Behold the longest craft beer trail in the West!

You might have heard, we’ve got some mighty fine craft breweries here in Bend.

With more breweries per-capita than any other city in Oregon, our little mountain town on the dry side of the Cascades has a stunning amount of exceptional craft beer options. At last count, Central Oregon boated 32 breweries, a number that seems to grow every year.

And there’s no better way to sample the goods than the Bend Ale Trail.

Use the Bend Ale Trail passport – you can grab one at Grafletics Sportswear in the Old Mill District – and get a stamp at each brewery and/or brewpub you visit. Once you get 10 stamps, swing by the Bend Visitor Center downtown at 750 NW Lava Road and claim your prize! Collect all 18 stamps on the Bend Alt Trail passport and the folks at Visit Bend will hook you up with a super-special award for your super-special effort.

Here’s some quick tips for tackling the Bend Ale Trail:

Pick Up a Map & Passport

No purchase is necessary to complete the Ale Trail, all you’ve got to do is stamp your passport at each location. Use the passport from Grafletics – they’ve also got a kegerator with free craft beer samples at the ready – download one here, or grab a copy from the Bend Visitor Center downtown. Also, it’s not a great idea to attempt the entire Bend Ale Trail in one day. Luckily Bend is home to some great hotels, resorts and vacation rentals.

Be Responsible

If you’re devoting a good couple of hours to craft beer drinking, be sure to have a plan to get home or back to wherever you’re staying while in town. Lyft and Uber both operate in Bend, as well as a host of cab companies. Our good friends at Wanderlust Tours and The Bend Tour Company also offer guided brewery tours that include transportation.

Go Beyond Beer

Don’t be afraid to mix things up! Bend also has an outstanding selection of cider houses, distilleries and wineries. A stop at Va Piano for a glass of red or an Old Fashioned at Greg’s Grill are great options any time, but especially if you’re looking to get outside the IPA bubble.