ Price Includes: * A gourmet lunch * ALL flies, leaders and tippets * Transportation up & down the river or from meeting point specified by guide. * Any gear needed - rods, reels, waders, etc.×

Oregon's coastal elk river posses some of the most harmonious habitats and grounds a person can find. This stunning country is an Oregon adventure not to miss out on. Riverbanks touched mostly by wildlife and river beds full of extremely fresh Chinook salmon. This float begins only a mere 10 miles from the ocean mouth providing some of the best salmon fishing in this region. Not only do the best guided Chinook salmon trips come from the elk river, but the grade of the salmon you catch from it is also above excellent.×

Steelhead fishing on Oregon's coastal Sixes river is one of the best fishing adventure's you can find. Fishing for steelhead on the Sixes is very productive and since you are so close to the ocean these fish put up a very good fight. The steelhead caught off of the Oregon coast are super fresh sometimes still having that sea lice on their bodies. Sea lice?! It's okay, that is good and means they probably hit fresh water within the last 48 hours.×