Special Events
We have an exciting new host of Special Events and activities in Bend, Oregon each season.
If you're interested in creating your own special tour, please contact our Custom Tour Coordinator.
Upcoming Events
Winter
Winter Pridefest Bonfire Snowshoe | Warming Hut Yoga & Snowshoe | Silvies Valley Ranch Weekend Getaway | Winter in Sisters: Snowshoe Adventure (Jan - Mar)
Spring
Forage to Table Tour & 4-Course Dinner | Volunteer: Smith Rock Spring Thing
Summer
Crater Lake Summer Adventure | Clear Lake Kayak | Perseids Meteor Shower Canoe & Hike | Fort Rock Stargazing Tours
Fall
Volunteer: Cascade Lakes Clean Up
Accessible Tours with AdvenChair (Spring through fall, Open to the public)
Smith Rock, Benham Falls, Crater Lake, Paulina Creek, Tumalo Creek
March 7th, 2025
Friday| 7:00pm - 11:00pm
Celebrate Winter PrideFest and inclusivity in the outdoors in true Bend fashion as we strap into snowshoes and jaunt through the forest for a magical night gathered around a glowing bonfire, sharing drinks under the night sky. Winter PrideFest is a time to come together to celebrate our amazing Central Oregon community and we are both excited and honored to be apart of it!
In association with OUT Central Oregon
March 15th, 2025
Saturday | 7:00pm - 11:00pm
Join us for a soul stirring evening as we embark on a snowshoe adventure under the twinkling night sky. Weaving our way through the forest, we will happen upon a quaint warming hut where we will ground ourselves with a guided yoga practice by firelight! During our adventure we will discuss the intimate relationship between the art of yoga and the natural world. We will cap off our evening with tea, toddy’s, and stargazing!
Winter Getaway at Silvies Valley Ranch
March 7-9
We are so excited to partner with Silvies Valley Ranch for some stunning snowshoe adventures as part of their winter packages! Experience a 3-day, 2-night Winter Adventure, designed for couples or friends! From snowshoeing to a secluded cabin and horse-drawn sleigh rides to feeding baby calves, to relaxing spa moments in our luxurious 13,000-square-foot facilities, this adventure is perfect for anyone seeking both excitement and tranquility. Enjoy gourmet dining, stargazing, and cozy nights in our Rancher’s Suite or upgraded cabin.
You can learn more and book by clicking the buttons below!
SATURDAY’S FROM JAN. 11TH - MAR. 1ST
The Central Oregon winter is simply spectacular! Join us for an incredible snowshoeing adventure through the lush forests of the Central Oregon cascades. We will be offering guests lodging in the Sisters area the opportunity to be picked up and taken on winter adventure just outside their front door. Available every Saturday from January 11th through March 1st.
May 17th, 2025
Saturday | 3:00pm - 8:00pm
Join us as we go right to the source! For this incredible experience, Wanderlust Tours will be partnering with Luckey’s Woodsman, experts in backcountry cooking techniques, to teach guests about foraging techniques, identification of flora and fauna, and how simple ingredients that can be found all around us in mother nature can be used to make and accentuate stunningly delicious dishes! After some hopefully fortuitous foraging, we will gather around the dining table for a four course meal prepared by Luckey’s Woodsman, using locally sourced ingredients and accompanied by local beer and wine!
May 17th, 2025
Saturday | 8:00Am - 1:00pm
Our Smith Rock Hike is part of our Accessible Tour Series with AdvenChair! The tour is open to both the public and those with adaptive needs.
Upon arriving at the park, our options are many, from a beautiful and flat wander along the canyon rim to a descent into the crooked river canyon, hiking along spectacular riparian habitat and scouting for otters and osprey! Both hikes will enliven the senses and spark wonder at the fantastic geology that shapes this incredible canyon.
Multiple Dates Available
Join us for a stunning sunset hike at Fort Rock followed by a night of immersive stargazing! Fort Rock is an absolutely incredible stargazing destination, lying just north of the newly designated Oregon Outback Dark Sky Sanctuary. As a whole, the Oregon Outback is the largest contiguous dark sky shed in the United States, boasting some of the best stargazing in the entire world.
Sat, May 24th
Sat, June 21st (Summer Solstice!)
Fri, July 18th
Sat, September 20th
Sat, October 18th (Click here for the 18th!)
June 15th, 2025
Sunday| 7:30Am - 12:30pm
Clear Lake is a truly stunning body of water! Much like the lake itself, the geological history of Clear Lake is full of surprises and wonder just waiting to be discovered. From the Great Spring that fills the lake with its crystalline waters to the petrified forest that sits frozen in time at the lake’s bottom, this experience is sure to be unforgettable.
Also available August 3rd!
June 22nd, 2025
Sunday | 8:00Am - 1:00pm
Our Benham Falls Hike is part of our Accessible Tour Series with AdvenChair! The tour is open to both the public and those with adaptive needs.
This serene trail will take us through a forest of Ponderosa Pine among spectacular lava flows where vistas of Oregon’s backbone, the Cascade Range, stand tall in the distance. We’ll witness the seemingly placid Deschutes turn torrid as it careens over ancient lava rock falls while aspen groves sweep along the river’s edge.
July 12th, 2025
Saturday | 8:00Am - 5:00pm
Crater Lake National Park is a geologic marvel and home to one of the most stunning bodies of water in the world. From the top of Mt. Scott to the edge of the deepest, purest lake in the United States, the exploration at America's 6th National Park is endless!
Can’t make it on the 12th? We also have a Crater Lake tour on Aug. 30th as part of our Accessible Tour Series with AdvenChair! Learn more here.
August 12th, 2025
Tuesday | 7:30Pm - 11:30pm
The Perseids meteor shower is one of the most plentiful meteor showers that we have the fortune of witnessing, with upwards of 50-100 meteors streaking across the sky per hour! With the moon starting below the horizon and rising as we near the end of the tour, the Perseids are in perfect position to display their magic!
Can’t make it for the 12th? We also have 3 other special Perseids Canoe Tours on Aug. 15, 16 & 17th!
Tuesday, August 12th, 2025
We have two amazing hiking options to take in the mighty Perseids Meteor Shower this summer. Our adventures will take us to one of the many stunning buttes in the area, providing us an incredible opportunity to view the night sky. Join us for what is sure to be a magical night experiencing one of the brightest meteor showers that will grace our solar system in 2025.
August 30th, 2025
Saturday | 8:00Am - 5:00pm
Our Crater Lake Tour is part of our Accessible Tour Series with AdvenChair! The tour is open to both the public and those with adaptive needs.
Crater Lake National Park is a geologic marvel and home to one of the most stunning bodies of water in the world. From the top of Mt. Scott to the edge of the deepest, purest lake in the United States, the exploration at America's 6th National Park is endless!
September 6th, 2025
Saturday | 8:00Am - 1:00pm
Our Paulina Creek Hike is part of our Accessible Tour Series with AdvenChair! The tour is open to both the public and those with adaptive needs.
Paulina Creek flows from the stunning Paulina Lake in the Newberry Caldera and its surrounding wetlands and meadows, providing habitat for a wide range of fish and wildlife! On our adventure, we will head upstream, watching the creek cascade over one volcanic outcropping after another, learning about the incredible National Volcanic Monument that serves as the starting point for this spectacular body of water.
October 5th, 2025
Saturday | 8:00Am - 1:00pm
Our Paulina Creek Hike is part of our Accessible Tour Series with AdvenChair! The tour is open to both the public and those with adaptive needs.
We will begin our adventure along the crystal clear waters of Tumalo Creek. During our hike, we’ll experience a magnificent ecosystem filled with burgeoning flora and fauna such as spring migratory birds. Our route will take us through a section of Tumalo canyon where we will immerse ourselves in some of Central Oregon’s finest geologic features.
Volunteer Events
Smith Rock Spring Thing
Apr 26th, 2025
We are so excited to be help the Smith Rock Group with their annual Spring Fling event! Join us for an fulfilling day of volunteering and community celebration! On April 26th, you’ll have the chance to contribute to one of many meaningful projects around the park, from trail maintenance to habitat restoration.
Cascade Lakes Clean up
Oct. 12th, 2025
After the busy summer months, our beautiful lakes are in need of some TLC. Join the Wanderlust Tours staff in picking up trash from these special places! >> Learn More
Cave Clean Up
May 4th, 2025
Join us and help clean up some of our favorite caves in Central Oregon! Help us fulfill our mission of being stewards on mother nature by picking up trash and debris in and around these incredible caves. >> Learn More
UPDATE: Due to upcoming Forest Service closures in the area where our Cave Clean Up takes place, the 2025 Cave Clean Up will likely not be taking place.
More Special, Custom & Private Events
Enjoy a delicious, specially-catered dinner right by the water's edge, followed by a stunning, Naturalist-Guided canoe tour on the peaceful waters of the Cascade Lakes, or the Deschutes River.
Guided tours of Crater Lake are simply a must. There's so much fascinating cultural, geological, and natural history to learn! Explore Oregon's only National Park with our Naturalist Guides. This is the ultimate family vacation trip!
From Bend, we travel deep into sagebrush country, where we spend three nights and four days uncovering history, hiking through deserts and forests, exploring ranches, and relaxing in hotels established in the early 1900s.
Enjoy a delicious, specially-catered dinner, followed by a magnificent snowshoe trip out to the quiet of the nighttime forest. There, you can relax around a hand-carved snow amphitheater while enjoying some hot drinks made with locally-distilled spirits, locally-made desserts, and the amazing ambiance of the old-growth forest at night.
Experience one of the most stunning sights in the Pacific Northwest! In the winter, we lead snowshoe tours along the rim of this volcanic caldera, explaining the fascinating geological and cultural history of Oregon's only National Park. Afterward, enjoy a deli lunch in this beautiful landscape.
Snowshoe into the gorgeous Central Oregon wilderness, and set up camp for a night of adventure. Enjoy a delicious locally-made dinner and libations around a bonfire, while your naturalist guide shares the cultural and natural history of the area.
Featured Annual Special Events
Every Spring & Fall
Celebrate NYE with a snowshoe adventure
Canoe and Hiking options!
We have a whole host of special events that we offer annually such as our New Year’s Eve Bonfire, Camerata Concert in a Cave, Forage to Table, Meteor Shower Canoe or Snowshoe tours, Stargazing events, and more! The best way to keep up with our events is to subscribe to our newsletter - sign up below!
