Welcome to Pendleton, where the Old West lives on. Thanks to its high-desert climate and valley location, this is a pleasant place to visit any time of year. Nearby are rivers, old-growth forests, mountains and open plains that offer great scenic beauty and year-round recreational opportunities, from casual to challenging.

Pendleton isn't far from the big cities of Portland, Boise and Spokane, but it also has urban amenities of its own. The historic downtown features great shopping and dining, live entertainment, restored Victorian homes and public art depicting Western themes and the area's natural backdrop.

If you've come to town for the annual Pendleton Round-Up, you'll find a bustling atmosphere with friendly locals and excited visitors all looking for a taste of the real West. The Round-Up rodeo and other activities all express the town's collective memory and carry on traditions that are a century or more old. If you've come to town to visit the famed Pendleton Woolen Mills, you probably won't be able to walk away from the outlet store's bargains empty-handed. Here they continue to blend tradition and innovation into high-quality and irresistible Indian blankets, sportswear and other goods, that are now available worldwide.

But if you have come to Pendleton to get away from it all, you'll also find plenty of room to roam. Whether you're retracing the epic journey of Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery or heading out to hike somewhere in the vast backcountry of Hells Canyon, the beauty and charm of the area are yours to enjoy.