Central Oregon Destination Resort Real Estate Find your perfect home at one of central Oregon's destination resorts!
There are a number of large destination resorts in central Oregon that cater to both residents and visitors. All of them offer at least one golf course, homesites, and a slew of recreational amenities including pools, fitness centers, tennis courts, and depending on the resort, condominiums, horse stables, restaurants, and spas. A couple of them even have airstrips and marinas.
Most also offer vacation rentals, timeshares, and/or overnight lodging in a resort hotel or guest condo. Each has its own identity, micro-climate, and flavor. All are perfectly wonderful!
3 Rivers Recreation Area (est. mid-1960s)
The 3 Rivers Recreation Area is a gated, unincorporated community located in Jefferson County on the southern side of the Metolius arm of Lake Billy Chinook (not to be confused with Three Rivers South – near La Pine). It shares the 97734 zip code with the city of Culver and the smaller, unincorporated communities of Opal City and Grandview. The current Three Rivers Recreation Area is a 4,000 acre gated community that dates back to the mid-1960s. There are approximately 625 property owners, of which about 90 live in the area year-round. About one-third of the area is common area for residents and guests. While the area is zoned “recreational,” it is not a resort in the same way as other central Oregon resorts because the entire development is completely off-grid. There are no telephone lines, power lines, community water, or sewer system. For power, homeowners rely on generators, wind turbines, and solar panels. For the most part, water is trucked into individual cisterns, though some owners have had deep wells drilled. Other property owners have installed propane gas. Phone service is cellular. Internet and TV is by satellite dish. The rules & regulations governing home design in the 3 Rivers Recreation Area are also much more relaxed than those of other resort areas. Because of this, the homes vary greatly in size and construction. It is not unusual for a manufactured home to have a large, custom-built luxury home as a neighbor. Community amenities including a volunteer fire department, marina, recreation hall, the Big Canyon Gun Club shooting range, a 9-hole dry desert golf course, a 5,000-foot airstrip (2,500 feet paved), and miles of ATV trails. The “Three Rivers” in the name is in reference to the rivers that feed Lake Billy Chinook: the Crooked River, the Deschutes River, and the Metolius River. Short-term rentals are prohibited within Three Rivers Recreation Area.
Currently Listed Real Estate in 3 Rivers Recreation Area | Open Houses
Sunriver Resort (est. 1968)
Sunriver is a census-designated location and planned resort community in the 97707 zip code west of HWY 97, 17 miles south of Bend in the Deschutes National Forest along a section of the Deschutes River that has been designated a National Wild & Scenic River. The 3,300-acre resort is located on the site of the former Camp Abbot, a World War II training facility that was established in 1942 but abandoned by 1944. The development of today’s resort was begun in 1968. The community consists of condos, homesites, common areas, a commercial area called The Village At Sunriver, the Sunriver Resort Lodge (offering hotel rooms, conference facilities, and a fine dining restaurant), Sunriver Woodlands Golf Course (a Robert Trent Jones, Jr. design), Sunriver Meadows Golf Course (a John Fought redesign), the Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory, and the SHARC (Sunriver Homeowner’s Aquatic and Recreation Center). The resort also maintains an airport, stables, and Marina. It features over 3,200 homesites and 1,000 condos. All residential properties are assessed a monthly maintenance fee by the Sunriver Owners Association (SROA). The condominium and townhome developments, as well as some subdivisions, assess additional homeowner association (HOA) dues.
Currently Listed Real Estate in Sunriver | Open Houses
Black Butte Ranch (est. 1970)
Black Butte Ranch is located in the Deschutes National Forest off of the Santiam HWY (HWY 20) just south of Black Butte. The former cattle ranch (which dates to the late 1800s) was purchased in 1970 by Brooks Resources, which in turn developed it into a planned community. Today, the homeowners association owns the 1,800-acre resort, which includes 120 vacation rentals, 1,251 home sites, two 18-hole championship golf courses (Big Meadow Golf Course and Glaze Meadow Golf Course), a general store, a few retail shops, three restaurants, five swimming pools, nineteen tennis courts, a full-service day spa, and stables. The entire ranch is interconnected with 33 miles of private roadways and 18 miles of bike paths. Black Butte Ranch shares the 97759 zip code with the neighboring town of Sisters.
Currently Listed Real Estate at Black Butte Ranch | Open Houses
Crooked River Ranch (est. 1972)
Crooked River Ranch is located in Jefferson County’s 97760 zip code between designated Wild & Scenic sections of the Deschutes and Crooked Rivers, just northwest of Terrebonne near Lake Billy Chinook. The ranch dates back to 1910, however it didn’t become a destination resort until 1972. In 1980, it was re-zoned from recreational to rural/residential. The site was re-zoned once more, in 1992, as a residential subdivision. The ranch consists of 2,646 privately owned lots and is the largest homeowner association in Oregon. Amenities include the Crooked River Ranch (CRR) Golf Course & Pro Shop, CRR RV Park, MacPherson Park (with a pavilion for picnics, parties, reunions, etc.), Lions’ Memorial Park, Dick Chandler Baseball Field, tennis/pickleball courts, basketball court, a swimming pool, disc golf course, horse riding arena, general store, saloon, senior center (located in the original main ranch house), as well as many walking/hiking trails, and access to the Crooked River for fishing. At 10,000 acres, Crooked River Ranch is by far the largest resort by area in central Oregon.
Currently Listed Real Estate at Crooked River Ranch | Open Houses
Eagle Crest Resort (est. 1985)
Eagle Crest Resort occupies roughly 1,700 acres on the northern and eastern slopes of the Cline Buttes and shares the 97756 zip code with the city of Redmond (roughly six miles east). The initial phase of the resort borders the Deschutes River while the latter two phases occupy the northern shoulder of the Cline Buttes. Developed in the mid-1980s by the Jeld-Wen corporation, the resort includes the 100-room Inn at Eagle Crest, 10,000 square foot Eagle Crest Conference Center, 80 condominium units, a retail village, and three 18-hole golf courses: The Resort Course, designed by Gene Mason, and The Ridge & Challenge Courses, both designed by John Thronson. Eagle Crest was developed in three distinct phases – each is with its own dedicated sports center. The resort has over 1,850 homes, chalets, townhomes, and fractional (timeshare) residences spread throughout a number of unique neighborhoods.
Currently Listed Real Estate at Eagle Crest | Open Houses
Crosswater (est. 1993)
Crosswater is a 600-acre gated community developed by Sunriver Resort Limited Partnership. Located immediately south of Sunriver in the unincorporated area known as Three Rivers South. This privately owned and operated golf & social club facility is technically separate from Sunriver. Crosswater consists of 23 Osprey Pointe Condominiums, 7 Canoe Camp homes, and 92 estate homesites arranged around the 18-hole Crosswater Golf Course. This course, designed by Robert E. Cupp, crosses the Little Deschutes River seven times. The Crosswater Clubhouse was designed in the classic Northwest lodge style. Inside, visitors will find day locker facilities, the golf shop, an exclusive Resident Member Club with locker rooms, The Turn snack bar, and The Grille restaurant & lounge. Short-term rentals are only allowed in the Osprey Pointe Condominiums.
Currently Listed Real Estate at Crosswater | Open Houses
Juniper Preserve (formerly Pronghorn Resort, est. 2002)
Juniper Preserve occupies 640 acres of land between Bend and Redmond in the middle of the surrounding Juniper forest. Master-planned for 450 homes and 280 nightly lodging units, the resort also includes a business center, fitness center, clubhouse, several restaurants, spa, pools, waterslide, hot tubs, tennis, pickleball & basketball courts, and biking & walking paths all arranged around the 18-hole Jack Nicklaus-designed Signature Golf Course and 18-hole Tom Fazio-designed Championship Golf Course. Juniper Lodge (originally Huntington Lodge), opened in 2019 as a boutique hotel and added 104 overnight lodging units. Juniper Preserve is located 11 miles northeast of Bend and is part of Bend’s 97701 zip code.
Currently Listed Real Estate at Juniper Preserve | Open Houses
Brasada Ranch (est. 2005)
Brasada Ranch is located on the southwest slope of Powell Butte in Crook County’s 97753 zip code roughly midway between Prineville and Bend. Jeld-Wen, the same company that oversaw the development of Eagle Crest, master-planned Brasada’s 1,800 acres for 88 high-end cabins and 750 homesites arranged around Brasada Canyons, a championship 18-hole golf course designed by Jim Hardy and Oregon PGA golfer Peter Jacobsen. In addition to its restaurants, the Ranch House contains eight suites for overnight guest lodging. Other amenities include a 17,000-square-foot athletic center with indoor & outdoor pools, a spa, a conference center, one of the largest equestrian centers in the area, and two ponds stocked with catch-and-release trout. Brasada Ranch was the first newly constructed destination resort in the United States to receive LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
Currently Listed Real Estate at Brasada Ranch | Open Houses
Caldera Springs (est. 2006)
Caldera Springs is a 400-acre gated community located immediately south of Sunriver in the area known as Three Rivers South. Like Crosswater, it is technically separate from Sunriver. Developed by Caldera Springs Real Estate LLC, this resort consists of 45 Caldera Cabins and 320 single-family home sites with lot sizes ranging from about a quarter of an acre to just over an acre. The 9-hole, Bob Cupp-designed Caldera Links & Golf Park winds its way through the northern half of the current development. Amenities include a playground, basketball court, tennis courts, Harper’s Outpost picnic pavilion, Ponderosa & Sable Rock Parks, The Lake House (community center including Zeppa bistro), and The Quarry Pool & Fitness Center. An expansion (currently underway) will add 614 acres and a further 325 to 375 home sites to the resort.
Currently Listed Real Estate at Caldera Springs | Open Houses
Tetherow (est. 2006)
Tetherow is located on Bend’s west side (97702 zip code) between Century Drive and NW Skyliners Road. It directly borders Broken Top to the east and the Deschutes National Forest to the west. The resort’s 700 acres were master-planned to include 181 townhomes, 408 single-family lots, and a luxury hotel & spa – all arranged around an 18-hole, links-style golf course designed by David McLay Kidd.
Currently Listed Real Estate at Tetherow | Open Houses
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