Eagle Crest Resort: A Lifestyle Guide for Buyers and Second-Home Owners

If you've been looking at Central Oregon real estate and a resort lifestyle keeps coming up in the search, Eagle Crest is probably the reason. It's a 1,700-acre residential resort community in Redmond — about 16 miles north of Bend — and it's genuinely unlike anywhere else in Central Oregon. Golf on three courses. Five pools. A spa. Miles of trails. The Deschutes River right on the edge of the property. Over 300 days of sunshine a year.

This isn't a marketing brochure. It's what we'd tell you if you were sitting across from us asking whether Eagle Crest might be the right fit. We work in this market every day, and we've helped families buy everything from turnkey condos to custom homes on the fairway out here. Here's an honest picture of what life at Eagle Crest actually looks like.

John & Sarah Payson · The Payson Group

What Eagle Crest actually is

Eagle Crest is both a full-service destination resort and a permanent residential community. The resort side operates alongside over 1,850 homes, chalets, townhomes, and fractional residences where people actually live full-time, part-time, or as a second home. That mix is either a feature or a drawback depending on what you're looking for. If you want a lively, amenity-rich community where your neighbors are a mix of retirees, remote workers, second-home owners, and vacation guests — Eagle Crest delivers that. The community has been here for over 34 years. Families have been coming for decades.

By the numbers

• 1,850+ homes in the community
• ~$795K recent average sale price
• 106 homes sold in the last 12 months
• 6 miles to Redmond · 16 miles to Bend
• 300+ days of sunshine per year

The golf

Eagle Crest has three 18-hole courses plus a putting course:

• The Ridge Course — championship layout; the longest golf season in Central Oregon thanks to lower elevation, open all winter long
• The Resort Course — second championship 18-hole layout across high desert terrain
• The Challenge Course — 18-hole par-63, approachable for all skill levels
• The Putting Course — 18-hole grass putting course

The custom home at 2447 Osprey Drive sits on the 12th tee of The Ridge Course and comes with a golf membership included — one of the more compelling packages currently available in the community.

The amenities

Eagle Crest runs three sports centers:

• The Ridge Sports Center — year-round indoor pool, hot tubs, fitness center, spa, tennis and pickleball courts
• The Resort Sports Center — seasonal outdoor pools, splash park, kids' games, bike rentals, basketball, volleyball
• The Lakeside Sports Center — outdoor pools, hot tubs, water features; summer family hub

Beyond sports: The Spa at Eagle Crest, four dining options on property (Aerie Cafe, Greenside and Silverleaf Cafes, Brassie's Bar and Niblick and Greene's), horseback riding, guided trail rides, whitewater rafting access on the Deschutes, fly fishing, and 11+ miles of paved paths connecting to BLM trail systems. Views shift across the property — Cascade Mountains to the west, Smith Rock to the east, the Deschutes River Canyon below.

The location advantage

• Redmond Municipal Airport (RDM) — approximately 10 minutes. Direct flights from most major West Coast cities.
• Bend — about 16 miles, 20 minutes to downtown. All of Bend's restaurants, shops, Old Mill District, and medical services.
• Smith Rock State Park — 15 minutes. World-famous climbing, hiking, and photography.
• Mt. Bachelor — approximately 45 minutes. Skiing in winter, mountain biking in summer.
• Sisters — about 16 miles. Galleries, restaurants, and the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.

The lower elevation means less snow and more mild weather than Bend — golf courses stay open longer and the lifestyle is genuinely year-round.

What you can buy

Eagle Crest offers a genuine range of options and price points — from lock-and-leave townhomes to custom homes on the fairway, plus land to build your own.

• Townhomes & chalets — turnkey-friendly, often fully furnished, popular with second-home buyers who want easy lock-and-leave ownership. Many are vacation-rental eligible.
• Single-family & custom homes — golf-course frontage, mountain views, and room to spread out. The highest-end custom homes sit on west-facing lots with Cascade panoramas.
• Home sites — build-ready lots across the resort's most sought-after ridges for those who want to design from scratch.
• Fractional residences — a share of resort ownership without the full-time commitment; entry-level price points with full resort access.

Choose your corner of the resort

Eagle Crest has distinct sub-communities, each with its own character and price point:

• The Ridge & West Ridge — some of the resort's most inspiring home sites, many with Cascade views along the Ridge Course. The largest subdivision in Eagle Crest's third phase with 378 single-family home sites.
• The Falls — an active 55-and-over community with its own clubhouse. Tastefully maintained single-story homes on landscaped lots.
• The Highlands — elevated lots and custom homes with wide-open panoramic views; some of the largest lots in Eagle Crest at 1.1 to 1.5 acres.
• Creekside & Forest Ridge — popular townhome enclaves close to pools and trails. Often turnkey-furnished and vacation-rental eligible.
• Desert Sky — a Sun Forest community with several house plans, roughly two-thirds built out, with easterly views toward Redmond.

Who buys here

• The relocating golfer — leaving California, Washington, or Portland metro wanting a golf-forward lifestyle with airport access and a real city nearby
• The second-home buyer — often from Seattle, Portland, or the Bay Area; flying into Redmond Airport is easy from the West Coast, and vacation rental income can offset carrying costs
• The active retiree — golf, tennis, pickleball, trails, spa, and Bend 20 minutes away. The Falls is a 55+ enclave for those who want it.
• The remote worker — the Central Oregon lifestyle story at a price point that gets you more space and resort amenities Bend proper can't match dollar-for-dollar

Life here, year-round

Warm months bring golf, paddling, fishing, and poolside afternoons. Cool months trade paddles for skis and skates, while the Ridge Course stays open all winter. Whether you want the active lifestyle or a relaxing retreat, Eagle Crest is built to be home in every season.

A few honest things to know

• HOA dues are real. Eagle Crest has multiple HOAs depending on which sub-community you're in. They generally cover road maintenance, common area landscaping, sports center access, and resort fees. We'll go through the specific HOA for any property in detail before you make an offer.
• Short-term rentals vary by sub-community. Some areas allow vacation rentals; others don't or have restrictions. If rental income is part of your plan, we verify this at the sub-community level before you fall in love with a specific property.
• It's a resort community, not a quiet suburb. Summer traffic, vacation guests, events. If you want complete residential quiet, this probably isn't it. If you want an active, amenity-rich environment — this very much is.
• The longer golf season is a real differentiator. For serious golfers, Eagle Crest's lower elevation keeping The Ridge Course open through winter matters more than any other single attribute.

Ready to take a look?

If Eagle Crest is on your radar — whether it's the custom home on the 12th tee or something else in the community — we'd love to help you see it properly. We can arrange a private tour around your schedule, and if it makes sense to see a few other properties while you're out, we'll pull those together too.

We can also do a private FaceTime or video walkthrough if you're making the decision from out of state before committing to a trip. No pressure — just a conversation about whether this is the right fit for your life.

View Current Eagle Crest Listings

John & Sarah Payson · The Payson Group powered by Jason Mitchell Group
Licensed in Oregon and Washington since May 2007 · ThePaysongGroup.com

Information reflects general knowledge of the Eagle Crest community and publicly available resort information as of August 2026. HOA rules, dues, and STR policies vary by sub-community and are subject to change — always verify during due diligence. Market figures are approximate; verify current listings and pricing with a licensed agent. Equal Housing Opportunity.