Phil’s Trail & Beyond: Mountain Biking Phil’s, Wanoga, & Swampy Sno Park in Oregon

Bend, Oregon has no shortage of great mountain bike trails, but perhaps the most well-known stretch of singletrack is Phil’s Trail. While most argue it’s not the best trail in the area (which I would agree), it does have a cool history.

Phil’s – the trail and the network – is named after Phil Meglasson, a surveyor and mapmaker who worked in the Bend area in the late ’70s and early ’80s. He rode his mountain bike as a way to make his job faster and more efficient.

Slowly, Phil’s work riding morphed into fun riding on logging roads, which evolved into seeking out deer paths and tracks – Bend’s OG singletrack.

Today, Phil’s and the connecting singletrack networks of Wanoga, Swampy Sno Park, and Dutchman Flats are home to some of the best mountain biking in Oregon and the west coast.

I’ve spent several months exploring these trails and they have a special place in my mountain bike-loving heart: they’re beautiful, fun, flowy, and diverse with a great community in Bend to boot.

Want to check them out? In this post, I share everything you need to know about mountain biking at Phil’s, Wanoga, and Swampy/Dutchman Flats in Bend, Oregon.

Let’s go!

What to Expect

Typically, I write about mountain bike networks individually, but since Phil’s, Wanoga, and Swampy Sno Park are so close to each other and all the trails interconnect, I’m grouping them together in one blog post.

Here’s how they compare individually:

Phil’s

Phil’s is the mountain bike network closest to Bend, which also includes – of course – the iconic Phil’s Trail.

The singletrack in Phil’s is very much cross-country with miles and miles of pedally terrain and only a few trails and sections that feature lava rock tech.

Here are some things to expect at Phil’s:

Wanoga

Wanoga is the trail system above Phil’s. You can pedal up there from the Phil’s Trailhead, but that will easily be a 15-20+ mile day.

Most people ride Wanoga as a shuttle. You can book shuttles with Cog Wild or set up your own shuttle with two cars. Park one at Phil’s Trailhead at the bottom and the other at the Wanoga Sno Park Trailhead where you can access the Wanoga trails.

Wanoga is known for:

Swampy Sno Park/Dutchman Flat

Swampy Sno Park and Dutchman Flat are the trail systems above Wanoga and below Mt. Bachelor Bike Park.

These trails are definitely more backcountry and have a remote feel. Some trails, like North Fork, even feel like you’re in the Pacific Northwest with lush forests and raging rivers.

Like Wanoga, most people shuttle up to Swampy (lower) or Dutchman Flat (higher) and ride back “down” (there is still plenty of pedaling), but you can do loops up here without a shuttle. Just be prepared for a big and lots of leg work!

Head to the Swampy/Dutchman Flat trails for:

Best Trails & Route recommendations

There are so many great trails and route options in the Phil’s, Wanoga, and Swampy areas.

I’ve listed my favorite trails below as well as 3 route recommendations to help you get started.

Note that these routes are JUST pedal-accessed routes. If you want shuttled route recommendations, head over to my Bend Mountain Bike Shuttles blog post.

Phil’s, Wanoga, & Swampy/Dutchman Flat Trail Map

My 11 Favorite Trails

You honestly can’t really go wrong with the trails in Phil’s, Wanoga, and Swampy/Dutchman, but these are the ones I found particularly fun:

Best time to Ride Phils, Wanoga, & Swampy/Dutchman Flats

Bend does get snow in the winter, so these trails are typically only rideable in Spring, Summer, and Fall.

Also note that the higher up you go (Dutchman Flats = the highest), the later in the season the snow will melt.

When I visited in July, the snow was just beginning to melt up at Dutchman Flat (granted that was a high snowfall year) and it wasn’t fully rideable until August.

Phil’s, which is at the lowest elevation, will typically start to melt out in May.

Final Thoughts

I’ve spent a lot of time exploring the trails around Phil’s, Wanoga, Swampy, and Dutchman Flats, and while I don’t think I would want them as my ‘home’ trails (I like a bit more tech!) they are super fun, beautiful, and definitely worth a few days, or even weeks.

All of these trails can be accessed by pedal-power, but I do recommend spending at least a day or two on the shuttle bus so you can cover more ground. Keep in mind, though, that you’ll still be pedaling plenty even with the lifts!

Have you explored the mountain biking around Phil’s, Wanoga, and Swampy/Dutchman Flats? What are your favorite trails or route link-ups? What do you think of Phil’s Trail? Is it worth the ‘hype’? Leave a comment below!