Starry Sky Snowshoe & Bonfire

Nighttime Snowshoe to a Bonfire in Bend, Oregon

Snowshoeing at night is a surreal and magical experience. Headlamps weaving through a forest wonderland and snowshoes kicking up the soft powdery snow underfoot. Your destination? A hand-carved amphitheater with a bonfire set in the middle. You all starry-eyed yet? You will be! Strap in for a Bonfire on the Snow snowshoe tour, brought to you by Bend’s premier outdoor adventure guides.

Wanderlust Tours leads this beginner-friendly snow trek up to a bonfire set under the open star-soaked sky … with hot chocolate and an optional dash (or three) of hazelnut espresso vodka to warm your bones. With no light pollution, you get sky-watching bliss.

Wanderlust’s outstanding guides are naturalist experts who know and revere the land they inhabit. They’ll get you outfitted with headlamps and snowshoes, then guide you through a landscape of old- and new-growth forest, enthusiastically sharing environmental trivia. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to examine winter’s nocturnal animals via paw prints on the snow—is it a pine martin or a Sierra Nevada red fox?!

Wind your way to the impressive snow amphitheater encircling a glowing bonfire. Warm seat padding is almost as delightful as the reception you’ll receive from the friendly hosts who greet you with hot chocolate (ahem, remember they offer vodka) and locally baked cookies. Swap stories with new friends, and gaze up at the stars as your guide points out constellations, including winter’s hexagon and pyramid. Which star is really the brightest in the sky? (Hint: It’s not the North Star.) Feeling oh snow romantic? Wanderlust Tour’s next available Bonfire date is Valentine’s Day (tours run through mid-April).

BONUS BEER TOUR: Sure, you like bonfires, but you also like beer! Pair your brew with a killer view on Wanderlust’s Snowshoes, Views, and Brews tour.

STAY & EAT: There are numerous options for staying in Bend, many of which are downtown or within walking distance. A few we like: McMenamins’ Old St. Francis School is a lively locals’ favorite with a Turkish-style soaking bath, movie theater, brew pub, and multiple drinking locales, including a hidden bar found only after opening and closing a lot of doors. Oxford Hotel is upscale boutique, and the Doubletree by Hilton is family-friendly with great hospitality. For dinner, we like Zydeco’s creative menu and wine list. For breakfast, stop at Jackson’s Corner for farm fresh everything. Want après cocktails? The bar at Tim Garling’s Jackalope Grill makes a tasty signature Winter Margarita.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

    View
  2. Surfboards and tents for shade are set up on the beach at Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area in the Swim Lagoon Area

    Switchbacks and Swimming Holes

    Hike hard, play hard! This 7-mile out-and-back in Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area is a great workout with payoff vistas and a relaxing post-hike picnic and dip in the water.

    View
  3. Hike the Rainbow

    Catch all the colors of a rainbow at Calero County Park on this 10-mile hike currently showcasing the season’s best blooms.

    View
  4. Hike Purisima Creek Open Space Preserve

    Purisima Charisma

    Hundred-foot redwoods, a shaded canyon, and views overlooking Half Moon Bay. This 10-mile loop hike in Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve is a roller-coaster of uphill and downhill along with easygoing stretches through some of the Bay Area’s most beautiful landscape.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. People on a guided horseback tour with Central Coast Trailrides at Santa Margarita Ranch near Paso Robles

    Saddle Up with Central Coast Trailrides

    Untouched and sweeping, the mountainous scenery and deep valleys of Santa Margarita near Paso Robles are just begging to be explored. So saddle up for a scenic adventure with Central Coast Trailrides (CCT) at the 14,000-acre Santa Margarita Ranch.

    View
  2. A woman on a hiking trail with huge open space and yellow flowers around her at Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks

    Going Wildwood

    Consider this your invitation to get a little untamed. In just one walk through Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks, you can chase the sound of a cascading waterfall, duck into a shadowy cave, and soak in big hillside vistas. The mostly flat 4.25-mile loop makes wild feel wonderfully accessible.

    View
  3. Two people fly fishing on the Truckee River with guides from Reno Fly Shop

    Zen and the Art of Fly Fishing

    Learning to fly fish is one of the most fun and beautiful ways to connect with nature, family, friends, and yourself. It’s also a great way to truly experience the magic of a place. Make that place Reno Tahoe, where a fly fishing adventure with Reno Fly Shop is like being planted in a plein air painting of dreamy outdoors.

    View
  4. A woman on the overlook deck overlooking the Truckee River at Oxbow Nature Study Area in Reno

    This Way to Oxbow and Dickerson Road

    Just west of downtown Reno—tucked right alongside the Truckee River—is a nature haven for wildlife spotting and waterside relaxing. The 22-acre Oxbow Nature Study Area is ideal for those seeking solitude and a short hike. Afterwards, explore the creative hub of Dickerson Road.

    View