The climate of the area is primarily arid due to the rain shadow effect of the Cascades on the western boundary of the region.

It is tapped as a water source for the Central Oregon Irrigation District which serves agricultural and municipal users.

West of Madras, Round Butte Dam impounds the Deschutes River, creating Lake Billy Chinook.

The Crooked River flows west from its sources in the Ochoco Mountains and the Oregon high desert.

Because of the lack of precipitation, high temperatures, and lightning storms during the late summer, wildfires are a common occurrence.

[6] The Oregon Badlands Wilderness preserves the indigenous character, flora, and fauna of the desert basin and is located about 20 miles (32 km) east of Bend.

Irrigation development in the region has made its otherwise arid flatlands useful for extensive hay production, farming, and livestock raising.

Peter Skene Ogden led a party of Hudson's Bay Company trapping through Central Oregon in 1826, becoming the first Euro-Americans explorers to visit the area.

In 1843, Captain John C. Fremont and his Army survey team explored and mapped the western part of Central Oregon.

Fremont was charged with mapping the Oregon Territory east of the Cascade Mountains from The Dalles on Columbia River to Sutter's Fort in Sacramento, California.

[8] In 1855, Secretary of War Jefferson Davis dispatched an Army Corps of Topographical Engineers' survey party to look for a railroad route from the Sacramento Valley in California to the Columbia River in the Oregon Territory.

[8][11] In 1865, a Company of the 1st Oregon Volunteer Infantry Regiment led by Captain Charles Lafollett established Camp Polk.

The combined output of the Shevlin-Hixon and Brooks-Scanlon mills made Bend one of the largest lumber producing towns in the world.

During World War II, the demand for timber increased dramatically and Central Oregon mill towns went through a period significant growth.

[6][22] Likewise, plants such as the black sagebrush and cheatgrass occur frequently within the region, especially among the shorter western juniper.

Common large mammals in Central Oregon include American black bear, cougar, bobcat, coyote, gray fox, red fox, mule deer, black-tailed deer, Rocky Mountain elk, pronghorn, and bighorn sheep.

Examples of smaller mammals are beaver, raccoon, weasel, otter, mink, fisher, marten, striped skunk, black-tailed jackrabbit, mountain cottontail, pygmy rabbit, golden-mantled ground squirrel, and least chipmunk.

These include various larks, tanagers, swallows, jays, crows, chickadees, wrentits, dippers, nuthatches, wrens, thrushes, and grosbeaks.

The climate varies some among Central Oregon communities, but will see approximately 300 days of sunshine a year, which is the area's real draw.

Snowfalls quickly build up layers of ice as it begins to melt and refreeze daily over the months of December and January.

Much of Central Oregon is covered in forest and, while logging has declined in recent years, it is still an important part of the regional economy.

[32] Central Oregon is the home of five destination resorts, as defined by the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development: Brasada Ranch to the northeast of Bend; Sunriver to the south; Pronghorn to the northeast; Eagle Crest Resort west of Redmond; and Black Butte Ranch west of Sisters.

The Mount Bachelor ski area is one of the largest in the Pacific Northwest, covering 3,683 acres (14.9 km2) with 3,365 feet (1,026 m) of vertical.

[33] Central Oregon has a large outdoor tourism industry and it has a reputation for being a dog-friendly vacation destination.

Pet-friendly lodging and restaurant options make traveling to Central Oregon pets easy year-round.

Some other attractions and activities that are popular are Oregon's Scenic Bikeways, rock climbing at Smith Rock State Park, mountain biking on over 700 miles (1,100 km) of trails, hiking at Cascade Lakes, Deschutes River, Metolius River, Three Sisters, Broken Top crater and other locations, snowsports at Mount Bachelor, water sports such as rafting, kayaking, boating, tubing, paddleboarding, and swimming at hundreds of lakes, rivers, and streams, shopping tax-free at designer boutiques, antique malls and shopping malls, and visiting The Museum at Warm Springs, the High Desert Museum and the Des Chutes Historical Museum as well as viewing displays hosted by various art studios.

[34] Other events include the Sisters Rodeo, summer concerts at the Hayden Homes Amphitheater, the FairWell Festival at Deschutes County Fairgrounds, Pacific Crest Weekend Sports Festival, The Bite of Bend food festival, Fourth of July bike ride, Munch and Music in Drake Park, Summerfest in Downtown Bend, Riverfest in Maupin, Hoodoo Winter Carnival, the Pole Pedal Paddle, Barks and Recreation Dog Festival in Drake Park, the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, the Deschutes County Fair, Art in the High Desert at the Old Mill District, Shakespeare in the Park, Sisters Harvest Faire, and the ongoing First Friday Art Walk downtown Bend and the Old Mill District, Ironworks District Last Saturday Art Walk, and the Bend Farmers Market held Wednesdays downtown Bend from June through October.