Getting Oriented

Oregonians talk periodically about breaking the state into two pieces along the Cascade Range, but central Oregon provides a natural meeting place between the urban west side and the rural east side. It nestles neatly below the Columbia River Basin and is drained by the Deschutes River, which flows from south to north. Skiers and snowboarders flock to ski areas on the western edge, anglers head to the Deschutes, the Metolius, and the Cascade Lakes, and climbers, campers, rock hounds, and wanderers explore the arid landscapes on the east side. Bend, the largest town for more than 130 mi in any direction, sits roughly in the center of this region.