The Oldest Beer Trail Out West Is A Flavorful Gem With Outdoorsy Fun And Prizes For Designated Drivers

Visitors flock to Oregon for adventure in both its great outdoors and great tasting rooms. No secret among wine connoisseurs, Oregon's Willamette Valley is a top destination wine region for rare varietals and edgy, innovative blends. However, before Oregon became known for its wines, it was known for its hops — the not-so-secret ingredient that gives personality to beer. 

The western U.S. lays claim to spurring the craft beer movement of the late 1990s and early 2000s.  And the oldest beer trail out west is in Bend, Oregon, a breathtaking city where craft beer, art, and outdoor adventure unite. Specifically, the Bend Ale Trail offers a great taste of its local craft beer industry, as well as outdoorsy fun and even prizes for those who step up to be the designated driver.

The Bend Ale Trail has been serving up fun since 2010 in the form of a Central Oregon scavenger hunt that invites travelers to visit a number of its local businesses in short order. Organized into seven territories, the official Bend Ale Trail map designates breweries, "drinkable diversions" (including wineries, cideries, and distilleries, because beer doesn't discriminate), and "perfect pairings" in the form of local activities and attractions for between tastings. A web-based app allows participants to earn stamps for their Ale Trail passport. Alternatively, physical passport copies are also available at the Bend Visitor Center, conveniently located in downtown Bend within walking distance of several of the breweries.

With over 30 breweries, 20 perfect pairing activities, and 10 "drinkable diversion" locations, earning stamps in your Bend Ale Trail passport is much like getting stamps in your actual passport. Where to begin? The breweries in Downtown Bend are designated within the Old Block territory. And, within the Old Block, Deschutes is the oldest. Founded in 1988 at its flagship location in downtown Bend, why not kick off there for a sip of one of its 10 available beer styles, including non-alcoholic options? 

Other nearby breweries in the Old Block include Cellar Porter Brewing Co. and Bend Brewing Company. And while you explore the area, you can also take in some art with a tour of the urban murals of Bend's Tin Pan Alley, or soak up some nature during a stroll at Drake Park and Mirror Pond.

Each of the seven territories of the Bend Ale Trail has numerous tasting rooms and diversions to lure you. However, when you're ready to explore beyond downtown Bend, head south to the Riverlands to acquire numerous stamps in your Ale Trail passport. The territory with the most attractions in the program, you can check out the old-world feel of Monkless Belgian Ales, visit Crux Fermentation Project, which is set in a former transmission repair plant, and head to Boneyard Beer for biker bar vibes. Got hop fatigue? The area also houses several wine tasting rooms such as Evoke Winery and Va Piano Vineyards. An even better way to appreciate the Riverlands while you're at it is with a float down the Deschutes River from a launch point in the Old Mill District.

Stamp-seekers along the Bend Ale Trail can be rewarded for hitting up all the locations in a single territory, collecting a stamp from each of the seven territories, or visiting seven drinkable diversions locations. Prizes can be claimed from the Bend Visitor Center, and past prizes have included a custom beer flight set — including taster glasses and a juniper serving board. Extra prizes are also available when you accomplish Ale Trail quests during Ale Trail Month in November.

A special prize is also available for designated drivers — whom the continued success of the Ale Trail program very much relies upon — and who are considered champions on the trail. For a designated driver prize, participants need only visit five locations among any of the territories. A special page in the passport is reserved for designated driver stamps, so those wishing to be honored for their designated driver status (which means not consuming any alcoholic beverages for the entire day while escorting friends around) must have a paper passport instead of the app.

Bend is located about 160 miles southeast of Portland, the state's largest city. A regional airport in Redmond, located about 20 minutes from Bend, also offers connecting flights to hubs in the western U.S. In terms of accommodation, Bend offers numerous (indoor) hotels. However, if you want to add some more outdoorsy fun to your Ale Trail itinerary, the forests outside Bend are prime camping grounds that won't cost you a dime.