The Cascades Village Mall and its surroundings is one of the most important shopping areas in Bend, and one of the most inaccessible by walking and biking. This version of “Our Favorite Routes” is an update of the very first route in the series “The River Trail.”
The original route extends from Drake Park to Cascades Village Mall, primarily along the Deschutes River Trail. At the Cascades Village Mall end, it takes advantage of the new multi-use path along US 20. As work along US 20 and US 97 have continued, a new route has opened up and new paths have made it easier to get around the edges of the mall.
The original River Trail Route
The River Trail Route starts in Drake Park and follows the Deschutes River Trail north along the river, across Portland Ave, across the First Street Rapids Bridge, through Sawyer Park to OB Riley Rd. Turning north on OB RIley Rd, it continues past the intersection with Empire to Halfway Rd and through the neighborhood to NE Jameson St. A block after turning north on Jameson, the new multi-use path along US 20 takes you to the new roundabout on US 20 and NW Roybal Ln where you can get into the mall or continue north to Cooley Rd and the Old Bend-Redmond Highway.
Variation on the Route: Through Empire and Jameson
Since the River Trail Route was published, a new multi-use path was built from the Empire and Jameson intersection to the Cascade Village Mall. Use the directions for the River Trail Route from Drake Park through Sawyer Park to OB Riley Rd.
Turn left onto OB Riley Rd from Sawyer Park and then right onto NW Empire Ave. This is a busy street with no bike lanes. We suggest that you ride on the sidewalk on the north side of the street. Use caution when crossing the side streets. Immediately after crossing NE Jameson St, turn left onto the brand new multi-use path that goes north between NE Jameson and US 20. In about a quarter mile, the path turns abruptly east (right). There is a blinking pedestrian warning light at the crosswalk at the south bound lane of US 20. Make sure cars stop for you, cross US 20, and follow the brand new multi-use path along old US 97 on the east side of the mall. There are several entrances to the mall from this path so most of the mall and its surrounds is accessible. The multi-use path continues all the way to NW Cooley Rd and Lowe’s. Getting across old US 97 to the businesses on the east side of the street is possible at the stoplights at NW Robal LN and at Cooley Rd.
Variations on the Theme–Along Cooley Rd from OB Riley Rd
If your starting point is the far northwest part of Bend and you can get to OB Riley Rd and Cooley Rd, ride east on the new multi-use path on the south side of Cooley Rd. Cross US 20 at the pedestrian crossing. Use the pedestrian crossing warning light, wait for traffic to stop, and continue east to Hunnell Rd or the old US 97 where you can head south along the new multi-use path.
Alternatives for Confident, Experienced Riders
All other ways to get to the Cascades Village Mall by bike require riding next to fast, heavy traffic, sometimes without a bike lane. The trick is to get to the intersection of NE Jameson and NE Empire, or onto Cooley Rd west of the new US 97 underpass.
- Cooley Rd from the east side: This is the logical way to get to the mall from the far northeast of Bend. Riding on Cooley Rd west of NE 18th St can be harrowing. Parts of Cooley east of US 97 have bike lanes, parts have shoulders, and parts have a rideable gravel area on the side of the road.
- NE Empire Ave from the east side: NE Empire Ave has standard bike lanes and is a good route for confident, experienced riders until you get to the overpass over US 97 and the railroad. In this section, the on- and off-ramps to US 97 make this a very difficult street to ride on. If you choose this route, take extreme care. After crossing US 20, take the multi-use path between Jameson St and US 20 as described above.
- NE 3rd St from the south: NE 3rd St has buffered bike lanes but very heavy, fast traffic. If you choose this route, ride carefully to the NE 3rd St and NE Empire Ave intersection, cross NE Empire with the light and then NE 3rd St (US 20) with the light. Then take the multi-use path between Jameson and US 20 as described above.
This area is improved greatly by the new multi-use paths but is still very difficult to get to from most parts of Bend. It is a shame that this very important shopping area is accessible to almost all of Bend only by driving.