A Guide on how and where to elope in Oregon’s Deschutes National Forest

The Deschutes National Forest is the National Forest where I personally recreate the most. It is closest to Bend, OR, where I currently call home.

It covers a vast swath of land, mainly along the Eastern slopes of the Central Cascade Mountains. Within, it contains forests of ponderosa and jack pine, divine vistas of snowcapped volcanoes and serene alpine lakes.

Whether you’re looking to trek miles or just mill about near your car or campsite, there is something for you and your elopement plans in Deschutes National Forest.

Land Acknowledgement

The borders of the Deschutes National Forest encompass lands that were stolen from the Native Americans of the region. Since time immemorial, the people of many nations, including Warm Springs, Wasq’u (Wasco), Paiute, Klamath, Modoc and the Yahooskin-Paiute Tribes, have lived here. Whether residing here or visiting to fish, hunt or gather, they are the original stewards of this land.

Today, as we use these lands, it is important to recognize and acknowledge the violent history and forceful removal of the original inhabitants. While treaties have been signed that recognize the sovereignty of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and the Klamath Tribes, more needs to be done to reconcile with the past harms done to these nations and these people, and to reconnect them with their ancestral lands. We must do our best to honor this by respecting this history and the land.

Why Choose Deschutes National Forest for your elopement?

From the evergreen forests of the mountain hemlock and grand fir to the arid expanses of sagebrush and ponderosa pine, the diversity of ecosystems is unique among national forests.
A myriad of alpine lakes to choose from – sweeping views of mountains, amazing wildlife viewing, putzing around on a pontoon boat, taking a refreshing dip in the clear water, paddling to explore nooks and crannies of the volcanic past.
There are several rustic lakeside resorts to stay at – Odell, Elk, Suttle, Paulina lakes all have resorts.
Several of our nation’s Wild and Scenic Rivers flow through the Deschutes National Forest
Trails that reach stunning snowy peaks
In general, there’s a huge number of epic places to choose from– see more details inthe next section.

Elopement Ceremony Spots and Hiking Areas

As previously stated, the Deschutes National Forest is vast and full of many amazing spots for an elopement. Below are merely some of the spots thatI think of frequently when helping people decide where to elope, or just when I want to go explore.

Suttle Lake –

One of several lakes with a rustic resort along the shores. It is a popular spot for paddling and camping, and nestled in the hills above, Scout Lake is great for swimming.

Metolius River –

One of Oregon’s Wild and Scenic Rivers, the crisp, clean water can be seen gushing from the lava rocks. In the fall, I love going leaf peeping for larches and vine maples along the banks of the Metolius.

Upper Deschutes Trail System –

Another Wild and Scenic River, this stretch of the Deschutes River, upstream of the town of Bend, has meadows, forests, lava cliffs and even tumultuous rapids that make for a scenic vow exchange. My favorite areas along this stretch of trail are Dillon Falls and the Slough Day Use area. They are about a mile from one another, and there’s a rope swing into the water for people seeking a small thrill.

China Hat Road –

This road curves through a section of the National Forest to the southeast of Bend, and is a popular spot for runners and mountain bikers. There is a system of caves and several buttes peppered throughout the area. A few of my favorites are Bessie Butte, Boyd Cave, and the Secret Forest. NOTE: the road is currently closed by the forest service for clearing and wildfire prevention.

Tumalo Falls & Skyliner Area –

Tumalo Falls is a spectacular waterfall that plunges about 97 feet into a beautiful canyon. From the trailhead, you can access many trails within the National Forest, and there are other waterfalls and cliffs to explore upstream of the main fall. The system of forest roads around Tumalo Falls are super fun to drive around and explore. One spot that I particularly like is this cool outcropping of shale near the Skyliner Tower. From up there, you can see layers of ridgelines all the way out to Mount Bachelor.

Mount Bachelor & Tumalo Mountain –

Mount Bachelor is quite a famous ski resort. In fact, it’s the only place in North America with 360 degrees of skiable slopes from the top. It is a really cool spot for a skiing elopement, but the lifts do run in the summer for mountain bikers and hikers. You can ride up to the lodge and romp around the mountain to find the perfect ceremony spot… even hike all the way to the top.

Tumalo Mountain is a nearby hiking area. It’s about 2 miles to get to the top, and up there you can see all the towering strata volcanoes– South, Middle and North Sisters, Broken Top, and Mount Bachelor.

Cascade Lakes Highway –

The scenic byway out of Bend that twists through the mountain landscape and passes by a myriad of alpine lakes; many of which are a short jaunt from the parking lot, others are along famous backpacking and hiking routes. Some of my favorites are:

Sparks Lake – only about 35 minutes from Bend, extremely scenic and, as such, extremely popular. One of my favorite spots for a sunrise elopement in the alpine.
Todd Lake – A small, serene lake tucked away into the trees. There are some meadows and views of Mount Bachelor nearby,
Elk Lake – The only lake on the highway with motorized vehicles, however, it is a No Wake Lake, meaning you can’t go faster than 10 mph. My friends and I rented a pontoon boat a few summers ago and it was super fun. In July, Elk Lake is the PERFECT temperature for swimming.
Hosmer Lake – right next to Elk Lake, but a completely different vibe. The shores of this lake are much more vegetated, covered in tule (ayyyy!) and cattails, making it a perfect place for wildlife viewing. I went on the most epic sunset paddle here once, with a completely pink sky, glowing mountains and river otters! And more mosquitoes than I’d have liked, but it was totally worth it.
Six Lakes Trail – Weaving through jack pine forests and visiting a number of pretty, swimmable lakes. Many folks backpack this route because it’s about 20 miles, but you can hike to Lucky lake and back in about 3.5 miles.

Meissner Snow Park –

There are good hiking trails around here, but this area really shines in the winter. If you are looking for cross-country skiing or snow shoeing places for a winter elopement, this is a great spot. There’s a number of routes and many of them are beginner friendly (I would know!).

South Sister –

Definitely a more ambitious hike for an elopement. Round trip from the trailhead at Devil’s Lake, it is just over 12 miles, and it’s a real BUTT KICKER of a hike. The last couple miles are basically straight up a scree field, but being at the top of that mountain is SO COOL. The summit is around 10,358 ft. You can do it in multiple days and set up a base camp by Moraine Lake or nearby, and hiking to the summit from there.

Camp Lake –

I LOVE Camp Lake. It is truly a magical place. You can hear the glaciers on South Sister moving and cracking. It is so-named because this spot is often used as a base camp for people attempting to summit all three of the Sisters. It’s about 8 miles from the Pole Creek Ranch Trailhead, so I’d recommend it as an overnight trip, plus the sunrise is phenomenal here, illuminating the peaks in morning alpenglow.

Tam McArthur Rim & Three Creeks Lake –

Hiking out onto a montane rim that gives epic vistas of the Cascades, plus a little lake shaped like a heart. Three Creeks Lake is at the start of the trail to the rim, and folks camp and play around there.

Broken Top & No Name Lake –

Oh man… Broken Top. It’s sort of hard to describe how cool it is. In the right conditions, the lake is a piercing aquamarine color, with fields of snow plunging into the water, underneath a jagged summit of Broken Top Mountain.

Newberry Volcanic National Monument –

Oregon is positively littered with volcanoes and evidence of a violent volcanic past. The Newberry Volcanic National Monument covers a large swath of the Deschutes National Forest. In fact, the area across the river from the Upper Deschutes trail system is part of it. Here are some of my favorite spots within the monument:

Paulina Peak (paul-EYE-nah) – My favorite part of Paulina Peak is that you can drive to the top, making it a very beautiful, very accessible place for a ceremony.
Paulina Lake – One of the most popular activities in Newberry is the HOTSPRINGS along the shore of Paulina Lake. With a view of Paulina Peak, it’s a nice place to chill and hang out. You can either hike along the shore for about a mile, or paddle across!
Big Obsidian Flow – A trail through a lava flow that has full walls and boulders of obsidian! And you can hear pika squeaking around the rock piles, and if you’re super lucky, you might see one running with a mouthful of grass.
Natural Waterslides – along Paulina Creek, there’s a stretch with a series of slippery rocks that you can slide down. It’s kind of a party scene here in the summer. It’s a good time.
Lava River Cave – Maybe not ideal for elopement photos, because photography is “writing with light,” and this is cave… it’s dark. But, you should check it out.
Lava Lands Visitor Center and Trails – An expanse of dark lava rock that stretches to the Deschutes River, with the snowy (seasonally) Sisters in the distance.

Three Fingered Jack via Canyon Creek Meadows –

This trail system is part of the Mount Jefferson Wilderness, which spans two national forests, the other being the Willamette. Three Fingered Jack is another in the line up of shield volcanoes of the High Central Cascades. With a lower summit, but more jagged ascent, it’s a popular spot for technical mountaineering. The trail winds through forests, and wildflower meadows before rising up the ridge which overlooks a turquoise blue cirque… but the best part of this hike is the mountain goats. Not once have I been to Three Fingered Jack without seeing at least one of the resident herd.

Diamond Peak Wilderness –

Diamond Peak Wilderness is an oft overlooked area of Deschutes National Forest, being overshadowed by the Three Sisters and Jefferson Wilderness. Two phenomenal lakes in the area are Odell and Crescent Lake. While technically on the edge of the Diamond Peak Wilderness, I’ll just mention them here so you have a reference on where to train your google map or Alltrails search.

Odell Lake has two cute, rustic resorts to stay at: Odell Lake Resort and Shelter Cove Resort. Crescent Lake is a wild place… this alpine lake has sandy beaches… yeah. Both have great camping options, among the many hiking and camping options throughout the Diamond Peak Wilderness.

Best Time of Year

Well, it depends… as usual, when planning an adventure elopement, it depends on what type of adventure you’re hoping for.

Overwhelmingly, Summer is the best for a hiking elopement. The snow melts in June & July, revealing the higher altitude trails. (Though, the snow pack in Oregon is unlikely to recover to its historic levels due to climate change, so that may get earlier and earlier in the season.) I personally like early summer for snowy peaks. Later in the summer is better for elopement activities like canoeing, kayaking or floating rivers.

It seems silly to mention this, being so obvious, but Winter is the season to choose if you’re hoping to ski, snowboard or snowshoe.

My favorite season in Central Oregon is Autumn. Aspens, larches, cottonwoods, huckleberries and blueberries light the forests with gold and scarlet. The weather is a bit unpredictable in terms of temperature, but is usually pretty sunny.

Permitting Info

Great news… with very little exception, you do not need a permit to elope in the Deschutes National Forest. That is, you do not need a Special Use Permit. That may change depending on how you want to use the land… for example, things like amplified music or a big floral structure might mean that you need a special permit. A large group size will also require a permit, specifically a group over 75 people, which is not an elopement. But if you’re keeping it simple, you’re all set.

There are, however, special permits for Day Use or Overnight Use in specific areas within Deschutes National Forest. Because some areas have gotten very popular for tourism and recreation, the National Forest Service started a new permitting system a few years ago for particularly popular trailheads– for example, the Three Sisters Wilderness, the Mount Washington Wilderness, and the Mount Jefferson Wilderness.

You can get permits for these areas on recreation.gov.

For Overnight permits, there is an advance release date on April 1st at 7:00 am PDT, where about 40% of the permits will be released. Then, after permit season starts, the remaining permits are released on a rolling basis, starting 7 days before the date of the permit.

Day Use permits are not available for advance release. 40% of the permits are released at 7:00 am PDT 10 days prior, then the remaining are released 2 days before the date. (Example: For a permit on July 15, 40% of the permits will be released on July 5, then the remaining 60% are released on July 13.)

Oregon Elopement Photographer

Much the the landscapes of Oregon, a elopement can take many forms. The best part of planning an elopement is the fact that you can shape it to fit exactly what YOU want it to be. If you made the choice to elope in Oregon, or even if you’re just considering it a a possibility, I’d love to help you along the way. Whether you’re thinking of eloping the Deschutes National Forest, or elsewhere in this beautiful state.

I’d be honored to be considered to be your photographer, and I’m happy to answer any questions you have. Please feel free to reach out with any questions you have about the process.